Unit 5 Vocab - Part 1

Question 1

Permafrost

Answer 1

permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground

Question 2

Foehn

Answer 2

hot desert wind that can blow air and dust from North Africa to western Europe’s Mediterranean coast

Question 3

Sirocco

Answer 3

dry wind that blows from the leeward sides of mountains, sometimes melting snow and causing avalanches; term mainly used in Europe

Question 4

Timberline

Answer 4

elevation above which it is too cold for trees to grow

Question 5

Chaparral

Answer 5

type of vegetation made up of dense forests of shrubs and short trees, common in Mediterranean climates

Question 6

Avalanche

Answer 6

mass of ice, snow, or rock that slides down a mountainside

Question 7

Mistral

Answer 7

strong northerly wind from the Alps that can bring cold air down to southern France

Question 8

Fjord

Answer 8

long, steep-sided glacial valley now filled by sea water

Question 9

Polder

Answer 9

low-lying area from which seawater has been drained to create new farm land

Question 10

Dike

Answer 10

large banks of earth and stone that hold back water

Question 11

Glaciation

Answer 11

the process whereby glaciers form and spread