APES Ch 7 Climate & Biomes Vocab Quiz

Short-term changes in the temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover, wind direction and speed, and other conditions in the troposphere at a given place and time.

• weather

• climate

Largest scale movement of air driven by convection.

EX: Hadley, Ferrel, Polar cells.

• Coriolis Effect

• prevailing winds

• atmospheric circulation cells

• El Nino - Southern Oscillation

An effect whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation.

• prevailing winds

• Coriolis Effect

• atmospheric circulation cells

• orographic lifting

A part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and salinity fluxes due to evaporation and freezing.

• ocean gyre

• ocean currents

• orographic lift

• thermohaline circulation

The effects of a band of sea surface temperatures which are anomalously warm or cold for long periods of time that develops off the western cost of South America and causes climatic changes across the tropics and subtropics.

• Coriolis Effect

• El Nino - Southern Oscillation

• prevailing winds

• climate

An area having relatively little precipitation due to the effect of a topographic barrier, especially a mountain range, that causes the prevailing winds to lose their moisture on the windward side, causing the leeward side to be dry.

• orographic lifting

• rain shadow effect

A circular ocean current formed by the Earth's wind patterns and the forces created by the rotation of the planet.

• ocean currents

• ocean conveyer belt

• ocean gyre

• thermohaline circulation

A wind from the direction that is predominant at a particular place or season.

• Coriolis Effect

• prevailing winds

• atmospheric circulation cells

Occurs when an air mass is forced from low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain.

• rain shadow effect

• orographic lifting

Of, relating to, or denoting a region or climate characterized by mild temperatures. Often having distinct seasons.

• desert

• tropical

• temperate

• biome