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110 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Pressure
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a force measured as force per unit; decreases with altitude; isobars on graph; depends on temp
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Anticyclone
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high pressure center; clockwise in north hemisphere
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Cyclone
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low pressure center; counterclockwise in south hemisphere
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ITC- Intertropic Convergence Zone
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Area between the trade winds at the equator; horizontal airflow; weak along the equator
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Isobars
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measures barometric pressure plotted relative to sea level
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Wind
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air moving down the gradient; the greater the pressure difference, the faster the speed of air
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Trade Winds
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Tropical Easterlies-constant winds; flows toward the equator in both 25° N and S; lots of moisture
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Hadley Cell
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vertical convection cell; air that rises over equator; falls back down after glocal circulation
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Polar Front
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contact between warm air from the high pressure subtropical Hadley cells and the subpolar low zone of midlatitude storms
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Westerlies
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midlatitude winds; 30-60° N or S winds move west to east
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Subtropical High
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semi-permanent high pressure centers; clear, calm weather---> desert
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Jet Streams
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high altitude winds in upper troposphere; flows from west to east around the world
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Rossby Waves
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undulations of the polar front; cold air towards equator, warm air poleward
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Monsoons
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seasonal shift in wind, onshore in summer, offshore in winter; SE Asia
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Coriolis Effect
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air and water deflected to the right in the N Hemisphere and to the left in the S Hemisphere; greater at higher lats
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Geostrophic Winds
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winds above frictions drag of Earths surface, wind flows parallel to isobars between areas of high and low pressure
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Friction
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force opposed to motion of mass; greater at Earths surface
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World Pressure Belts
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seasonal variation; persistance of trade winds
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Global Atmospheric Circulation
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when low pressure air reaches poles, hits polar front and rises
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Currents
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oceanic water movements; vertical-due to differences in pressure, temp...l horizontal-generally due to frictional drag of wind over surface of oceans
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Gyres
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elliptical loops, clockwise in N Hemisphere, counterclockwise in S Hemisphere; same local as anticyclones
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El Nino
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warming of the sea that disturbs weather patterns all over the world
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Specific Humidity
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mass of water vapor in a volume of air; warmer air holds more moisture
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Relative Humidity
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proportion between water vapor in the air and the amount it could hold if saturated; expressed as percentage; increase due to: saturation, condensation
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Saturation
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maximum amount of water air can hold
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Dew Point
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temperature at which saturation occurs and condensation begins
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Evaporation
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latent heat of vaporization; water-->gas (heat loss)
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Condensation
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water changes from gas to liquid, heat gained, air rise--> drop in temp; reason: pressure decreases, air expands
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Condensation Nuclei
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particles in the atmosphere (dust, salt, pollutants) necesary for condensation
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Adiabatic Lifting
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large masses of air must be cooled to the dew point by expansion in rising air; doesnt gain or lose heat
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Adiabatic Process
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no heat is gained or lost by the system
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Clouds
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visible expression fo condensation; source of precipitation
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Cirrus Clouds
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thin wispy clouds; warm front; change in wind and height affect shape of cloud
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Stratus
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grayish clouds; covers entire sky; no precipitation-sometimes drizzle
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Cumulous
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puffy, flat bottomed clouds; fair weather
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Fog
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cloud in contact with ground
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Change of State of Water
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Ice->Water-sublimination; heat absorbed
Vapor->Ice-sublimation; heat released) Vapor->Water-condensation; heat released water->vapor-evaportation (heat absorbed) |
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Hydrolic Cycle
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solar energy and gravity move water through the Earths atmosphere and land
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Water Resevoirs
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Ocean-97% of water
Ice-2% Surface Water-.25% Groundwater-.6% |
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Adiabatic Cooling
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air rises; cools in temp but loses no heat;
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Adiabatic Heating
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air descends;; rises in temp but gains no heat
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Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate
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drop in temperature as air rises (10°/1000m); no condensation-dry
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Precipitation Process
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Ice crystal formation; forms-rain, snow, hail, sleet; depends on temp. of air and turbulence
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Atmospheric Lifting-Convective
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uplift-->produces thermals that are cooled adiabatically as it rises; clouds form after passing condensation level
(Thunderstorms) |
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Orographic
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air is forced to rise over mountain barrier
Windward Side-precipitation Leeward Side-in rain shadow |
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Frontal
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warmer air is forced to rise over cooler air; in mid/high latitudes warm and cold air masses come together at a front, but do not mix due to different densities
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Convergent
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common in Intertropical Convergent Zone; air masses of same temp come together, producing instability and minor lifting
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Airmass
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large bodies of air with a relatively uniform temp and moisture content
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Source Area
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air will generally stay over source area for a few days (airmass)
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Cold Air Masses
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arctic
continental polar maritime polar |
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Warm Air MAsses
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continental tropical
Maritime Tropical Equatorial |
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Storm Surge
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large quantity of sea water pushed inland by strong winds associated with a tropical cyclone; greatest loss of life
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Occluded Front
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cold front overtakes warm front; interaction of warm and cold front makes storm; gradually will due when warm front is pushed over the cold
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Tornados
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intense cyclone rotation developed in response to extremely low pressure
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Classification of airmass by source area
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Thermal Properties due to latitude of origin
Moisture properties reflect origin over ocean and land |
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Fronts
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boundaries between two air masses
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Ecosystem
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interconnected community of plants and animals within their chemical and physical environment
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Nutrient
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any element or compound needed by an organism for survival, growth, reproduction
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Macronutrient
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carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus
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Micronutrients
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trace amounts of nutrients
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Nitrogen Fixing
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conversion of nitrogen intro nitric oxide; nitrogen oxides react with water to produce nitrate ions and ammonium ions
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Photosynthesis
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plants produce their own food from carbon dioxide and water powered by solar energy
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Ecology
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study of interactions between organisms and their biological and abiatic environments
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Species
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basic unit; group of interbreeding, reproductively isolated organisms
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Solar Energy
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unidirectional flow of energy from the sun, warms Earth, photosynthesis, powers chemical reactions, drives climate that distributes heat and water
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Food Chain
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one way flow of energy; at each trophic level heat is given off and energy reduced, more levels- more energy lost
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Producers
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autotrophs (self feeders), make own food, radiant energy converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis
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Consumers
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heterotrophs; herbivores, carnivones, parasites
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Decomposers
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breaks complex molecules into inorganic compounds; complete recycling of matter
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Net Primary Productivity
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rate at which new organic material is formed through photosynthesis; highest in tropical rainforests, swamps and marshes, algal beds and coral reefs
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Biogeochemical Cycles
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recycling of nutrients through the environment by the sun
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Carbon Cycle
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carbon based building block; storage as organic matter in trees, plants; inorganic in fossil fuels, limestone
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Nitrogen Cycle
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atmospheric nitrogen unusable for most organisms; fixing makes it usable
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Phosphurus Cycle
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phosphate weathers off rock and is taken up by roots of plants; animal waste and decay; guano
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Sulfur Cycle
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sources: volcano, fossil fuels, excess in atomosphere makes acid rain
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Acid Rain
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very acidic rain; mostly in industrialized nations, acidity kills fish
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Limiting Factors Affecting Distribution of Plants and Animals
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1)competition and predation
2) human impacts: deforestation, fires, clearance, removal of animals |
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Florisitic Associations
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classification of plant association usually based on struction and appearance of dominant plants
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Forests
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assemblage of trees with overlapping canopies; deciduous-leaves fall; evergreen is evergreen
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Woodlands
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trees spaced widely apart; shorter trees
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Shrublands
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dominated by shrubs or bushes
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Grasslands
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may have scattered trees, dominant vegetation is grasses and herbs; savannas, prairies, steppe
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Deserts
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extensive area with no vegetation; more in NH; same heat as tropic but no humidity
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Tundra
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low growing grass, herbs, mosses; cold deserts
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Wetlands
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swamps and marshes
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Tropical Rainforest
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Collective and conversion precipitation
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Koppen System
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climatic boundaries are approximated by vegetation types; climate defined by annual and monthly values of temps and precipitation
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Tropical Rainforest
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parts of mid-South America and Africa; 10-25° North or South
-little or no seasonal variation -high rainfall-always warm and moist |
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Tropical Monsoon Climate
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west coast of Southeast Asia
-temp range slight; warmest before summer monsoon; max precip in summer |
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Tropical Savanna Climate
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North and South of tropical lats; wet and monsoon climates to 20-25°; SA and S.Africa
-temp range low, max temps prior to summer rain -winters dry, summer wet |
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Low Latitude Subtropical Desert Climate
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subtropical high pressure systems, large land masses, 20-30° N or S- Africa, Asia, NA, SA
-moderate temp range, low hot summers; Precipitation-low, scarce, unreliable |
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Midlatitude Desert Climate
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interior of continents far from precipitation sources- Central Asia
-temp range extreme -precip scarce and unreliable |
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Low Latitude Subtropical Steppe Climate
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N and S of subtropic deserts
-temps similar to subtropical deserts -precip. is more reliable |
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Midlatitude Steppe Climate
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NA and Eurasia; 30-50° N; interior of large continent
-temp tange similar to midlat. deserts -precip. higher |
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Mediterranean Climate
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dry summer climate
-west side of continents; 35°N or S; Mediterranean Sea -mind winters, hot summers -precip. low and concentrated in winter |
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Mediterranean Woodlands Biome
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midlatitude; dry summer, wet winter
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Humid Subtropical Climate
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east side of continents, 20-40° lat. NA, SA, Asia
-moderate seasonal temp range -summer-hot, humid -winter-mild w/occasional frost -precip. moderate year round |
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Marine West Coast Climate
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40-65° lat.-western Euroe, Pacific NW
-temps high for mid lats, maritime climate -precip. high yr/round |
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Humid Continental Climate
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NA, Europe, Asia 35-60° lat.
-westerlies dominate weather, bring midlatitude storms -season temp range high -adequate amt of precip., low evaporation |
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Midlatitude Deciduous Forest Biome
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west coast areas in midlats; cold temp in winter
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Subarctic Climate
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NA and Eurasia 50-70° N lat; long cold winters, short cool summers
-great seasonal temp range -precip. low, high in summer |
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Boreal Forest/Taiga Biome
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NA and Eurasia at high lats
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Tundra Climate
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very high lat. on NA and Eurasia 60-75° N
-severe, long winters, cool short summers -precip. low, evaportation low |
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Ice Cap Climate
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Greenland/Australia
-cold, high albedo polar desert w/ little evaporation |
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Highland Climate Regions
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cooler and moister then lats. suggest;
Due to: 1)environmental lapse rate 2) orographic precip. Altitude compensates for latitude |
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Humid Tropical Climatic Regions (Group A)
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Tropical Rainforest
Tropical Monsoon Tropical Savanna Tropical Scrub |
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Arid Climatic Regions (Group B)
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Low Latitude Subtropical Desert
Mid latitude desert Low Latitude Subtropical Steppe Midlatitude Steppe |
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Humid Mesothermal Climatic Regions (Group C)
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Mediterranean Climate
Mediterranean Woodland Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast Climate |
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Humid Microthermal Climatic Regions (Group D)
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Humid Continental
Midlat. Deciduous Forest Subarctic Boreal Forest/Taiga |
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Polar Climatic Regions (Group E)
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Tundra
Ice Cap Highland Climatic Regions |