ALL ABOUT CLIMATE REGIONS
Answer the following questions (You may use pages 49-67 in your textbook, including
the maps.)
1. Define climate.
Long term atmospheric conditions for a particular place
2. What factors affect climate?
Latitude zones
Wind patterns
Elevation
Landforms
Ocean currents (proximity to water)
3. There are three major climate zones. They are the:
~ ____ Low (hot) latitudes
~ ____ Mid- (temperate) latitudes
~ ____ High (cold) latitudes
4. The word “tropic” implies what about climate?
Hot temperatures/climates
5. What lines form the boundary for the “tropical” climate (name and degree)?
23 ½ ° N – Tropic of Cancer to 23 ½ °S – Tropic of Capricorn
6. Name two countries that lie within the tropics.
Answers will vary
7. How many seasons take place in the tropical climate region? Justify your
answer.
1 Season (Tropical Wet) at and close to the equator, 2 seasons
(Tropical Wet and Dry) as you move away from the equator toward
the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn because of tilt and
revolution
8. Within what latitude lines do the mid-latitudes lie (name and degree)?
23 ½ ° N (Tropic of Cancer) to 66 ½ °N (Arctic Circle) & 23 ½ °S (Tropic
of Capricorn) to 66 ½ °S (Antarctic Circle)
9. Name two countries within the mid-latitudes.
Answers will vary
10. How many seasons occur in the mid-latitudes?
4 (Winter, Spring, Summer, & Fall)
11. Within what latitude lines do the high latitudes lie (name and degree)?
66 ½ °N (Arctic Circle) to 90°N (North Pole) & 66 ½ °S (Antarctic Circle)
to 90°S (South Pole)
12. What types of climates are found in the high latitudes?
Cold (Tundra is bitter cold winters/short cold summers) & (Subarctic is
cold winters and short, cool summers)
13. What usually happens to temperature when elevation increases?
As elevation increases, temperatures decrease at the rate of about
3.5° F for every 1,000 feet increase
14. How does latitude influence the climate of an area?
Latitude determines the varying amount of sunlight, direct & indirect,
that reaches the earth’s surface. Direct sunlight increases surface
temperatures.
15. What does the term “arid” mean when it is used to describe a climate region?
Dry – less than 10” of rain per year
16. What type of vegetation is found in an arid climate?
Hearty scrub grass, cacti, & sagebrush
17. Which would be closer to the Equator, low latitudes or high latitudes?
Low latitudes: 0° Latitude (Equator) & 23 ½ ° N – Tropic of Cancer to
23 ½ °S – Tropic of Capricorn
18. Which would usually be warmer, low latitudes or middle latitudes?
Low latitudes: these areas receive that direct rays of the sun year
round, direct rays increase surface temperature
19. Describe a tundra climate.
High latitude climate with bitter cold temperatures and very little
vegetation due to permafrost. This climate region forms a ring
around the Arctic Circle
20. What types of vegetation would be found in a savanna?
Tropical grassland of the low latitude wet/dry climate region. Has
short grasses and a few scattered trees
21. Does a savanna have year round rainfall? Why or why not?
A savanna has tropical wet and dry climate. Due to the tilt and
revolution of the earth, the suns direct rays move toward and away
from the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn over a six month period
each year. This gives the region a hot, wet summer season and a
warm,dry winter season.
22. What types of vegetation would be found in a taiga?
Vast coniferous forest (cone-bearing, needle-like leaves, evergreen)
23. Where is the world’s largest taiga?
Russia is the largest, Canada & the U.S. has the second largest
24. What types of vegetation would be found in a steppe?
The steppe climate gets 10-17” of rain per year which supports grasses
and prairies.
25. What steppe area is in jeopardy? Why?
The Sahel, or the steppe grassland to the south of the Sahara is in
danger from overgrazing of livestock, poor water management and
climate conditions. This process, the growing of the desert, is called
desertification.
26. Describe the vegetation found near the “Hollywood” sign. What climate
region is Hollywood found in?
Mediterranean scrub/shrub, thickets of woody bushes and short trees
and scattered grasses called chaparral. Hollywood, California
(southern California) has a Mediterranean climate.
27. What area of the United States has a Humid Subtropical Climate? How would
you describe it?
Southeastern U.S. – Hot, humid summers, with mild, rainy winters
28. What type of forests do we have in Marion, Virginia? What does that tell you
about our climate?
Our mild climate supports a mixed forest. While we distinct seasonal
weather changes, our temperatures are moderated by warm ocean
currents and our elevation in the foothills of the Appalachians. The
temperatures are cold enough to support a small amount of
coniferous trees but also moderate enough to support temperate
broadleaf deciduous trees.