| A | B |
|---|
| Pangaea | all continents made up this one giant landmass near the South Pole |
| asteroid | small, rocky object that orbits sun and sometimes crashes into EArth |
| biome | a large region in a climate zone that has specific climate, plants, and animals |
| climate | average weather condition in an area over a long period of time |
| deforestation | clearing away forests or trees |
| El Niño | A disturbance of wind patterns and ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean that causes temporary climate change in parts of the world |
| elevation | the height of an object above sea level |
| glacial period | perido when enormous sheets of freezing ice advance and grow causing sea level to drop |
| global warming | a gradual increase in the average global temperature |
| greenhouse effect | warming of planet Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in our atmosphere absorbe and trap thermal energy |
| ice age | a period of time during which surface temperatures drop a log and huge ice sheets spread beyond the polar regions |
| interglacial period | period when polar ice sheets melt causing sea levels to rise |
| lake effect | air that blows across lakes pick up moisture which leads to heavy snowfall in the winter |
| Milankovitch Theory | a theory why changes in Earth's orbit and Earth's axis cause the poles to be closer to the sun, resulting in ice changes |
| prevailing winds | winds that blow mainly form one direction during a given period |
| rain shadow | mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems and create a "shadow" of dryness on the other side of the mountain |
| surface current | horizontal movement of ocean water that is caused by wind |
| weather | short term state of the atmosphere |
| Elements of Weather | air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, and clouds |
| meteorologist | one who studies atmosphere, its effects on the environment, predict the weather, or investigate short term climate trends |
| climatologist | one who studies climate trends lasting usually 30 years or longer |
