Term
| What factors can alter temperature and moisture patterns associated with latitude? |
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Definition
1. Prevailing winds
2. Mountain Ranges
3. Presence or absence of local bodies of water (oceans and lakes). |
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Term
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Definition
- Those latitudes where the sun is directly overhead at noon at least once a year.
- Occurs within 23.5°N (tropic of cancer) and 23.5°S (tropic of capricorn) |
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Term
| March 21 and September 21 in the tropics? |
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Definition
- Sun is directly overhead at the equator
- 12 hours of day light, 12 hours of night |
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Term
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Definition
| The longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, the sun is directly overhead at the tropic of cancer. Shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere. |
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Term
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Definition
The sun is directly overhead at the Tropic of capricorn.
The day is also the shortest in the Northern Hemisphere
The day is also the longest in Southern Hemisphere. |
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Term
| What is seasonality based on in the temperate and polar zones? in the tropics? |
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Definition
Temperature in the temperate and polar zones;
Rainfall in the tropics |
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Term
| What is the Coriolis Force? |
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Definition
- based on the fact that the Earth is rotating on its axis;
- Areas closer to the axis of rotation (high latitudes) are moving through the air masses more slowly than areas nearer the equator. |
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Term
| Prevailing Winds in the Northern hemisphere? |
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Definition
1. From the Northeast in the Tropics
2. From the West in the Temperate Zone (North of tropics)
3. From the East in the polar regions |
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Term
| Prevailing Winds in the Southern Hemisphere? |
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Definition
- From the Southeast in the tropics
- From the West in the temperate zone
- From the east in the Polar regions |
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Term
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Definition
1. At or Near 30° Latitude.
2. On the leeward side (as opposed to windward side) of the prevailing winds
Examples:
- West side of mountains in the tropics
- East side of mountains in the temperate zone. |
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Term
Microclimates:
In the northern hemisphere? North-facing versus south-facing? |
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Definition
- South facing slopes almost always face the sun and are warmer and drier.
- North-facing slopes are most always in the shade and are moister and cooler. |
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Term
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Definition
| - The total amount of water vapor returned to the atmosphere by the combined processes of evaporation and plant transpiration. |
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Term
| Holdridge System is determined by what two parameters? |
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Definition
1. Mean annual biotemperature
2. Total annual precipitation. |
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