Questions Flashcards
What two factors are most often used to determine climate?
Temperature and precipitation
Define climate
The average year to year conditions of temperature,precipitation,winds,and clouds in an area
How does latitude affect temperature?
Areas near the equator are warmer
How does altitude affect temperature?
Places located at high altitudes have cooler climates
How does the distance from a large body of water affect temperature?
Water heats up five times slower than land, therefore winds off the ocean often prevent extremes of hot and cold in coastal regions
Describe how marine climates differ from a continental climate?
Marine climates have mild winters while continental climates have extreme temperatures
What is a prevailing wind? How does it affect the amount of precipitation in an area?
Winds that blow in one direction of the region.
The amount of water vapor in the air mass
How does the amount of precipitation change from the windward side of a mountian to the leeward side?
By the time the air has moved over the mountains, it has lost most of its water vapor, so it is cool and dry
Define monsoon
Sea and land breezes over a large region that change direction over the seasons
Define the climate of a tropical rainy region?
Year round heat and heavy rainfall cause lush green vegetation to grow in abundance.
What is a savanna? Describe the climate of a savanna
Scatter clumps of tress that can survive the dry seasons and stand in the corse grasses.
Tropical grasslands
How much rainfall does a desert (arid) region recieve?
Less than 10 inches per year
What are 2 other terms for temperate grassland?
Prairie and steppe
Describe the climate of a temperate grassland
Enough rainfall grasses and bushes to grow
Describe the climate of temperate marine
Heavy precipitation, thick forests of tall trees grow here
