| A | B |
|---|
| weather | The short-term state of the atmosphere, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and visibility |
| climate | the average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time |
| latitude | the distance north or south from the equator |
| prevailing winds | winds that blow mainly from one direction during a given period |
| elevation | the height of an object above sea level |
| surface currents | a horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind and that occurs at or near the ocean's surface |
| biome | a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities |
| tropical zone | the region that surrounds the equator and that extends from the tropic of cancer to the tropic of capricorn |
| temperate zone | the climate zone between the Tropics and the polar zone |
| polar zone | the North or South pole and its surrounding area |
| microclimate | the climate of a small area |
| ice age | a long period of climate cooling during which ice sheets cover large areas of Earth's surface |
| global warming | a gradual increase in the average global temperature |
| greenhouse effect | the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor and other cases in the air absorb and trap thermal energy |
