climate

• climate - refers to the general conditions of temperature and precipitation in a large area over a short time
• climate is affected by:

  • latitude
  • altitude
  • terrain
  • bodies of water
• latitude - defines the north to south position of a point on earth's surface
• equator - central latitude separating the earth into northern and southern hemisphere
• 3 zones based on latitude:

  • tropical zone
  • temperate zone
  • polar/frigid zone
• tropical zone - low latitude, warm climate, wet to dry season
• temperate zone - middle latitude, experiences four seasons
• polar or frigid zone - high latitudes, cold climate, long winter to short summer
• tilt of the earth which allows exposure to more sunlight in the equator than on poles

  A) 23.5

  
• altitude- height of vertical distance from the sea level
• higher altitude, the colder it gets
• bodies of water - includes lakes, rivers, and oceans nearby a land area; affects humidity and precipitation
• terrain - horizontal and vertical dimension of land caused by land formations; can create a rain shadow that reduces rainfall inland

  A) moist

  B) dry

  
• climates - caused by uneven amount of sunlight received due to tilting of the earth's axis

  A) polar zone

  B) temperate zone

  C) tropical zone

  D) temperate zone

  E) polar zone