Exam 17: Earths Changing Climate

Thornthwaite proposed a new classification system in 1948 and slightly revised it in 1955. His new scheme emphasized the concept of ____________________, which is the amount of moisture that would be lost from the soil and vegetation if the moisture were available.

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

Despite the high plant productivity in tropical rainforests, the soil is not ideal for agriculture. Explain why this is true.

Discuss annual precipitation amounts and distribution in humid subtropical climates.

The hottest individual temperature readings on Earth are observed in the ____.

How are mountainous regions, where rapid changes in elevation bring about sharp changes, designated in the Köppen classification system?

Where the air rises, ____.

Briefly describe criticisms of the Köppen climatic classification system.

In a dry climate, ____.

Which climate type extends northward and southward from the equator to about latitude 15 degrees to 35 degrees?

The rainiest places in the world are usually located ____.

In Thornthwaite's P/E index, "P" and "E" stand for ____, respectively.

Tropical wet-and-dry climates commonly feature which of the following types of vegetation?

At low elevations near the equator, high temperatures and abundant yearly rainfall combine to produce a dense, broadleaf, evergreen forest called a ____________________.

Across the world, locations at the same latitude receive nearly the same amount of solar energy.

Regions that show a great deal of variation in temperature, precipitation, and vegetation over a relatively short vertical change in elevation would, according to Köppen, be classified as ____.

The ____ climate type normally has the largest annual range in temperature.

In climates classified as "D," precipitation is adequate and fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.

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

Because of the summer dryness in Mediterranean climates, the land supports only a scrubby mixture of low-growing woody plants and trees called ____________________.