Prentice hall earth science chpt.18 Climate and climate change
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22 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Climate | The average , year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation ,winds,and clouds in an area |
| Tropical zone | The area near the equator, between about 23.5° north latitude and 23.5° south latitude |
| Polar zone | The area near both poles, from about 66.5° to 90 north and 66.5° to 90° south latitudes |
| Temperate zones | The area between the tropical and polar zones, from about 23.5° to 66.5° north and 23.5° to 66.5° south latitudes |
| Marine climate | the climate of some coastal regions, with relatively warm winters and cool summers |
| Continental climate | The climate of the centers of continents, with cold winters and warm or hot summers |
| Windward | the side of the mountains that faces the oncoming wind |
| Leeward | The downwind side of the mountains |
| Microclimate | The climate characteristics of a small, specific area; it may be different from the climate of the surrounding area |
| Rain forrest | A forest in the tropical wet climate zone that gets plenty of rain all year |
| Savanna | A tropical grassland with scattered clumps of trees; found in the tropical wet-and-dry climate zone close to the equator |
| Desert | a region that receives less than 25 centimeters of rain a year |
| Steppe | A prairie or grassland found in the semiarid climate region |
| Humid subtropical | a wet and warm climate found on the edges of the tropics |
| Subarctic | a climate zone that lies north of the humid continental climate zone, with short, cool summers and long, bitterly cold winters |
| Tundra | a polar climate region, found across northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia, with short , cool summers and bitterly cold winters |
| Permafrost | permanently frozen soil found in the tundra climate region |
| Ice ages | Cold time periods in Earth's history, during which glaciers covered large parts of the surface |
| Sunspot | Dark, cooler regions on the of the sun |
| Greenhouse gas | an atmospheric gas that traps heat |
| Global warming | an increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere |
| Chlorofluorocarbons | Chloride compounds formerly used in air conditioners , refrigerators, and spray cans; also called CFCs |
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