vocabulary
Climate Regions
climate basics
climate changes
misc.
100
The sun's rays are least direct...
a. near the poles
b. near the equator
c. at high altitudes
d. far from the ocean
e. on top of a mountain
a. near the poles
100
Regions that receive less than 25 centimeters of rain annually are called this.
Arid (aka deserts)
100
The sun's rays are least direct...
a. near the poles
b. near the equator
c. at high altitudes
d. far from the ocean
e. on top of a mountain
a. near the poles
100
What natural event has caused repeating 100,000-year cycles of ice ages in the past?
a. changes in Earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis
b. an increase in sun spots
c. several major volcanic eruptions
d. continental drift
a. changes in Earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis
100
During cold periods called ____________________, large parts of Earth’s surface were covered with sheets of ice.
ice ages
200
The climate zones lying between 23.5° and 66.5° north and south latitude are called the ___.
temperate zones
200
The farther you live from an ocean, the more likely your climate will be a ____.
a. polar climate
b. marine climate
c. tropical climate
d. continental climate
a. continental climate
200
Climates are classified according to two major factors. What are they?
temperature and precipitation
200
Clues to what ancient climates were like comes from all of the following except:
a. ice cores
b. thickness of rock layers
c. fossil tree rings
d. plant pollens
b. thickness of rock layers
200
One possible explanation for past climate changes is the movement of Earth’s ____________________ from their previous positions.
continents
300
Streams of water called ocean ____________________ move warm or cold water, warming or cooling the nearby land.
currents
300
The Great Plains east of the Rocky Mountains have a ___ climate.
semiarid
300
In addition to classifying climates by temperature and precipitation, Köppen’s climate system classified climates by a region’s ___.
vegetation
300
An important principle scientists follow to determine ancient climates is: if an organims today needs certain conditions to live, ____.
then a similar organism that lived in the past needed similar conditions
300
Which zone (A,B,C,D,E) or zones are labeled tropical?
c
400
____________________ zones occur between 66.5° and 90° latitude north and south.
Polar
400
A tropical wet climate exists in the United States only in _____.
Hawaii
400
Because of its high ____________________, Mount Chimborazo has a cool climate all year.
altitude
400
Climate changes may be linked to changes in the number of ____________________ on the surface of the sun.
sunspots
400
The united states is almost entirely in what kind of temperature zone?
temperate
500
Tundra and ice cap climates are examples of ____________________ climates.
polar
500
____________________ are forests in which plenty of rain falls all year.
Tropical wet (Rain forests)
500
Scientists observe the thickness of a tree’s ____________________ to learn about past climate conditions.
rings
500
Ancient plant ____________________ found in lake bottoms provides scientists with evidence about ancient climates.
pollen
500
How many climate zones would you cross if you traveled from Minnesota south to Louisiana?
3