14. Global Climates

• latitude - the distance from the equator to the north or south pole, measured in degrees
• prevailing winds - prevailing winds are the common winds that blow in a given area
• winds are named after the diretion they blow from
• irelands prevailing is south-westerly
• northerly winds blow from the poles so they are cold and dry
• south westerly winds are cool in summer and warm in winter. they bring rain
• southerly winds are warm. they blow from the equator. they bring precipitation because as they travel they cool down and lose moisture
• land heats up quikly in the summer
• land cools quikly in winter
• the sea heats up slowly in summer
• the sea cools slowly in winter
• places near the sea are kept warm in winter and kept cool in summer
• places near the pole recieve less heat becuause the sun has to shine at and angle
• at the poles he sun has to pass through more atmoshpere
• aspect - the direction in which a slope faces
• in the northen hemisphere slopes facing south get more heat/sun
• atitude - the height of a place above sea level
• the higher the altitude the colder the place
• the atmosphere is thinner the higher you get
• temperatures decrease by 1*C every 150m climbed
• chill factor - areas of high altitudes that are windier
• climate - the weather conditions in a particular area over a long period of time.
• natural region - a region of the earth's surface that is characterized by similar climate, soil, and vegetation
• tundra climate - a region of cold, dry land with permafrost eg Lapland
• boreal climate - cold winters and hot summers, wet and cloudy, low precipitation eg Sweden
• Warm Oceanic temperate climate - hot dry summers, mild moist winter eg Spain
• cool oceanic temperate climate - cool summers, cold winters, moderate precipitation, and moderate winds eg Ireland
• equatorial climate - hot all year, eg The Amazon
• savannah climate - hot and dry, with low rainfall, and high temperatures eg Angola
• hot dessert climate - hot and dry, with low precipitation, and high temperatures eg Sahara