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