Chapter 3
What is the average daily temperature of a tropical wet climate?
80 degrees.
Describe what is meant by "midnight sun".
Continuous daylight, a phenomenon also known as midnight sun, is caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis as it revolves around the sun.
Because of the ________________, some solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere and some is reflected back into space.
Coriolis effect
The ________________ occurs because the Earth's rotation causes prevailing winds to move diagonally.
Coriolis effect
When is the Winter solstice?
December 22
What effect is caused by a rain shadow?
Dry, warmer area develop on the leeward side of the mountain
How frequently does the Earth complete one rotation on its axis?
Every 24 hours.
T or F: The Amazon River basin is an example of a tropical dry climate.
F
T or F: Tropical dry climates support more plants and animals than do tropical wet climates.
F
True or false: The Equator experiences the most dramatic variation in the amount of sunlight
False
True or false: The side of the Earth facing the sun is colder, and the side of the Earth not facing the sun is warmer.
False
True or false: Without the greenhouse effect, the Earth would be too hot to support life.
False
Why are temperatures cooler in Quito, Ecuador, than in most other places located near the Equator?
High elevation.
Why do high latitude climates have limited vegetation?
In high-latitude climates, freezing temperatures are common all year because of the lack of direct sunlight. As a result, the amount and variety of vegetation is limited here.
When is the Summer solstice?
June 21
How can landforms and bodies of water affect climate?
Large bodies of water are slower to heat and cool, so they tend to keep temperatures in surrounding lands moderate. Mountain ranges push wind upward and, as a result, the rising air cools and releases moisture in the form of precipitation.
When is the Spring equinox?
March 21
What happens to global winds at the Equator?
Near the Equator, the horizontal movement of the trade winds subsides as the warm air rises. This rising air leaves a narrow, generally windless band called the doldrums.
When is the Fall equinox?
September 23
What are the three indicators of climate change?
Some indicators of climate change include rising global temperatures, severe weather changes such as intense heat waves and changes in precipitation, and an increase in severe weather events.
T or F: A steppe is a type of dry climate.
T
T or F: An oasis is caused by an underground spring coming to the surface in a desert.
T
T or F: Humid subtropical, marine west coast, Mediterranean, and humid continental are types of midlatitude climates.
T
What happens to temperature as elevation increases?
Temperature decreases.
What causes climates to change over time?
The Earth undergoes natural and predictable cycles of cooling and warming caused by factors such as solar flares and volcanic activity. However, increased global temperatures could also be attributed to greenhouse gas emissions and fewer forests.
Why are the seasons different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
The Earth's revolution, combined with its tilted axis, affects the amount of sunlight that reaches different locations on the Earth at different times of the year.
List four influences on climate.
The latitude and the elevation of a place, along with wind and ocean currents.
How do winds and ocean currents affect climate?
The wind distributes the sun's energy around the planet, as do ocean currents.
What effect do large bodies of water tend to have on coastal areas?
They cause temperatures to be more uniform and moderate.
What are the prevailing winds of the latitudes near the equator called?
Trade winds.
List the Earth's four climate zones.
Tropical, dry, midlatitude, and high-latitude.
True or false: The Northern Hemisphere experiences summer when it is tilted toward the sun and receives more direct sunlight
True
True or false: The greenhouse effect is when the sun's rays pass through the atmosphere and heat is trapped.
True
What factors distinguish weather from climate?
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere in one place over a short period of time, such as hours or days. Climate refers to the average weather conditions as measured over many years.
When it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, what season is it in the Northern Hemisphere?
Winter
El Nino
a periodic change in the pattern of ocean currents, water temperatures, and weather in the mid-Pacific region
westerlies
a wind blowing from the west
Burning fossil fuels releases gases that cause ___________.
acid rain
winds
air moving across the surface of the Earth
In marine west coast climates, ocean winds cause _____ summers and ____ winters.
cool, damp
high latitude zones
includes the Earth's polar areas, which stretch from 60° N to 90° N and from 60° S to 90° S
When exhaust released from burning fossil fuels is heated in the atmosphere by solar radiation it creates ______.
smog
Because the Earth is tilted on its axis, different places on the Earth receive different amounts of _________.
sunlight
High latitude climates support only limited plant and animal life because of the lack of __________.
sunlight
prevailing wind
the global winds that blow in fairly constant patterns
When does the shortest day of the year occur?
winter solstice
