| A | B |
|---|
| Weather | The condition of the bottom layer of the earth's atmosphere in one place over a short period of time. |
| Greenhouse Effect | When the atmosphere of the earth reflects some radiation, and the radiation it does keep in is kept longer by this protective layer. This is compared to a greenhoue because it performs similar duties. |
| Revolution | One complete orbit of the earth around the sun. The earth completes one revolution every 364 1/2 days, or one year. |
| Spring/Fall Equinoxes | The mark for seasonal change on or about March 21 and September 23 when the sun, at noon, appears directly over the equator. Around these dates, the length of day and night are nearly equal everywhere on the earth. |
| Orographical precipitation | Precipitation when warm, moist air is forced upward over high landforms. This type of precipitation occurs most frequently on seacoasts when ocean winds blow towards the inland mountains and it cools. |
| Precipitation | All forms of water that falls from the atmosphere and onto the earth's surface. Precipitation forms as air temperature changes during one of these three processes: orographic, frontal, or convectional. |
| Evaporation | The first step in the hydrologic cycle when water from earth's surface turns into condensation in clouds. |
| atmosphere | A multilayered band of gases, water vapor, and dust above the earth. |
| Rotation | The spiining motion of the earth on its axis as it travels through space. |
| Length In A Year | 364 days, or the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun, called its revolution. |
| Tropic Of Capricorn | Where the sun's rays hit most directly in the winter solstice. |
| Climate Zones: tropical, temperate, polar (latitudes) | Tropical: Low-latitude zones reaching 23 1/2 degrees north and south of the equator. Most places in this area are hot year-round. Temperate: Middle latitudes from 23 1/2 north to 66 1/2 north and 23 1/2 south to 66 1/2 south. These places are generally cooler than tropical and have a wider range of temperatures. Polar: high latitudes 66 1/2 north and 66 1/2 south to the poles. Places here are bitterly cold. |
| Water Cycle | Also known as the hydrologic cycle; the process how water evaporates, turns into condensation, and returns back to earth's surface by precipitation. |
| Frontal Precipitation | The most common type of precipitation when two fronts, or air masses of different temperatures meet. The warm air is pushed up by the cold air and cools, causing precipitation. |
| Three influences on Climate | Nearby bodies of water, elevation, and nearby landforms can all have influences on climate. |
| Climate | Climate is the term for weather patterns that an are typically experiences over a long period of time. The climate depends on a number of factors. |
| Axis | The invisable line that runs through the center of the earth from pole to pole. The earth's axis is at a 23 1/2 degree tilt. |
| Leap Year- date | Leap year occurs on February 30th every four years because the earth's revolution is actually 365 1/4 days, so the extra day every four years can make up for that. |
| Summer/Winter Solstice | Changes in season when the suns rays are most directly at the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. This occurs on June 21 and December 21. |
| Convectional Precipitation | Convectional precipitation occurs when hot, humid air rises and cools, losing its ability to hold in water. This type of precipitation occurs near the equator where it is most hot. |
| Fronts | Fronts are giant air masses. |
