| A | B |
|---|
| arid | very dry |
| axis | the line about which a spinning body rotates |
| chronometer | an accurate clock that is used to determine longitude |
| climate | the long-term pattern of weater in a particular area |
| continental climate | a pattern of weather foun in areas that have warm summers and cold winters and receive moderate amounts of rain and snow year round |
| convection cell | movement of a liquid or gas in a circular pattern, caused by uneven heating |
| desert | a biome with very little rain, characterized by plants and animals that can survive with very little water |
| doldrum | the region of calm windows located by near the equator |
| easterlies | polar winds that flow from an easterly direction toward the equator |
| equator | the imaginary line midway between the poles that divides the earth into northern and southern hemispheres |
| greenhouse effect | a rise in temperature world-wide caused by an increase in the amount of certain gases in the atmosphere |
| horse latitude | regions of little wind at 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south of the equator |
| highland climate | patterns of weather found on mountains and plateause |
| ionosphere | the region in the atmosphere in which ions form |
| infrared light | electromagnetic radiation of slightly longer wavelengths than red light |
| latitude | the distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees |
| land breeze | the movement of cooler air from above the land toward water |
| local winds | wind patterns that are unizue to a specific area |
| longitude | describes the east-west position in relation to the prime meridian |
| mediterranean climate | a pattern of weather characterized by warm dry summers |
| mesosphere | the layer of the atmoshere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere |
| monsoon | a large scale seasonal wind and rain pattern |
| orbit | the path of the planet as it travels around the sun; the path followed by any body as it circles another body |
| ozone | a form of oxygen that forms a layer int he upper region of the stratosphere reponsible for absorbing most of the ultraviolet radiation given off by the sun |
| prime meridian | an imaginary line running from the North Pole through Greenwich, England, to the South Pole; zero degrees longitude |
| percipitation | moisture that falls to the earth |
| polar climate | patterns of weather found in regions that are dry and have an average temperature that is below freezing all year |
| revolution | the movemnt of a body in its orbit around another body |
| sea breeze | the movement of cooler air from above the water toward the land |
| semiarid climate | a pattern of weather foun in areas that are usually very dry, but have a short wet season |
| stratosphere | the layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere and below the mesosphere |
| subtropical climate | a warm and wet pattern of weather common to regions betwee the latitudes of 30 and 40 degrees north and south of the equator |
| summer monsoon | a strong warm wind, accompanied by heavy rains that flows from the ocean toward the land during the summer season |
| thermosphere | the layer of the atmosphere above the mesosphere |
| trade winds | the constant winds that flow from the horse latitudes toward the equator |
| tropical climate | a hot and wet patter of weather common to regions near the equator |
| toposphere | the layer of the atmosphere closest to the earth |
| ultraviolet light | a form of radiation that is beyond the violet part of the rainbow |
| westerlies | winds that form near the horse latitudes and blow in a general west-to-east direction |
| winter monsoon | a cold, dry wind that flows from the land toward the sea during the colder months |
