15-3 What is Climate?
True or false. Winds affect the latitude?
False
Why do different parts of the world have such different animals?
animals adapt to only certain climates
What does uneven heating on earths surface form?
areas of different air pressure
What are the average weather conditions in an area over a long period?
climate
What is the overall weather in an area over a long period of time called?
climate
How are climates different that weather?
climate happens over long periods of time
What kind of currents are found off of the west coast of the United States?
cool currents
What does latitude measure?
distance from the equator
What is the height of a landform above sea level called?
elevation
What is the height of an object above sea level called?
elevation
In general, how does elevation affect temperature?
higher elevations mean colder temperatures
What are the imaginary lines around the Earth that are parallel to the equator? These tell the distance from the equator.
latitude
What determines Earth's major climate zones?
ocean currents, topography, winds
Which is the coldest climate zone?
polar
What is it called when air passes over a mountain and cools causing precipitation to fall?
rain shadow effect
How does a large body of water affect nearby land?
sudden temperature changes are rare
What is a horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that occurs at or near the surface?
surface currents
What are two main things the determine climate?
temperature and precipitation
What are stream-like movements of water on top of the ocean called?
Surface currents
What causes some places to have seasons?
The tilt of the earth moves areas closer of farther away from the sun depending on which season
Why do clouds form as air moves over a mountain?
As the air rises it cools and cannot hold as much water so it water comes out?
What keeps the West Coasts temperatures cooler than inland temperatures?
California current
Why are there different climates in each climate zone, even though the areas are found at similar latitudes?
Changes in topography, winds and distance to water
What are the three major climate zones?
Temperate, polar, tropical
Why do areas near the equator tend to have high temperatures?
The suns rays hit directly
Why don't areas near the equator have large seasonal changes in weather?
The tilt of the does not move the equator very much
Which climate zone has the highest temperatures?
Tropical
What affect the amount of direct solar energy at different latitudes?
the curve of the earth
What keeps California's temperatures moderate?
the ocean
Why does the equator have high temperatures?
the suns rays hit it directly
What causes seasons to happen?
the tilt of the earths axis
The sizes and shapes of the land surface features of a region is called?
topography
In which direction so the prevailing Westerlies blow?
towards the east
What causes wind to form?
uneven heat around the world
What kind of currents are found off of the east coast of the United States?
warm currents
Why aren't sudden temperature changes common near large bodies of water?
water absorbs and releases heat slowly.
What kind of conditions vary from day to day?
weather
What are four things that can affect climate?
winds, ocean currents, topography, tilt of the earths axis