Chat with AIExam 17: Earths Changing Climate
At low elevations near the equator, high temperatures and abundant yearly rainfall combine to produce a dense, broadleaf, evergreen forest called a ____________________.
(69) 
Verifiedtropical rainforest
Landmasses heat up and cool off more quickly than do large bodies of water.
(75) VerifiedTrue
Explain how the American climatologist, C. Warren Thornthwaite, devised a classification system to correct some of the deficiencies in the Köppen classification system.
(86) VerifiedAnswers will vary, but should address the following:
To correct some of the Köppen deficiencies, the American climatologist C. Warren Thornthwaite devised a new classification system in the early 1930s. Both systems utilized temperature and precipitation measurements and both related natural vegetation to climate. However, to emphasize the importance of precipitation (P) and evaporation (E) on plant growth, Thornthwaite developed a P/E ratio, which is essentially monthly precipitation divided by monthly evaporation. The annual sum of the P/E ratios gives the P/E index. Using this index, the Thornthwaite system defines five major humidity provinces and their characteristic vegetation: rainforest, forest, grassland, steppe, and desert. To better describe the moisture available for plant growth, Thornthwaite proposed a new classification system in 1948 and slightly revised it in 1955. His new scheme emphasized the concept of potential evapotranspiration (PE), which is the amount of moisture that would be lost from the soil and vegetation if the moisture were available.
Mountain ranges disrupt the idealized pattern of global precipitation by promoting convection and by forcing ____.
(77) The lowest average temperatures in the world occur in ____.
(77) The extreme summer aridity of the ____________________ climate, which in California may exist for five months, is caused by the sinking air of the subtropical highs.
(88) During much of the year, ____ climates are characterized by low clouds, fog, and drizzle.
(77) The Köppen system implies that there is a gradual transition between climatic zones, when in reality there is a sharp boundary.
(88) A region on the leeward side of a mountain where precipitation is noticeably less is called a ____________________.
(80) Over much of western Europe, prevailing westerly winds are unobstructed by high mountains, so ocean air often sweeps across the region, providing it with a ____________________ climate (Cfb).
(87) As air rises along the windward side of a mountain, precipitation amounts usually ____________________ the higher you go.
(84) Which climate type extends northward and southward from the equator to about latitude 15° to 25°?
(70) Explain how mountains disrupt the idealized pattern of global precipitation, and how rain shadows are created.
(83) In which tropical climate does the high humidity and cloud cover prevent the maximum temperatures from reaching extremely high values?
(83) The Köppen scheme for classifying climates employs annual and monthly averages of ____.
(81) Across the world, locations at the same longitude receive nearly the same amount of solar energy.
(73) What type of climate would you likely encounter as you traveled from a marine climate equatorward along a coastline? Where is an example of this climate type in North America?
(77) Because a much greater extreme in daily air temperatures exists near the ground than several feet above, the ____________________ for small plants is far more harsh than the thermometer in an instrument shelter would indicate.
(90) In spite of the long hours of daylight in polar regions, why are summers are quite cool?
(73) Explain the climatic controls that make the southern and northern desert regions of North America dry.
(88) 
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