The day on which the sun’s The day on which the sun’s rays shine directly overhead at rays shine directly overhead at

noon at either the Tropic of noon at either the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of

Capricorn. Marks the beginning Capricorn. Marks the beginning of winter and summer.of winter and summer.

SolsticeSolstice

The biannual times when The biannual times when the days and nights all the days and nights all

over the world are equal over the world are equal in length; marks the in length; marks the

beginning of spring and beginning of spring and autumn.autumn.

EquinoxEquinox

Type of precipitation Type of precipitation that occurs in hot, that occurs in hot, moist climates as a moist climates as a

result of heated, result of heated, rising air. rising air.

Convection Convection precipitationprecipitation

Type of precipitation Type of precipitation that occurs where hills that occurs where hills

or mountains block or mountains block moist air and force it to moist air and force it to

rise.rise.

Orographic Orographic precipitationprecipitation

Type of precipitation Type of precipitation that occurs in mid-that occurs in mid-

latitudes, where cold latitudes, where cold fronts push up warm fronts push up warm

fronts.fronts.

Frontal precipitationFrontal precipitation

Natural event that occurs Natural event that occurs when an accumulation of when an accumulation of melted snow and/or rain melted snow and/or rain

exceeds the land’s absorption exceeds the land’s absorption capacity.capacity.

FloodFlood

The condition of The condition of the atmosphere at the atmosphere at

a particular a particular location and time.location and time.

weatherweather

The typical weather The typical weather conditions at a conditions at a

particular location particular location observed over time.observed over time.

climateclimate

Falling water droplets Falling water droplets in the form of rain, in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail.sleet, snow, or hail.

precipitationprecipitation

The land on the leeward The land on the leeward side of hills or mountains side of hills or mountains that gets little rain from that gets little rain from the descending dry air.the descending dry air.

Rain shadowRain shadow

A storm that forms A storm that forms over warm, tropical over warm, tropical ocean waters in the ocean waters in the Atlantic Ocean or Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific.eastern Pacific.

hurricanehurricane

A tropical storm, A tropical storm, like a hurricane, like a hurricane,

that occurs in the that occurs in the western Pacific.western Pacific.

typhoontyphoon

A powerful funnel-A powerful funnel-shaped storm shaped storm made from a made from a

column of spiraling column of spiraling air.air.

tornadotornado

A heavy snowstorm A heavy snowstorm with winds of more with winds of more

than 35 miles per hour than 35 miles per hour and reduced visibility and reduced visibility

of less than one-of less than one-quarter mile.quarter mile.

blizzardblizzard

A long period without rain A long period without rain or with very minimal or with very minimal

rainfall.rainfall.

droughtdrought

What four factors What four factors influence the climate of influence the climate of

a region?a region?

Ocean currents, Ocean currents, latitude, altitude, and latitude, altitude, and

topographytopography

The continuous The continuous circulation of water circulation of water

among the among the atmosphere, the atmosphere, the

oceans, and the earth.oceans, and the earth.

Hydrologic cycle or Hydrologic cycle or water cyclewater cycle

An area drained by a An area drained by a major river and its major river and its

tributaries.tributaries.

Drainage Drainage basinbasin

The water held The water held under the earth’s under the earth’s surface, often in surface, often in and around the and around the pores of rocks.pores of rocks.

Ground waterGround water

The level at The level at which rock is which rock is

saturated.saturated.

Water tableWater table

A naturally formed A naturally formed feature on the feature on the

surface of the earth.surface of the earth.

landformlandform

The earth’s surface The earth’s surface from the edge of a from the edge of a continent to the continent to the deep part of the deep part of the

ocean.ocean.

Continental Continental shelfshelf

The difference in The difference in elevation of a elevation of a

landform from the landform from the lowest point to the lowest point to the

highest point.highest point.

reliefrelief

The combined The combined characteristics of characteristics of

landforms and their landforms and their distribution in a distribution in a

region.region.

topographytopography

What are the two What are the two major factors that major factors that define climates?define climates?

Precipitation and Precipitation and temperaturetemperature

Besides precipitation Besides precipitation and temperature, and temperature, what other factors what other factors influence climate?influence climate?

Location on continent, Location on continent, topography and topography and

altitudealtitude

What are the five general What are the five general climate regions?climate regions?

Tropical, dry, high-Tropical, dry, high-latitude, mid-latitude, latitude, mid-latitude,

and highlandand highland

Climate region that Climate region that is always hot, and is always hot, and has rain fall daily.has rain fall daily.

Tropical wetTropical wet

Climate region that has Climate region that has rainy, warm summers and rainy, warm summers and

dry, cool wintersdry, cool winters

Tropic wet and Tropic wet and drydry

Climate region that has Climate region that has hot, humid summers and hot, humid summers and

mild winters.mild winters.

Humid Humid subtropicalsubtropical

Climate region that has Climate region that has four seasons and a great four seasons and a great variety of in temperature variety of in temperature

and precipitation.and precipitation.

Humid Humid continentalcontinental

The flat treeless lands The flat treeless lands forming a ring around the forming a ring around the Arctic Ocean; the climate Arctic Ocean; the climate

region of the Arctic Ocean.region of the Arctic Ocean.

tundratundra

Permanently Permanently frozen frozen

ground.ground.

permafrostpermafrost

What factors determine what What factors determine what vegetation can grow in a vegetation can grow in a

region?region?

Depth, texture, and Depth, texture, and humus content of humus content of

soilsoil

Besides soil, what Besides soil, what other factor other factor

determines the determines the vegetation in a vegetation in a

region?region?

climateclimate

What are the four What are the four main types of main types of

biomes?biomes?

Forest, grassland, Forest, grassland, desert, and tundradesert, and tundra

An interdependent An interdependent community of plants and community of plants and

animals.animals.

ecosystemecosystem

A regional A regional ecosystem.ecosystem.

biomebiome

Another name for Another name for broadleaf trees, such broadleaf trees, such as oak, maple, birch, as oak, maple, birch,

and cottonwood.and cottonwood.

Deciduous Deciduous treestrees

A forest region A forest region located in the Tropical located in the Tropical

Zone with a heavy Zone with a heavy concentration of concentration of

different species of different species of broadleaf trees.broadleaf trees.

Rain forestRain forest

Another name for Another name for needleleaf trees.needleleaf trees.

Coniferous Coniferous treestrees

Term for the flat, Term for the flat, grassy, mostly grassy, mostly

treeless plains in the treeless plains in the tropical grassland tropical grassland

region.region.

savannasavanna

Term used for the Term used for the temperate grassland temperate grassland

region in the region in the Northern Northern

Hemisphere.Hemisphere.

steppesteppe