Physical Geography Vocabulary

move around; such as the Earth does around the sun

• axis

• orbit

• equinoxes

• climate

the imaginary line that runs through the Earth's center from the North Pole to the South Pole

• orbit

• atmosphere

• axis

• precipitation

a complete trip around the sun

• axis

• orbit

• revolution

• climate

the thin layer of gases that envelop the Earth

• axis

• atmosphere

• solstice

• rain shadow

the North pole is fully tilted toward the sun, Northern Hemisphere is receiving direct rays of sun, the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Cancer

• atmosphere

• orbit

• solstice

• climate

midway between the two solstices, the sun's rays are directly overhead at the Equator, day and night in both hemispheres are of equal length

• equinoxes

• revolution

• climate

• precipitation

average weather conditions in an area over a longer period

• climate

• precipitation

• axis

• orbit

water deposited on the earth in the form of rain, snow, hail, sleet, or mist

• precipitation

• solstice

• equinoxes

• atmosphere

a region of reduced rainfall on one side of a mountain

• climate

• rain shadow

• axis

• precipitation

a large continuous mass of land

• Earth

• fault

• continent

• Ring of Fire