Chapter 26

1. Chapter 26 Climate

2. Chapter 26 • The equator receives about 12 hours of sunlight each day. • The polar region has a very large annual temperature range and a very small daily temperature range. • A region that receives 8 hours of sunlight in December and 16 hours of light in June is located at about 45o North Latitude

3. Chapter 26 • When average daily temperatures are plotted on a map, the boundaries of the zones formed coincide roughly with lines of latitude • At the equator, the sun’s rays strike the earth’s surface at an angle of about 90o • Specific heat is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g of a substance by 1o Celsius.

4. Chapter 26 • A chinook is a wind that flows down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. • A foehn is a warm, dry wind that flows down the Alps. • When a moving air mass encounters a mountain range the moisture content decreases.

5. Chapter 26 • Maritime tropical air masses develop close to the equator. • Savanna climates typically have open areas of coarse grasses. • The jungles of southern Asia are located in a rain forest climate.

6. Chapter 26 • Tropical savanna climates have wet summers and dry winters. • Much of the interior of Australia has a tropical desert climate. • The tundra climate has a lower yearly temperature range than the subarctic climate because the tundra is closer to the ocean.

7. Chapter 26 • The largest yearly temperature range is usually found in the subarctic climate. • The climate in which the vegetation consists of lichen, mosses, and small flowering plants is called tundra • Cone-bearing trees are characteristic vegetation of subarctic climates.

8. Chapter 26 • Humid subtropical climate receives the greatest average amount of yearly rainfall. • Marine west-coast climate has dense forests of mixed broad-leaf and needle-leaf trees. • Humid subtropical climate is characterized by mild winters and warm, humid summers.

9. Chapter 26 • A Mediterranean climate is characterized by winters that are mild and wet. • Forests can modify local climate by reducing wind speed. • Rural areas usually have a lower average temperature than cities partly because of more transpiration by vegetation.