Geography: factors affecting climate and earth’s biomes – Flashcards
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what are the factors that affect climate
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1- zones of latitude 2- topography 3- wind currents 4- ocean currents 5- elevation
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zones of latitude
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low zones are hot year round and experience 2 seasons (wet and dry) middle zones can experience both warm and cold temperatures and have 4 seasons (with transition seasons) high zones are mainly cold year round with 2 seasons (cool and cold)
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how does latitude effect climate
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areas in the poles have very cold temperatures, areas between the tropics have very warm temperatures, and areas in between have mild temperatures
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what factor of climate does latitude effect the most
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temperature
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topography
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effects areas near mountains mountains cause rain shadows that block one side of the mountain from precipitation
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how does topography effect climate
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a mountain creates two climate zones, a wet and a dry side of the mountain
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what factor of climate does topography effect the most
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precipitation
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wind currents
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transfers heat and moisture through wind (mainly moisture) desert regions are found along tropics and polar regions because air moves from areas of high to low pressure
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what causes winds to curve
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coriolis effect---> caused by the rotation of the Earth northern moves clockwise and southern moves counter clockwise
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what areas are wet and dry
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high pressure areas are dry and low are wet
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where are high pressure areas
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the poles and 30 degrees north and south of the equator
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how do wind currents effect climate
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they blow precipitation from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure
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what factor of climate do wind currents effect the most
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precipitation
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ocean currents
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are under water rivers effects precipitation and temperature (but precipitation mainly) warm currents bring warm air/more precipitation cold currents bring cold air/less precipitation water changes temperature slower than air, so water temp. is delayed
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how does ocean currents effect climate
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the temperature of water changes the temperature of the air above it, effecting how much precipitation can be carried
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what factor of climate do ocean currents effect the most
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precipitation
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elevation
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air at high points cannot hold precipitation, therefore high elevations are dry and cold (highland climate) overrides all other factors effecting climate shown as gray on maps
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how does elevation effect climate
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as air rises it cannot hold heat or precipitation, creating highland climate (cold and dry)
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what factor of climate does elevation effect the most
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temperature and precipitation (overrides all others)
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soil composition
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air, water, weathered rock, humus (decayed plant and animal matter)
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soil layers
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topsoil subsoil broken rock parent rock
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ecosystem
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interdependent community of plants and animals
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biome
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an ecosystem of a region
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forest biom
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supports large variety of life
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what are the forms of forest bioms
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deciduous (broad leaf, tropical and temperate) coniferous (needle leaf, green all year round) mixed forest (transition from mid to high latitude)
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grassland
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tropical (savannas have wet and dry seasons) mid latitude/temperate (steppe or prairie, rich soil, deep roots)
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where are steppes found
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semi arid
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desert
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shrubs can store water, small leaves, thick bark, large roots
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tundra
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little plant life due to permafrost (roots can't grow)
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tropical humid
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hot, warm, wet, rain forest
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tropical wet and dry
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warm, wet, dry, grasslands with scattered trees
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arid
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hot, average precipitation, drought plants, rocky
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semiarid
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hot, cool, average, grassland, few trees
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mediterranean
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the dry, mild, warm, wet, scrub woodland and grassland
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humid subtropical
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hot, mild, wet, the warm, mixed forests
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marine west coast
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mild, cool, wet, the wet, temperate evergreen forests
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humid continental
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hot, cold, wet, the cold, mixed forests
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subarctic
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the cool, cold, mild, dry, evergreen forests
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tundra climate
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the cold, cold, cool, dry, little vegetation,
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ice cap
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the coldest, cold, dry, no vegetation
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highland
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cold, dry, forest--->tundra depending on elevation
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rotation
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one complete spin of the Earth on its axis
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how long does the earth take to rotate once
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24 hours
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if the earth did not rotate, how would earth's surface be different
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only half of the earth (that is facing the sun) would receive solar energy and be very hot, while the other half would be dark and cold
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revolution
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one elliptical orbit of the earth around the sun
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how long does the earth take to revolve once
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365 1/4 days
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how does our calendar account for the extra 1/4 day
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every 4 years, an extra day is added to the calendar (February 29) and is called a leap year
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the earths axis is tilted at what degree
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23 1/2 degrees
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what effect does the tilt of earths axis have on the surface of the earth
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the tilt of earth axis affects the amount of solar energy that different places receive during the year
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what determines the amount of solar energy an area on the earth's surface receives
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the angle at which the sun's rays strike earth
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tropics
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warm, low latitude areas near the equator
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polar regions
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high latitude, cold regions around the north and south poles
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what determines the number of hours of daylight a region receives at a particular time
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how directly the sun's rays point at that particular area/ how far the location is north or south of the equator
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do all regions of the world experience four seasons
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no; some (particularly the tropics) are warm year round but have alternating wet and dry seasons, other areas (the poles) experience cold and cool seasons
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during which seasons is the sun's energy more evenly distributed across the earth's surface
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spring and fall
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how do the northern and southern hemispheres seasons relate to one another
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they have opposite seasons at the same time of the year
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solstice
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the time that earth's poles point at their greatest angle towards or away from the sun
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what dates do solstices occur on
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December and June 21
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what seasons begin on solsitces
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winter and summer
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where are the sun's direct rays on solstices
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parallel to 23 1/2 degrees north or south of the equator
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why are the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn located along 23 1/2 degrees north and south
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that is where the sun's rays hit most directly during solstices
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what degree lines are the arctic and antarctic circles found along
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66 1/2 degrees north and south of the equator
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why are the arctic and antarctic circles significant
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during solstices, one circle experiences complete darkness (sun never rises) while the other experiences complete light (sun never sets)
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what circle is dark during the summer solstice
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antarctic
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what circle is dark during the winter solstice
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arctic
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equinox
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the time when both of earth's poles are at a 90 degree angle from the sun and the sun's direct rays strike the equator
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what dates do equinoxes occur on
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March and September 21
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what seasons begin on equinoxes
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Spring and Fall
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where are the sun's direct rays on equinoxes
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the equator
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what does the tilt of the axis affect
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temperature and seasons
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what direction does air move
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high to low pressure
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what are the high areas of pressure
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90 degrees, 30 degrees (deserts)
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what are the low areas of pressure
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60 degrees, 0 degrees
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desalinization
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process of removing salt from ocean water
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hydrologic cycle
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movement of water through the hydrosphere
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evaporation
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process by which liquid changes to gas
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condensation
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process by which water vapor changes from a gas to liquid water droplets
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precipitation
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condensation droplets of water that fall as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
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headwaters
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first and smallest streams formed from the runoff of a mountain, eventually forming rivers
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tributary
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any smaller stream/river that flows into a larger stream/river
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watershed/drainage basin
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the entire region drained by a river and its tributaries
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estuary
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a semi body of water, seawater, and fresh water formed where a river meets an inlet of the sea
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wetlands
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landscapes that are covered with water for at least part of the year
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groundwater
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water found below the ground
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water table
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the ground water level at which all cracks and spaces in rock are filled with water
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soil exhaustion
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a condition in which soil loses nutrients and becomes nearly useless for farming
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crop rotation
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the practice of planting different crops in a field in alternating years
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irrigation
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a process in which water is artificially supplied to the land
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soil salinization
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salt build up in the soil
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deforestation
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destruction/ loss of forests
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acid rain
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polluted rain that can damage trees and kill fish in lakes
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fossil water
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ground water that is not replenished by the rain
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ore
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mineral bearing rock
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what problem can irrigation cause for soil
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it can lead to soil salinization (build up of salt in the soil)
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why is the ozone layer important to life on earth
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it protects living things from ultraviolent radiation from the sun
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weathering
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process of breaking rocks
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chemical weathering
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water dissolves the rock and disintegrates it
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mechanical weathering
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rocks broken apart, water, wind, or glaciers
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erosion
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changes surface of earth (movement)
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water erosion
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carries sand, dust, soil (sediment)
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wind erosion
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sediment moved (loses)
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glaciers
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glaciation- changing landforms by moving glaciers sheet glaciers/mountain glaciers (greenland, antarctica) creates moraines- hills created by debris pushed by sheet glaciers (illinois)
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how does weathering and erosion differ
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weather breaks down rock, erosion moves earth
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layers of the earth
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the crust the mantle the outer core the inner core
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what causes internal forces
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plate techtonics
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what are the types of internal forces
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divergent convergent transform hot spots
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divergent
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spreading plates move apart, new crust is created earthquakes and volcanoes- hardened lava builds pressure creates mid-ocean ridges under water or rift valley on land
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what do ridges/rifts look like
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shallow/ gradual slopes
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convergent
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subduction plates move towards each other, crust destroyed top plate buckles (folds) creating steep sloped mountains, parallel to a trench earthquakes and volcanoes can result
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transform
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plates move against each other creates earthquakes (sudden movement of plates releasing pressure) faults- fractures in earth
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hotspots
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vertical column of magma in middle of plate plates move over it (creating a line of volcanoes)
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what are the nonrenewable energy sources, why
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coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear because you have to burn these before you can use them
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what are the renewable energy sources, why
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hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind because you are not disturbing renewable sources, they are naturally occuring
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where is coal found, what does it do
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found near the earth's surface can cause acid rain, minerals that do not burn pollute the air or goes to landfills
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where is petroleum found, what does it do
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comes from wells drilled deep into earth's sedimentary deposits releases carbon dioxide into the air
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where is natural gas found, what does it do
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comes from wells drilled deep into earth's sedimentary deposits releases carbon dioxide into the air
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where is nuclear found, what does it do
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comes from uranium creates waste materials that remain dangerous for years
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fossil fuels
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formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals (coal, natural gas, petroleum)
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0-30 climate zones
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tropical humid and tropical wet and dry
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30 plus or minus climate zones
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arid and semiarid
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30-60 climate zones
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Mediterranean, humid subtropical, marine west coast, humid continental
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60-90 climate zones
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subarctic, tundra, ice cap
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0-90 climate zones
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highland climate
