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| large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless of where they are found in the world. |
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| an area’s general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions measured over long periods of time ranging from decades to thousands of years. |
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| Prevailing winds blowing over the oceans produce mass movements of surface water called currents. |
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| In a desert, annual precipitation is low and often scattered unevenly throughout the year. During the day, the baking sun warms the ground and causes evaporation of moisture from plant leaves and soil. But at night, most of the heat stored in the ground radiates quickly into the atmosphere. |
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| are lands dominated by trees. |
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| occur mostly in the interiors of continents in areas too moist for deserts and too dry for forests. Grasslands persist because of a combination of seasonal drought, grazing by large herbivores, and occasional fires—all of which keep large numbers of shrubs and trees from growing. |
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| The natural warming effect of the troposphere. |
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| allow mostly visible light and some infrared radiation and ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere. |
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| underground soil in which captured water stays frozen for more than 2 consecutive years |
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| The loss of moisture from the landscape and the resulting semiarid or arid conditions on the leeward side of high mountains create the rain shadow effect. |
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| a local area’s short-term temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and other physical conditions of the lower atmosphere as measured over hours or days. |
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