Exam 17: Earths Changing Climate

The term monsoon refers to ____.

Because a much greater extreme in daily air temperatures exists near the ground than several feet above, the ____________________ for small plants is far harsher than the thermometer in an instrument shelter would indicate.

The Mediterranean climate is also called the ____ climate.

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

Large bodies of water heat up and cool off more quickly than do landmasses.

A region with long, very cold winters, with only one to three months having a mean temperature exceeding 10 degrees Celcius (50 degrees Fahrenheit)would have a ____ climate.

A region on the ____________________ side of a mountain where precipitation is noticeably less is called a rain shadow.

The idealized pattern of global precipitation is disrupted by ____, which promote convection and force orographic uplift.

Using the P/E index, the Thornthwaite system defines ____ major humidity provinces and their characteristic vegetation.

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 primary reason for the extreme summer aridity of the Mediterranean climate in California is ____.

The climate of a large state or a small nation is called the ____________________.

Which of the following cities in the United States is located in a rain shadow?

The average temperature of the Antarctic is higher than that of the Arctic.

In which tropical climate does the high humidity and cloud cover prevent the maximum temperatures from reaching extremely high values?

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

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

Climatic controls are exclusively factors unrelated to human alteration of the environment.

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

Moving equatorward of marine climates, the influence of the subtropical highs decreases, and the summer wet period is more pronounced.