chapter 14 science
Terms
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- climate
- The average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area.
- tropical zone
- The area near the equator, between about 23.5 degrees north latitude and 23.5 degrees south latitude.
- polar zone
- The area near both poles, from about 66.5 degrees north to 90 degrees north and 66.5 degrees south and 90 degrees south latitudes.
- temperate zone
- The areas between the tropical and polar zones, from 23.5 degrees to 66.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees and 66.5 degrees south latitudes.
- marine climate
- The climate of some coastal regions, with realatively warm winters and cool summers.
- continental climate
- The climate of the centers of continents, with cold winters and warm or hot summers.
- windward
- The side of the mountains that faces the oncoming wind.
- leeward
- The downwind side of mountains.
- microclimate
- The climate characteristic of a small specific area; it may be different from the climate of the surrounding area.
- rain forest
- A forest in the tropical climate zone that gets plenty of rain all year.
- savanna
- A tropical grassland with scattered clumps of trees, found in th te tropical wet-and-dry climate zone.
- desert
- A region that gets less then 25 centimeters of rain in a year.
- steppe
- A prairie or grassland found in the semiarid climate region.
- humid subtropical
- A wet and warm cliamte area on the edge if the tropics.
- subartic
- A climate zone that lies north of the humid continental climate zone, with short, cool summers and long bitter winters.
- tundra
- a polar region, found across northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia, with short, cool summers and bitterly cold winters.
- permafrost
- permanently frozen soil found in the tundra climate area.
- ice age
- Cold time periods in Earth's history, during which glaciers covered large parts of the surface.
- sunspot
- Dark, cooler regions on the surface of the sun.
- greenhouse gases
- Gases in the atmosphere that trap in heat.
- global warming
- A gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere.
- chlorofluorocarbons
- Chlorine compounds formerly use in air conditioners, refrigerators, and spray cans; also called CFCs.