Term 3 Flashcards
Weather, rainfall, climate, natural vegetation
What are the four elements of weather?
Temperature
Cloud cover
Rainfall
Wind
What is temperature?
How hot or cold something is
What is cloud cover?
The amount of clouds covering the sky
What is rainfall?
The amount of rain that falls over an aerea
What is wind speed?
How fast or strong the wind is
What is precipitation?
The different forms in which water falls to the ground
Name three forms of precipitation
Rain
Hail
Snow
What instrument is used to measure rain?
In what units do we measure rain?
A rain gauge measures rainfall in millimeters
What instrument is used to measure temperature?
In what units do we measure temperature?
A thermometer measures temperature in degrees Celsius
What are the boiling and freezing points of water?
Water boils at 100°C and freezes at 0°C
Wind is named according to the direction it is blowing to. True or False?
False. Wind is named according to the direction it is coming from
If the wind is blowing in a northwesterly direction what would it be called?
A southeasterly wind
If you see numbers on a weather map, eg 11/27, what does it mean?
The minimum temperature expected that day is 11°C and the maximum is 27°C
What do you call the amount of rain that falls in a place in one year?
Annual rainfall
In which season does most of South Africa get its rain?
Summer
In what season does Cape Town get the most rain?
Winter
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather describes the weather elements of a particular day while climate describes the general weather conditions in an area over a long period of time
What are we describing when we say what the climate of an area is?
Climate describes what the summer or winter weather is usually like, eg hot, warm, cool, cold, dry, wet or humid
What is natural vegetation?
The grass, plants and trees that grow naturally in an area without being planted.
What is the link between natural vegetation and climate?
Different climates make it possible for different kinds of plants to grow
What kind of plants grow well in very dry areas?
Succulents that have thick juicy leaves, stems or roots.
Give an example of a plant that needs rain in winter and can survive hot, dry summers.
The protea
What is the largest natural forest in South Africa? Where is it?
The Tsitsikamma Forest in the Eastern Cape
What is the best climate for forests?
Warm and wet climate all year round
What is a grassland?
A high-lying area where there are few trees and mostly different types of grass.
What climate is best for grasslands?
A summer rainfall climate
How do baobab trees survive dry conditions?
They store water in their trunks and shed their leaves in winter
What is a savanna?
A grassland area that has trees and other smaller bushes.
Describe the two main types of savannah in South Africa
- The type where the grass does not get eaten by animals so there are few animals in the area
- The type where the grass does get eaten by animals so there are many animals in the area
What is the climate of the savanna?
Warm throughout the year. Usually has summer rainfall and warm, dry winters.
How do the plants that grow on the savanna protect themselves from fires?
Some plants store water and nutrients in their roots which allows them to grow again after fire. Some trees have thick bark to protect them.
What do acacia trees have to help them survive?
They have long tap roots that can find water deep underground in drought conditions and thorns that prevent animals from eating their leaves.
Name some animals that live on the savannah
Buffalo Wildebeest Springbok Giraffes Zebras Elephants Rhinos Lions Cheetahs Leopards Hyenas Wild dogs
