Climate Regions

Question 1

What is weather?

Answer 1

Dad-to-day conditions in the atmosphere in a smaller area

Question 2

What is the difference between climate and weather?

Answer 2

Climate is the standard conditions in a large area (eg: hemispheres or countries )

Weather is daily conditions of a small area (eg: province or city)

Question 3

What is relief?

Answer 3

Shape of the land

Question 4

What are the most important parts of weather and climate?

Answer 4

Temperature

Rainfall

Question 5

What is temperature?

Answer 5

Describes how hot or cold a place gets

Question 6

List the 5 factors that influence temperature and rainfall

Answer 6

Ocean currents
Mountain relief
Distance from the equator
Distance from the sea
Height above sea level

Question 7

How does the distance from the equator affect temperature and rainfall?

Answer 7

Places closer to the equator are warmer because of the shape of the earth. The further away you are situated from equator the colder the area. More heat is received near the equator.

Places directly on the equator will get less heat than place near equator because the water evaporates too fast.

Question 8

How does the distance from the sea affect temperature and rainfall?

Answer 8

Places closer to the sea are warmer in the winters because the sea captures that heat. Inland places will receive extreme winters and extreme summers

Places closer to the sea get more rain.

Question 9

How does height above sea level affect temperature and rainfall?

Answer 9

Temperature decreases with altitude. The higher you go the colder it gets.

Question 10

How does ocean currents affect temperature and rainfall?

Answer 10

Heated ocean water spreads through ocean currents so places get near oceans can get heat from ocean currents

Warm currents increase temperature and rain
Cold currents decrease temperature and rain

Question 11

How does mountain relief affect temperature and rainfall?

Answer 11

It influences the amount of sunlight certain areas will receive. Slopes that face the equator will receive more heat and increase rainfall.

Question 12

What is solar radiation?

Answer 12

Heat from the sun

Question 13

What is climate?

Answer 13

Usual conditions in the atmosphere over a long term covering a large area

Question 14

What are south Africa’s physical regions?

Answer 14

Plateau
Escarpment
Costal plain
Lowlands

Question 15

What does element mean?

Answer 15

Main part

Question 16

What is humidity ?

Answer 16

How much moisture is in the air

Question 17

What is precipitation?

Answer 17

Types of water in a region (eg: rain, hail, snow, frost)

Question 18

Name the different types of climates

Answer 18

Tropical
Equatorial 
Sub-tropical
Polar
Desert
Semi-desert
Temporate
Mediterranean 
Continental
High mountain
Tundra

Question 19

What does erratic mean?

Answer 19

Not regular

Question 20

What are droughts ?

Answer 20

Long periods with no rain

Question 21

What are the differences in heating of the land and sea?

Answer 21

LAND
Heats up fast
Only top layer gets heated
Doesn't contain heat for long
Land is opaque (can't see through it)
Dull and absorbs heat
Reaches high temperatures 

SEA
Heats up slowly
Heats up to great depths
Contains heat for a long time
Sea is transparent
Shiny and reflects heat
Distributes heat 
Sea temperatures are not as high as land