🌍 Climate & Weather
This term refers to the weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time.
What is climate?
This is the warming of the Earth caused when the sun’s radiation passes through the atmosphere
What is the greenhouse effect?
This is the result of dry areas developing on the leeward sides of mountain ranges.
What is a rain shadow?
This phenomenon occurs when the sun is visible at midnight in the Arctic or Antarctic Circle.
What is the midnight sun?
This inland grassland area has few trees.
What is a prairie?
This marks the beginning of summer or winter.
What is a solstice?
This effect causes the deflection of prevailing winds due to Earth’s rotation.
What is the Coriolis effect?
This term refers to the physical characteristics of the surface of the land.
What is a terrain?
This is the record for the lowest temperature measured on Earth
What is minus 128 degrees Fahrenheit?
This percentage of the U.S. was once covered by prairie grasslands.
What is 40%?
This imaginary line runs through the center of the Earth between the North and South Poles.
What is the Prime Meridian?
These are cold or warm streams of seawater that help distribute energy around the planet.
What are ocean currents or currents.
This type of vegetation has trees that shed seasonally and change color in autumn.
What is deciduous?
This frozen ground layer can be found in high-latitude regions.
What is permafrost?
This oasis was listed as an example in the class notes.
What is Forty nine Palms Oasis?
This term describes the Earth’s yearly trip around the sun.
What is revolution?
This popular nautical term refers to the belt around the Earth near the equator where ships may get stuck due to lack of wind.
What are the doldrums?
This side of a mountain faces the wind and typically receives more rainfall.
What is the windward side?
This type of forest can be found in marine west coast areas.
What is a mixed forest?
Rain shadows are most common in this region of the U.S.
What is the west coast?
This term refers to the tilt of the Earth and its impact on seasonal sunlight.
What is axis?
This phenomenon occurs when dry areas form on the leeward side of mountains due to wind and moisture patterns.
What is the rain shadow effect?
This term describes a major ecological community defined by distinctive plant and animal groups.
What is a biome?
This term describes the time when day and night are equal in length.
What is equinox?
This type of vegetation includes cone-bearing trees that thrive in colder climates.
What is coniferous?