Weather and Natural Vegetation Flashcards
What is temperature?
How hot or cold it is
What elements does weather describe?
Temperature Wind Cloud cover Rainfall Snow and hail
How does weather describe wind?
The direction wind is coming from and how strong it is
How does weather describe cloud cover?
How much of the sky is covered with clouds
How does weather describe rainfall?
Whether or not it is raining and how much rain
What words can we use to describe the weather?
Hot, cold, warm, cool, wet, sunny,rainy, cloudy, windy
What is precipitation?
Moisture from the air which reaches Earth in the form of rain, hail or snow
What is temperature measured with?
A thermometer
What unit is used for measuring temperature ?
Degrees centigrade ‘C
How does a simple thermometer work?
Mercury or alcohol is held in the bulb. When the temperature rises the mercury/alcohol expands and moves up the thin tube in the thermometer .
In SA, what would a hot temperature be?
Above 25
In SA what would a cold temperature be?
Below 12
What was the highest recorded temperature and where was it?
58, in Libya
Where is the coldest place in the world? what temperatures does it record in winter?
Yakutia in Siberia
Temperatures of -50 ‘C
What do we use to measure rainfall. Where would it be?
A rain gauge . A rain gauge must be placed in an open area
What is rainfall measured in?
Millimeters mm
What is the average rainfall each year in SA?
350 mm
What is wind?
Wind is moving air
How do we name a wind?
We name it after the direction from which it comes
What do we measure wind with?
A wind vane
What is a wind sock?
It is a large bag open at both en. The wind blows through the sock and the sock shows the wind direction. It is used at airports
Where is a windsock used?
At airports
What is the weather forecast?
It shows us what the weather will be like tomorrow or in a few days time.
Where can we see a weather forecast?
In media such as television and newspapers give a forecast every day.
Does the whole of South Africa have a high rainfall?
No, some parts of South Africa are very dry and it only rains a few times a year
What is the rainfall pattern in South Africa?
Most of South Africa has seasonal rainfall - this means rainfall in summer or winter. A small part is South Africa gets rain all year round
What does weather describe
The temperature, rainfall and cloud cover over a short time - daily or hourly, and in a small area. This could be a village or a section of a province
What does climate describe?
Climate describes the same conditions as weather but over a longer time and bigger area . Different regions of South Africa have different climates
What are indigenous plants?
Plants which grow naturally in an area. These plants form the natural vegetation of an area
What does the type of natural vegetation that grows in an area depend on?
The temperatures
The amount of rain
The time of year in which the rain falls
Where do forests grow naturally?
Where there is over 800mm of rain in a year
How do grasses depend on climate?
Short grasses need some rain and can survive frost
Long grasses need more rain and are more sensitive to frost
What climate does fynbos need?
They can survive summer drought but need rain in winter. That is why fynbos grows well in the Cape.
What natural vegetation is found in the savannah grasslands?
Grass, scattered thorn trees as well as baobab trees ( in the northern parts)
Where are other grasslands found in South Africa?
On the plateau and higher ground areas.
What natural vegetation is found in the Karoo?
Karoo Busch is indigenous to the Karoo. The bushes store water in their stems and leave so they can go for a long time without water
What climate do proteas need?
Proteas are part of the fynbos family. They are indigenous to the Western Cape. They need hot,dry summers and cool, wet winters
Where do we find yellow wood and ironwood trees?
In an indigenous forest. Rain is needed all year round.
