Weather
regular movement of Earth’s water from ocean to air to ground and back to the ocean
What is watercycle?
an inland grassland area
What is prairie?
weather patterns typical for an area over a long period of time
What is climate?
a periodic reversal of the pattern of ocean currents and water temperatures in the mid-Pacific region
What is El Nino?
one of two days (about March 21 and September 23) on which the sun is directly above the Equator, making day and night equal in length
What is equinox?
the process of converting liquid into vapor, or gas
What is evaporation?
referring to vegetation having cones and needleshaped leaves, including many evergreens, that keep their foliage throughout the winter
What is coniferous?
result of a process by which dry areas develop on the leeward sides of mountain ranges
What is rain shadow?
the average of the daily high temperature and the overnight low; often used for comparison across climate regions
What is average temperature?
in astronomy, the Earth’s yearly trip around the sun, taking 365¼ days
What is revolution?
the process of excess water vapor changing into liquid water when warm air cools
What is condensation?
falling off or shed seasonally or periodically; trees such as oak and maple, which lose their leaves in autumn
What is deciduous?
permanently frozen layer of soil beneath the surface of the ground
What is permafrost?
the capacity of certain gases in the atmosphere to trap heat, thereby warming the Earth
What is greenhouse effect?
an imaginary line that runs through the center of the Earth between the North and South Poles
What is axis?
moisture that falls to the Earth as rain, sleet, hail, or snow
What is precipitation?
forest with both coniferous and deciduous trees
What is mixed forest?
the physical characteristics of the surface of the land
What is terrain?
continuous daylight, a time when the sun is visible at midnight during the summer in either the Arctic or Antarctic
What is midnight sun?
piles of rocky debris left by melting glaciers
What is moraine?
condition of the atmosphere in one place during a short period of time
What is weather?
plant life that grows in a certain area if people have not changed the natural environment
What is natural vegetation?
major type of ecological community defined primarily by distinctive plant and animal groups
What is biome?
one of two days (about June 21 and December 22) on which the sun’s rays strike directly on the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn, marking the beginning of summer or winter
What is solstice?
the movement of weathered rock and material by wind, glaciers, and moving water; the wearing away of soil
What is erosion?