science chapter 4
Terms
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- Rainforest
- only cover 6% of earth's surface, have one half of all animals, medicines and plants in the world; give 40% of all oxygen. Four layers: Emergent, canopy, understory, and upper canopy
- Marine West Coast
- Mild climate with warms summers, humid and rainy winters; 40 degrees north or south latitude
- Leeward
- The side of the mountain the wind doesn't hit
- Desert
- Less than 0.1 inch of rain, plants have thick leaves, cast root system; animals burrowing
- Subartic
- high latitudes, right before the poles largest temperature range, little precipitation
- Factors That Influence Temperature
- latitude, altitude, distance from bodies of water, and ocean currents
- Continental Climates
- Climates that give extreme winters and summers
- Mediterranean
- Mild climate, with two seasons; warmer and drier than a west coast climate
- Microclimate
- A small area with climate conditions that differ from those around it
- Factors That Influence Precipitation
- prevailing winds (air masses that may bring a variety of temperature), seasonal winds, and the presence of mountains
- Humid Continental
- variable weather, seasonal changes, precipitation year round, extreme summers and winters
- Factors That Influence Climate
- Scientist use precipitation and temperature to determine climate; climate has distinct properties but is similar
- Humid
- High surface heat and humidity cause cumulus clouds; more than 100 in rainfall per year
- Semiarid
- grasslands can be found between desert and tropical areas, maritime air mass blocked by mountains, continental air mass makes it extreme
- Marine Climates
- Climates that give mild winters, and cool summers
- Temperate Zones
- Areas between tropical and polar zones, that have mixed temperature
- Highlands
- Temperature falls as altitude increases, so highland regions are colder than regions surrounding them
- Koopen Classification System
- named the 6 regions, but there are no clear boundaries
- Polar Zones
- Areas where the sun ray's strike a lower angle at 66.5 to 90 degrees north and south.
- Temperate Wet And Dry
- no extremes, prevailing winds cause seasons, afternoon thunderstorms caused by the sand absorbing heat, making it low pressure, and that created rain showers and thunderstorms
- Hot
- average temperature is 77 degrees but ranges from 64 to 93 degrees; hot because of 15 to 25 degrees N and S
- Tundra
- Climate region with short cool summers, and long cold winters. They have permafrost: which is soil that is permanently frozen
- Tropical Zones
- Area neat the equator between 23.5 degrees north latitude and 23.5 degrees south latitude. (Warmer because closer to equator makes the area hotter)
- Monsoons
- Sea and land breezes over a large region that change directions with seasons
- Climate
- the average temperature of a place over time
- Humid Subtropical
- The warmest marine temperatures, but are wet and warm, not as hot as tropics
- Winward
- The side of the mountain the wind hits
- Ice cap
- Climate that are at or below freezing; lichens and low plants survive in ice caps