Exam 17: Earths Changing Climate

Explain the climatic controls that make the southern and northern desert regions of North America dry.

Köppen classified tropical wet regions where the monthly precipitation totals drop below 6 cm for perhaps one or two months as ____.

Explain how the American climatologist,C.Warren Thornthwaite,devised a classification system to correct some of the deficiencies in the Köppen classification system.

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.

A rain shadow effect is normally found ____.

The soil beneath the rainforest's canopy is not excellent for agriculture because as heavy rain falls on the soil,the water works its way downward,removing nutrients in a process called ____.

How do isotherms on global temperature maps reflect the unequal heating and cooling properties of land and water,and ocean currents and upwellings?

Savanna grass would most likely be associated with which climate type?

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).

A region with a low annual rainfall total is more likely to be classified as dry if the majority of precipitation is concentrated during the ____ months,when evaporation rates are greater.

The southern desert region of North America is dry because it is dominated by the ____________________ most of the year.

When the average temperature of the warmest month of a region averages above freezing,but below 10°C (50°F),you might expect to observe what type of vegetation there?

Precipitation is most abundant where the air rises;least abundant where it sinks.

What percentage of the world's land area is covered by arid climates (BW)and where are they located throughout the world?

Which climate type extends northward and southward from the equator to about latitude 15° to 25°?

The Köppen scheme for classifying climates employs annual and monthly averages of ____.

Within the tropical wet climate (Af),seasonal temperature variations are small (normally less than 3°C).

By considering temperature and worldwide sunshine distribution,the ancient Greeks categorized the world into ____ climatic regions.

The sinking air of the subtropical highs produces a "dry belt" around the globe.

The Köppen classification system,initially published in 1918,employs five major climatic types based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation.