Climate Section 4 Flashcards
How does latitude effect climate
The sun heats the earth unequally so higher latitudes are colder than the equator
How does elevation effect climate
Higher elevation = colder climate. Air at higher elevations gets less precipitation.
Nearby Water
Mild climates, smaller temperature range. More precipitation because the water makes more water vapor
Ocean Currents
Warm currents warm the climate, cold currents cool the climate. Some ocean currents make fog
Topography
Mountains. Leeward side is warmer than windward, windward is wetter than leeward.
Prevailing Winds
Prevailing winds can come from a hot, cold, dry or wet area, these effect the place the winds travel to.
Vegetation
It affects the insolation of the Earth’s surface. Vegetation also releases water vapor. Vegetation is never a major causation.
Descibe a Tundra
Cold, low precipitation. Small range of vegetation that is low-lying. Occurs in high latitudes or high elevations. Permafrost or frozen soil.
Descibe a Taiga
Cold temperatures, moderate to low rainfall. Evergreens or needle trees. Long and cold winters, short summers
Descibe a Temperate Forest
Moderate/seasonal temperatures. Enough precipitation for trees
Descibe a Temperate Grassland
Warm summers, cold winters. Moderate rainfall. Not enough rain for trees. Periodic wildfires and droughts stunt extensive vegetation growth.
Descibe a Tropical Rainforest
Located near the equator, high rainfall and high temperatures.
Descibe a Savanna (Tropical Grasslands)
Moderate to low rainfall. High temperatures. Tropical regions. Regular fires prevent trees.
Descibe a Tropical Desert
Dry soils and low rainfall. High pressure belts near the tropics.
Descibe a Temperate Deserts
Exist on the leeward sides of mountains in mid latitudes. Warm/how summers. Low precipitation. An example of this is a rainshadow desert.
Descibe a Polar Ice
Alpine glaciers, high altitudes. Mostly bedrock instead of soil under the ice.
Descibe a Chaparral
Warm/hot summers, cool/cold winters. Low to moderate precipitation. Dry summers, wet winters.
What is a climatogram
The temperature and precipitation of a specific area over a year
What is orographic lifting
when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain
