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GLOBAL CLIMATES STUDY
GUIDE
VOCABULARY:
ANSWERS:
BE FAMILIAR WITH THE FOLLOWING TERMS
1. WHAT IS CLIMATE?
1. AVERAGE WEATHER CONDITIONS OF AN AREA OVER A
LONG PERIOD OF TIME
2. WHAT IS WEATHER?
2. TEMPORARY STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE
3. WHAT IS PRECIPITATION?
3. RAIN, SNOW, SLEET, HAIL AND DEW
4. WHAT DOES WINDWARD MEAN?
4. THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN THAT RECEIVES LARGE
AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE/RAINFALL
5. WHAT DOES LEEWARD MEAN?
5. THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN THAT DOESN’T RECEIVE
MUCH MOISTURE/RAINFALL
6. WHAT DOES OROGRAPHIC MEAN?
6. WHEN WINDS FILLED WITH MOISTURE GO OVER
MOUNTAINS AND THE COOLER AIR CAUSES
CONDENSATION AND RAIN
7. WHAT IS MEANT BY TROPICAL?
7. HOT ALL YEAR AROUND
8. WHAT IS MEANT BY CONTINENTAL?
8. FOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTINENT AND USUALLY
WIDE SEASONAL RANGES IN TEMPERATURE
9. WHAT DOES HUMID MEAN?
9. WET OR MOIST
10. WHAT DOES THE WORD SUB MEAN?
10. BELOW
11. WHAT DOES MARINE MEAN?
11. EFFECTED BY OCEANS
12. WHAT IS CONTINENTALITY?
12. WHEN A PLACE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTINENT,
AND EXPERIENCES WIDE RANGES IN TEMPERATURES
CLIMATE FACTORS
EXPLAIN HOW EACH CLIMATE FACTOR (“LOW MAP”) WORKS
13. LATITUDE
12. TEMPERATURES ARE USUALLY WARMER NEAR THE
EQUATOR AND COOLER TOWARDS THE POOLS
14. OCEAN CURRENTS
12. WARM OCEAN CURRENTS CAN MAKE PLACES WARMER
(PARTICULARLY IN WINTER) AND COOL CURRENTS
COOLER (PARTICULARLY IN SUMMER) THAN NORMALLY
WOULD BE EXPECTED
15. WIND PATTERNS
13. WINDS FOLLOW PREDICTABLE PATTERNS (IN THE
MID-LATITUDES THEY BLOW FROM WEST) AND BRING
MOISTURE AND WARM AND COOL TEMPERATURES
16. MOUNTAIN BARRIERS
15. THESE CAUSE MOISTURE TO FALL ON ONE SIDE,
LEAVING THE OTHER SIDE DRY
17. ALTITUDE
16. EVERY 300’ YOU GO UP, AIR COOLS 1OF
18. PROXIMITY TO OCEANS
17. PLACES NEAR OCEANS TEND TO EXPERIENCE
MODERATE TEMPERATURES AND PLACES FAR FROM
OCEANS EXPERIENCE WIDE EXTREMES
MISCELLANEOUS
19. WHAT DIRECTION DOES THE EARTH TURN?
18. FROM WEST TO EAST
20. WHY ARE THE HIGH LATITUDES VERY COLD?
19. THEY GET VERY LITTLE ENERGY FROM SUN
21. IN THE LOW LATITUDES, TEMPERATURES ARE …
21. HOT!
22. IN THE HIGH LATITUDES, TEMPERATURES ARE …
22. COLD!
23. WHAT CAUSES AIR PRESSURE?
23. UNEQUAL HEATING OF EARTH
24. WHAT DIRECTION DOES THE WIND ALWAYS BLOW?
24. FROM HIGH TO LOW PRESSURE
25. WHAT IS THE MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC OF DESERTS?
25. LACK OF MOISTURE (DRY)
26. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LATITUDE INCREASES?
26. IT GETS COLDER WITH MORE SEASONAL RANGE AND
DRIER!
27. WHO HAS WARMER WINTERS: SEATTLE OR BUFFALO?
27. SEATTLE (NEAR OCEAN)
GLOBAL CLIMATES
DESCRIBE THE FEATURES OF EACH OF EARTH’S CLIMATES:
28. HUMID TROPICAL CLIMATE
28. NEAR EQUATOR WITH CONSTANTLY HOT TEMPS
AND HEAVY RAIN
29. TROPICAL SAVANNA CLIMATE
29. REGION JUST NORTH AND SOUTH OF EQUATOR OF HOT
TEMPERATURES AND A “WET” AND “DRY” SEASON
30. DESERT CLIMATE
30. HOT TEMPERATURES AND 0-10” OF PRECIPITATION
31. HUMID SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE
31. LONG, HOT SUMMERS WITH SHORT, MILD WINTERS
AND HEAVY RAIN
32. MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE
32. COVERS ONLY 3% OF EARTH’S SURFACE AND HAS
DRY, HOT SUMMERS AND MILD, MOIST WINTERS
33. MARINE WEST COAST CLIMATE
33. YEAR AROUND MODERATE TEMPS AND HEAVY RAIN
34. HUMID CONTINENTAL CLIMATE
34. HOT SUMMERS, COLD WINTERS WITH 20-40” PRECIP
35. SUBARCTIC CLIMATE
35. LONG, COLD WINTERS AND BRIEF, WARM SUMMERS
WITH ONLY 10”-20” PRECIPITATION
36. TUNDRA CLIMATE
36. ONLY THREE MONTHS WITH TEMPS ABOVE FREEZING,
AND ONLY 5-10” PRECIPITATION (MOSTLY SNOW)
37. POLAR ICE CAP CLIMATE
37. EARTH’S COLDEST CLIMATE WITH ONLY 0-5” PRECIP
38. HIGHLAND CLIMATE
38. THE HIGHER THE ELEVATION, THE COLDER THE
TEMPS. ONE SIDE GETS LOTS OF PRECIP, THE OTHER
LITTLE
U.S. CLIMATE LOCATIONS
YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW THE LOCATIONS OF ALL OF THE CLIMATES IN THE U.S. INCLUDING:
DESERT
(3)
HIGHLAND (SHADED)
HUMID CONTINENTAL (5)
HUMID SUBTROPICAL (6)
MARINE WEST COAST (1)
MEDITERRANEAN (2)
STEPPE (4)
TROPICAL SAVANNA (7)