Name _________________________________________
Period ____
Page ____
Introduction to Climate Regions; Screencast. KEY
Directions: Use the following link, http://youtu.be/VHRBMOMmLWk (also found on my web page
under the “links” icon) to access the screencast. Answer the questions as you watch. All answers
can be found in the screencast. Be sure to pause the video when you need to answer questions
and go back if you need to review.
I. General Climate Region Information
1.
a.
b.
c.
The three names given to latitude areas on the earth that cause distinct climates are:
_Polar__________________________
_Temperate__________________________
_Tropical__________________________
2. Tropical areas can be found __23.5______ degrees above and below the equator. These areas
fall between the Tropic of _Cancer________ to the north and the Tropic of __Capricorn_________ to
the south.
3. Above and below the Tropical Latitude area is the Temperate Lattitude areas. They fall between
23.5 degrees and __66.5___ degrees latitude.
4. The latitude areas at the top and bottom of the globe are called the _Polar________ latitudes.
5. Use this map to label each of the latitude climate areas of the earth. Be sure to label the degrees
of latitude for each area.
Polar
66.5
Temperate
23.5
Tropical
Equator
Tropical
23.5
Temperate
66.5
Polar
6. Name the six climate regions we will be studying.
a. __Tropical Rainy__________
b. _Temperate Marine_______
c. _Temperate Continental_
d. _Polar_________________
e. _Dry___________________
f. _Highlands____________
7. Two of the regions can be found anywhere on the earth. They are not based on latitude. They
are the _Dry__________________ region and the _Highlands______________ region.
8. Five of the six regions can be divided into zones. The zones fit the characteristics of the region but
they have some distinct differences. Complete this chart as you go through the screencast by
recording the names of each of the zones found in each region.
Climate Region Name
Tropical Rainy
Temperate Marine
Temperate Continental
Polar
Dry
Highlands
Zones found in the region
1.tropical wet
2. tropical wet and dry
1.Mediterranean
2. Humid Sub-tropical
3. Marine West Coast
1.Humid Continental
2. Subarctic
1.Tundra
2. Ice Cap
1.Arid
2. Semi- Arid
No zones found here
II. Temperate Continental Region
9. One of the unique features of the Humid Continental Zone of the temperate continental region is
that there are __4_____ seasons here. We live in this zone.
10. Why is timber an important resource in the Sub-arctic zone? ___The Taiga forests are the largest
zone in the world. This zones supplies most of our lumber.________________________________
III. Tropical Rainy Region
11. The word tropical really means _Warm________.
12. Tropical wet zones are found around the _equator____________ and receive over _100__ inches of
rain per year. These areas are called tropical rain forests.
13. Tropical wet and dry zones are called ___savannas______ such as seen in the movie The Lion King.
14. Explain what types of plants grow in the savanna. ___grasses, shrubs and a few scattered trees __
IV. Temperate Marine Region
15. Place the three zones of the Temperate Marine Region in order from coolest to warmest.
_Marine west coast___ (coolest) __Mediterranean_____, and __humid sub-tropical____ (warmest)
16. What is the main cause of the Mediterranean climate? _huge bodies of water that surround
it______________________________________
17. Explain how the above factor (your answer for #16) is responsible for differences in summer and
winter.
Summer: cold currents keep climate mild and dry
Winter: warm currents bring warm air and moisture
18. Describe the climate of the Humid Sub Tropical zone. Where in the United States can you find this
climate? __Temperatures in the high 70”s or above, 2 seasons- summer and winter____Florida
has this climate
V. Polar Regions
19. Why is there a lot of water covering the land of the Tundra in the summer? _snow and ice melts,
permafrost keeps it from going into the ground
20. In what two areas of the earth can Ice Cap Zones be found? _north pole, south pole_
21. How are “seasons” determined in this zone? __by the amount of sunlight. Summer has 24 hours
of sunlight, winter has 24 hours of darkness
VI. Highlands Regions
22. The two kinds of places you can find Highland Regions are: __tops of high mountains___________
and __high altitude plateaus ___________________.
23. Why are temperatures usually cold in the Highland Region? _the higher the altitude, the colder it
gets
VII. Dry Regions
24. Explain why the amount of precipitation in the Dry Regions is as low as it is. _the evaporation rate
is potentially higher than the precipitation amount.
25. What is the main difference between the Arid Zone and the Semi-Arid zone of the Dry Region?
Arid no plants, semi-arid plants