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condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time
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weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time
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Geography
Chapter 3 vocab and notes
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time | weather |
| weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time | climate |
| referring to the earth, and imaginary line that runs through its center between the North Pole and the South Pole | axis |
| a measure of how hot or cold something is, generally measured in degrees on a set scale, such as Fahrenheit or Celsius | temperature |
| in astronomy, the earth's yearly trip around the sun, taking 365 1/2 days | revolution |
| one of two days on which the sun is directly above the equator, making day and night equal in length | equinox |
| one of two days on which the sun's rays strike directly at latitude 23 1/2 North (Tropic of Cancer) or 23 1/2 South (Tropic of Capricorn), marking the beginning of summer or winter | solstice |
| wind in a region that blows in a fairly constant directional pattern, such as the trade winds that blow toward the Equator in low latitudes | prevailing wind |
| a frequently windless area near the Equator | doldrums |
| cold or warm "river" of seawater that flows in the oceans, generally in a circular pattern | current |
| moisture that falls to the earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail | precipitation |
| facing toward the direction from which the wind is blowing | windward |
| facing away from the direction from which the wind is blowing | leeward |
| a dry area found on the leeward side of a mountain range | rain shadow |
| the plant life the grows in an area if the natural environment has not been changed by people | natural vegetation |
| an area of lush vegetation | oasis |
| describing trees, usually broadleaved such as oak and maple, that lose their leaves in autumn | deciduous |
| forestland with both evergreen and deciduous trees | mixed forest |
| type of vegetation made up of dense forests of shrubs and short trees, common in Mediterranean climate | chaparral |
| an inland grassland area | prairie |
| permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground | permafrost |
| Russian term for the vast subarctic forest, mainly evergreens, that begins where the tundra ends; also used for subarctic climate regions in general | taiga |
| elevation above which it is too cold for trees to grow | timberline |
| one step in the scientific method, suggesting a scientific explanation for observed events | hypothesis |
| irritating haze caused by the interaction of ultraviolet solar radiation with chemical fumes from automobile exhausts and other pollution sources | smog |
| for every 1,000 feet above altitude you lose ____ degrees in temperature | 3 1/2 |
| ______ precipitation is when a rain shadow is formed | oragraphic |
| if an area receives less then ____ inches of rain a year it is considered a desert | 10 |
| forest with both evergreen and conifer trees | coniferous forest |
| 0-30 degrees north or south of the equator are the | trade winds/ low latitudes |
| 30-60 degrees north or south of the equator are the | westerlies/ middle latitudes |
| 60-90 degrees north or south of the equator are the | easterlies/ high latitudes |
| what are the 5 main climate regions? | tropical, dry, mid-latitude, high-latitude, and highland |
| at the high latitude north it is also called | arctic circle |
| at the middle latitude north it is also called | tropic of cancer |
| at the low latitude 0 degrees is the | equator |
| at the middle latitude south it is also called | tropic of capricorn |
| at the high latitude south it is also called | antarctic circle |
| the earth is tilted at | 23 1/2 degrees |
| what causes the seasons to change? | the earth's revolution and tilt |
| god designed 3 main systems to distribute heat over the earth: | seasons. winds, and ocean currents |
| season middle latitude | spring summer fall winter |
| tropics seasons | rainy and dry |
| seasonal changes are caused by the __________ | tilt of the earth's axis |
| the earth near the ______ receives more sunlight than land near the poles | equator |
| the earth's axis is always pointed to the ________ | north star |
| the earth has 2 movements: | rotates on its axis, and it revolves aroung the sun |
| the tropic of cancer is located at | 23 1/2 degrees north |
| the tropic of capricorn is located at | 23 1/2 degrees south |
| the low latitudes are between 0 and 23 1/2 degrees, have warm temperatures and are called the _______ | tropics |
| the middle latitudes go from 23 1/2 degrees to 66 1/2, have warm summers and cool winters and are called the _______ | temperate zones |
| the high latitudes go from 66 1/2 all the way up to 90 they are called the _________ | polar regions |
| ______ is caused by movement of air that has been heated by the sun | wind |
| a large area of air that has similar temperatures and moves together is called an _______ | air mass |
| warm air masses _____, and cold air masses ______ | rise,sink |
| few winds blow north or south-the rotation around the earth's axis influences wind direction. the effect of this rotation is known as the ________ | coriolis effect |
| fast currents of wind that flow at high altitudes; they occur where cold polar air meets warm equatorial air | jet streams |
| non- windy area by the equator is called the doldrums also called as _______ | horse latitudes |
| hot air masses develop over the interior of continents in the summer, this hot arising air is call a ________ | low pressure zone |
| when winter comes, patterns reverse and this cold heavy air is called a | high pressure zone |
| 3 major factors that influence wind direction: | latitude, earth's rotation, and continents |
| ______ is a slight increase in surface water temperature over a wide area region in the pacific | El Nino |
| ocean currents flow in a circular pattern calles _______, in the center of this the water is dangerously calm | gyres |
| different states of water | solid liquid gas |
| when water absorbs enough heat, it changes into an invisible gas called water vapor, this process is called ________ | evaporation |
| the process of water's change from a gas to a liquid is called _______ | condensation |
| the amount of water vapor in the air is called ________ | humidity |
| the fall of water to the earth is called _________ | precipitation |
| 4 types of precipitation | rain, snow, sleet, and hail |
| the __________ continually replenishes the soil, plants, lakes, and rivers | hydrologic/water cycle |
| _____________ is like a slow-moving river under the ground | ground water |
| eventually ALL water returns to the _______ | oceans |
| rain or snow falls along the line where two air masses of different temperature meet, this line is called a _______ | front |
| the rise of warm air over a hot surface is called ________, which causes precipitation | convection |
| 4 moderate climates: | marine west coast, mediterranean, humid continental, and humid subtropic (MS) |
| deserts are often called _____ regions, which means "lacking moisture" | arid |
| _______ refers to land just above the tropics. It receives 50 inches of rainfall per year, and is where some of the richest farmland is located | humid subtropic |
| _________ covers most of western Europe and parts of California | marine west coast |
| a ______ is any large region where distinct populations of plants and animals are found living together | biome |
| 3 basic biomes: | forest, grassland, and wastelands |
| in north america fertile grasslands are called _______ | praires |
| _______ cold region near the poles | tundra |
Created by:
Lauren Pole