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Teachers: Fladeland

6th Grade Science

Chapter 17 Exam is on May 13, 2008

by Brian Fladeland

May 09, 2008

Chapter 17 Section 1

  1. Factors Affecting Temperature
    • The main factors that influence temperature are latitude, altitude, distance from large bodies of water, and ocean currents.
    • Climate is mainly determined by temperature and precipitation.
    • It is colder at high altitudes because the sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface at a lower angle there.
    • Areas at high altitudes have cool climates no matter what their latitude.
    • Ocean currents influence many marine climates.
    • The North Atlantic Drift gives Ireland a warm climate for its latitude.
    • Latitude is the distance from the equator, measured in degrees.
    • Earth’s surface can be divided into the three temperature zones, tropical zone, polar zone, and the temperate zone.
    • The tropical zone is the area near the equator, between about 23.5 degrees north latitude and 23.5 degrees south latitude. The tropical zone receives direct or nearly direct sunlight all year round, making climates there warm.
    • The sun’s rays always strike at a lower angle near the North and South poles. Thus, they have a cold climate. These polar zones extend from about 66.5 degrees to 90 degrees north and 66.5 degrees to 90 degrees south latitude.
    • The temperate zones are between the tropical and the polar zones-from about 23.5 degrees to 66.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees to 66.5 degrees south latitudes. The weather in the temperate zones ranges from warm or hot in summer to cool or cold in winter.
    • Altitude is a more important climate factor than latitude. The temperature of the troposphere decreases about 6.5 degrees Celsius for every one kilometer increase in altitude.
    • Oceans or large lakes can also affect temperatures.
    • Much of the west coasts of North America, South America, and Europe have mild marine climates, with relatively warm winters and cool summers.
    • The centers of North America and Asia are too far inland to be warmed or cooled by the oceans, making them have continental climates. Continental climates have more extreme temperatures than marine climates. Winters are cold, while summers are warm or hot.
    • Many marine climates are influenced by ocean currents, streams of water within the oceans that move in regular patterns. A warm current brings warm air to the land it touches. A cold current bring cold air.
  3. Factors Affecting Precipitation
    • The main factors that affect precipitation are prevailing winds and the presence of mountains.
    • Precipitation occurs when warm air rises because warm air cools as it rises. Because the cool air cannot hold as much water vapor as warm air, water comes out of the air as precipitation.
    • Precipitation falls on the side of the mountains that the oncoming wind hits.
  5. Microclimates
    • The climate characteristic of a small specific area is a microclimate.
    • Some natural features that result from a microclimate are inland mountains, lakes, forests, and other natural features.
  7. The Seasons
    • Earth’s axis always points in the same direction.
    • When it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the south end of the axis is tilted toward the sun.

Chapter 17 Section 2

  1. Classifying Climates
    • Scientists classify climates according to two major factors: temperature and precipitation.
    • They use a system developed around 1900 by Wladimir Koppen. This system identifies broad climate regions, each of which has smaller subdivisions.
    • There are five main climate regions: tropical rainy, dry, temperate marine, temperate continental, and polar.
  3. Tropical Rainy Climates
    • The tropics have two types of rainy climates: tropical wet and tropical wet-and-dry.
    • For tropical wet climates, many days are rainy, often with afternoon thunderstorms. Dense rain forests grow in these rainy climates.
    • Rain forests are forests in which plenty of rain falls all year round.
    • The rain forests in Hawaii have a large variety of plants, including ferns, orchids, and many other types of vines and trees.
    • Tropical wet and dry climates get slightly less rain than tropical climates and have distinct dry and rainy seasons. Instead of rain forests, they have tropical grasslands called savannas. The southern tip of Florida has a tropical wet and dry climate.
  5. Dry Climates
    • A climate is dry if the amount of precipitation that falls is less than the amount of water that could potentially evaporate.
    • Dry climates are made up of either arid regions or semiarid regions.
    • On average, arid regions, or deserts, get less than 25 centimeters of rain every year. Some years may bring no rain at all.
    • Large semiarid regions are usually located on the edges of deserts.
    • A steppe is dry but gets enough rainfall for short grasses and low bushes to grow. For this reason, a steppe may also be called a prairie or grassland.
  7. Temperate Marine Climates
    • There are three types of temperate marine climates: marine west coast, Mediterranean, and humid subtropical.
    • A coastal climate that is drier and warmer than west coast marine is known as Mediterranean. The southern coast of California has a Mediterranean climate. Mediterranean climates have two vegetation types. One is made up dense shrubs and small trees called chaparral. The other vegetation type includes grasses with a few oak trees.
    • The warmest temperate marine climate are on the edges of the tropics and they are known as humid subtropical. Humid subtropical climates are wet and warm, but not as constantly hot as the tropics. Mixed forests of oak, ash, hickory, and pine grow in the humid subtropical regions of the United States. Remember, a humid subtropical climate is not as constantly hot as a tropical climate.
    • The coolest of the temperate marine climates is the marine west coast. They are found on the west coasts of continents north of forty degrees north latitude and south of forty degrees south latitude. Humid ocean air brings cool, rainy summers and mild, rainy winters.
  9. Temperate Continental Climates
    • Temperate continental climates are found on large continents in the Northern Hemisphere. There are two types of temperate continental climates: humid continental and subarctic.
    • Shifting tropical and polar air masses bring constantly changing weather to humid continental climates. In winter, continental polar air masses move south, bringing bitterly cold weather. They are found in the Northeastern part of the United States.
    • The subarctic climates lie north of the humid continental climates. The world’s largest subarctic regions are in Russia, Canada, and Alaska. Summers are short and cool. Winters are long and bitterly cold.
  11. Polar Climates
    • The polar climate is the coldest climate region. Ice cap and tundra climates are found only in the far north and south, near the North and South poles.
    • Ice cap climates are found mainly on Greenland and in Antarctica. Lichens and a few low plants may grow on the rocks in the ice cap region.
    • The tundra climate region stretches across northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia. Short, cool summers follow bitterly cold winters. Because of the cold, some layers of the tundra soil are permanently frozen. This permanently frozen tundra soil is called permafrost. 
  13. Highlands
    • Increasing altitude produces climate changes. Thus, as you go higher up in the mountains, temperatures become lower.
    • The climate above the tree line is like that of the tundra.

 

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