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Glaciation
A Glacial period (or alternatively Glacial) is an interval of time (thousand of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. TERM 2
Plate Tectonics
DEFINITION 2 Plate tectonics (from the Late Latin tectonicus, from the "pertaining to building") is a scientific theory which describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. TERM 3
Fluvial
Processes
DEFINITION 3 Fluvial is used in geography and Earth science to refer to the processes associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them. When the stream or rivers are associated with glaciers, ice sheets, or ice caps, the term glaciofluvial or fluvioglacial is used. TERM 4
Aeolian
Processes
DEFINITION 4 Aeolian (or Eolian or olian) processes pertain to the activity of the winds and more specifically, to the winds' ability to shape the surface of the Earth and other planets. TERM 5
Weather
DEFINITION 5 Weather is the state of the atmosphere as measured on a scale of hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or storm, clear or cloudy.
Climate
Climates encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time. TERM 7
Latitude and relationship b/t the equator and
the poles.
DEFINITION 7 Latitude, usually denoted by the Greek letter phi () gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body) north or south of the equator. A region's latitude has a great effect on its climate and weather. Latitude more loosely determines prevailing winds, and other physical characteristics of geographic locations. Auroral activity is common at high geomagnetic latitudes. TERM 8
Continentality
DEFINITION 8 Continentality is the tendency of land to experience more thermal variation than water, due to the land's lower specific heat capacity. TERM 9
Urban Heat Island Effect
DEFINITION 9 An urban heat island (UHI) is a metropolitan area which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. TERM 10
Orographic precipitation
DEFINITION 10 Orographic or relief rainfall is caused when masses of air pushed by wind are forced up the side of elevated land formations, such as large mountains. The lift of the air up the side of the mountain results in adiabatic cooling, and ultimately condensation and precipitation.
Temperate climates
C
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. TERM 17
Continental climate D
DEFINITION 17 Continental climate is a climate that is characterized by winter temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of snow each year, and relatively moderate precipitation occurring mostly in summer, although east coast areas (chiefly in North America) may show an even distribution of precipitation. TERM 18
Polar climates
E
DEFINITION 18 These climates are characterized by average temperatures below 10 C (50 F) in all twelve months of the year: TERM 19
Alpine climates
F
DEFINITION 19 Alpine climate is the average weather (climate) for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate. The alpine climate is considered part of Group E in the Kppen climate classification, along with the polar climate. Certain highland climates can also fit under hemiboreal climate or Semi-arid climate.
