Landform Regions
What is a landform region?
A landform region is an area of Earth with a unique set of physical features.
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Weather is short-term conditions of the atmosphere (such as temperature, precipitation and wind) and climate is long-term patterns of weather.
What is an air mass?
A large volume of air that has the same temperature and moisture as the place it forms
What is the windward side?
The side facing the wind.
Is the annual temperature range in a maritime climate large or small?
Small
Within the 3 types of landforms, how many distinct Landform Regions is Canada Divided into?
7
Why is it that the farther you are from the equator, the colder the climate is?
The less direct sunlight you receive.
What does the 2 letter code system of air masses describe?
Moisture and temperature.
What does relief mean in geography?
The shape of the surface of the land.
What is the annual temperature range?
Temperature of the warmest month minus the temperature of the coldest month.
What are the 3 main landform types in Canada?
Canadian Shield, Lowlands and Highlands
What 3 things are important, to understand Canada’s climate?
Canada is a very large country with widely varying climates, northern and southern parts have different climates and coastal and inland areas have very different climates.
What are the 2 letters in the moisture category? What do they stand for? What are they (describe them)? And how were they formed?
m – maritime – moist – formed over water, c – continental – dry – formed over land
What is the leeward side?
The side not facing the wind, away from the wind’s direction.
Why are extreme temperatures common in a continental climate?
Land heats and cools much more quickly than water.
Which landform region is often referred to as Canada’s “Bread Basket” due to its extensive farming?
Interior Plains
When is the ocean current cooler and when is it warmer?
flowing toward the equator is cooler and moving away from the equator is warmer
How is wind created?
Land heats up faster than water. The hot air over the land rises and the cool air over the water rushes into where the hot air was (over the land) creating wind.
Which side gets more rain and snow?
The windward side.
Why are areas near the great lakes a special case?
They are far enough from the ocean that they should be continental, but because they are so large, the great lakes have a partial maritime influence.
What are the 7 distinct landform regions?
Western Cordillera, Interior Plains, Canadian Shield, Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands, Appalachian Uplands, Hudson Bay Lowland and Arctic Lands (Innuitian Mountains).
What are the 6 major factors that determine the climate that exists in any particular location?
Latitude, ocean currents, winds and air masses and jet streams, elevation, relief and near water.
What are the 4 letters in the temperature category? What do they stand for? What are they (describe them)? And how were they formed?
E – equatorial – hot air – forms near the equator, T – tropical – hot – formed in or near the tropics (low latitudes), P – polar – cold air – forms in mid to high latitudes, A – arctic – very cold air - forms near the arctic.
What is another name for the leeward side?
The rain shadow
What influence do the Great Lakes have on the areas around it?
They moderate (balance) the temperatures somewhat and add moisture to the air as long as they are not frozen. Once they are frozen, they act just like land.