climate in canada Flashcards
what is climate?
atmospheric conditions over a long period of time
what is weather?
daily atmospheric conditions
if a place is closer to the equator, it is ______
warmer
similar latitudes = similar _______
climates
how does latitude affect climate?
it affects a place’s amount of sunlight
what are ocean currents?
steady flows of water in a prevailing direction
how does ocean current affect climate?
they affect the air’s temperature
when is fog created?
when two ocean currents collide
how is air’s weight measured?
air pressure
what does air absorb?
the climate of the air below it
when warm air rises, what is the pressure?
low
when cool air falls, what is the pressure?
high
when is wind created?
when air moves from high to low pressure areas
what are westerlies?
prevailing wind in Canada moving west to east
when air rises, it _____ and ________
expands / cools
what is elevation?
measure of how high you are from sea level
when air cools, what does it become?
water vapour => clouds => precipitation
what is relief?
the differences in elevation
what do mountain ranges do?
block the movement of air, making it cooler and causing air to condense => creates relief precipitation
what happens when air masses go over the mountain?
precipitation stops and creates rain shadows
what is a rain shadow?
dry areas on the back of the mountain
why does being near water affect a place’s climate?
as wind blows over water in the summer, it cools the land and in winter the water retains heat, makes the winters mild
why do areas near water have more precipitation?
they are closer to a source of moisture
what is continental temperature and precipitation like?
- more than 25 temperature range
- less than 1000mm of precipitation
