Science Chapter 13 Climate

Briefly describe three theories scientists have proposed to explain natural climate changes. _____

1. Volcanoe eruptions have put a lot of gas and ash into the atmosphere not allowing sunlight and decreasing temperatures. 2. The shape of Earth's orbit has changed and the tilt of the Earth has changed. Scientists think this is causing a change in climate. 3. The energy the sun gives off has changed and is affecting the Earth's temperature.

If you travel in a straight line from Omaha to Sacramento, how many different types of climates do you cross?

5

Which zones are polar zones?

A & E

Which continent lies almost completely within the tropical zone?

Africa

Where in the US can you find a Mediterranean climate suited for growing loives and grapes?

Along the southern coast of CA

Because of its high ____, Mount Chimborazo has a cool climate all year.

Altitude

Which continent lies almost completely within a polar zone?

Antarctica

Which climate regoins would you cross if you traveled from west to east across the widest part of Texas?

Arid, semiarid and humid subtropical

Which zones are temperate zones?

B & D

Which zone is the tropical zone?

C

In which states does the marine west coast climate occur?

California, Oregon and Washington

People add the greenhouse gas ____ to the atmosphere by burning wood, oil, natural gas, and coal.

Carbon Dioxide

Which of the following has caused repeating 100,000-year cycles of ice ages in the past?

Changes in Earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis

Prevailing winds blow from the Pacific Ocean toward two cities separated by mountains. City A is on the leeward side of the mountains and city B is on the windward side. Which city is likely to have a wetter climate? Explain.

City B will be a wetter climate. With a windward side, the air rises over the mountains and if it is moist, it will make clouds. This can make rain or snow which makes it a wet climate.

One possible explanation for past climate changes is the movement of Earth's ___ from their previous positions.

Continent

The farther you live from an ocean, the more likely your climate will be a ___

Continental climate

Regions that receive less than 25 centimeters of rain annually are called____

Deserts

T or F An arid or semiarid climate occurs where precipitation is GREATER than potential evaporation.

False Less

T or F Oceans make the temperatures of nearby land MORE extreme.

False Less

T or F The main factors that affect an area's TEMPERATURE are prevailing winds and mountains.

False Precipitation

The gradual increase in teh temperature of the atmosphere is known as ____

Global Warming

Describe some of the effects of global warming. What are some possible solutions to this problem?

Global warming is causing a lot of problems. Our glaciers are melting quicker, we are having more droughts and water shortages. CA is in one right now. If we help to change our carbon dioxide footprint on the earth, this will help slow down global warming. We can recylce things, use less energy and buy more green products.

A tropical wet climate exists in the US only in ____

Hawaii

A colder type of climate called ____ is found at the tops of mountains and is surrounded by other climate regions.

Highlands

What is the climate of New York City?

Humid Continental

During cold periods called ____, large parts of Earth's surface were covered with sheets of ice.

Ice Ages

An important principle scientists follow to determine ancient climates is ____

If an organism today needs certain conditions to live, then a similar organism that lived in teh past needed similar conditions.

Over the past 200 years, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has ___

Increased steadily

Describe temperate continental climates. ____

It happens only on big continents in the Northern Hemispere. There are humid summers and cold winters. They could be short cool summers or very cold and long winters.

Compare the climates of Las Vegas and New Orleans ___

Las Vegas has an arid climate, which is dry and New Orleans has humid subtropical climate

The land on the ____ side of a mountain range is in a rain shadow.

Leeward

The three kinds of temperate marine climates all have ___

Mild winters

Sea and land breezes over a large region that change direction with the seasons are called ____

Monsoons

The sun's rays are LEAST direct ____

Near the poles

Tundra and ice cap climates are examples of ____ climates.

Polar

Ancient plant ____ found in lake bottoms provides scientists with evidence about ancient climates.

Pollen

Climates are classified according to two major factors ___

Precipitation and temperature

______ are forests in which plenty of rain falls all year.

Rain Forests

Scientists observe the thickness of a tree's ____ to learn about past climate conditions.

Rings

Tropical grasslands called ____ are found in the tropical wet-and-dry climate region.

Savannas

The Great Plains east of the Rocky Mountains have a ___

Semiarid climate

A temperate continental climate with short cool summers and long, bitterly cold winters is the _____

Subarctic climate

Climate changes may be linked to changes in the number of ____ on teh surface of the sun.

Sunspots

The climate zones lying between 23.5 adn 66.5 north and south latitude are called the ____

Temperate zones

______ temperature zones occur between tropical and polar zones.

Temperature

______ climates are found along the coasts of continents in the temperate zone.

Temperature Marine

Clues to what ancient climates were like come from all of the following EXCEPT ____

Thickness of rock layers

Give the names of the zones in which South America lies. ____

Tropical and Temperature

Describe how precipitation is used to classify tropical rainy climates. ____

Tropical climates are wet all year long because it rains a lot. With all the moisture in the air, it keeps it wet and able to rain.

T or F Scientists assume that an organism's ancestors required a climate SIMILAR TO the climate required by the present-day organism.

True

T or F Temperate CONTINENTAL climates have cold winters.

True

Trees do not grow in the _____ climate region, which has short, cool summers, bitterly cold winters, and permafrost.

Tundra

Permafrost and mosses, lichens, and wildflowers are common in the _____

Tundra climate

In addition to temperature and precipitation, Koppen's climate system classified climates by a region's ___

Vegetation

Streams of water called ocean ____ move warm or cold water, warming or cooling the nearby land.

currents