2 pt 3 pt 4 pt 5pt 1 pt 2 pt 3 pt 4 pt 5 pt 1 pt 2pt 3 pt 4pt 5 pt 1pt 2pt 3 pt 4 pt 5 pt 1 pt 2 pt 3 pt 4pt 5 pt 1pt Air Masses Fronts Climate Factors Climate Zones Climate Changes

A large body of air throughout which temperature and moisture are similar is referred to as ________.

An air mass.

This type of air mass forms over cold land regions.

a continental polar air mass

These general types of air masses form over water.

Maritime air masses

This type of air mass would form over the Atlantic or Pacific near the equator.

A tropical maritime air mass.

This type of air mass would be responsible for dry, warm weather conditions in a region.

A continental tropical air mass

This is a boundary that forms between air masses.

A front.

This type of front occurs when a cold air mass lifts a warm air mass completely off the ground.

An occluded front.

This type of front is associated with low pressure areas and produces precipitation and sometimes violent weather.

A warm front

This type of air is more dense and is associated with high pressure areas.

Cold air mass

A line of heavy thunderstorms called a _______ forms between a warm front and an approaching cold front.

A squall line

Temperature and __________ are the two major factors used to describe climate.

Precipitation

The Earth’s surface is divided into different regions based on ___________, depending upon how much solar energy the region receives.

latitude

Global wind patterns are formed by regions of different air _____________.

pressure

Latitude and cloud cover determine the amount of _________________ energy a region receives.

solar

Water warms and cools more slowly than land because the __________ _________ of water is higher than that of land.

Specific heat

Tropical, middle-latitude, and polar are three types of __________ _________ found on Earth.

Climate zones

Rain forest, desert, and savanna are three types of ___________ climates, characterized by high temperatures and proximity to the equator.

tropical

Climates with mild temperatures and varying amounts of precipitation are referred to as _______ ________ climates.

Middle latitude

The tundra, with an average temperature below 4 °C and annual precipitation of 25 cm, is a type of _________ climate.

polar

The climate of a small area, which is influenced by vegetation, elevation, and proximity to large bodies of water, is called a ____________.

microclimate

Scientists who study climates by collecting and analyzing data are called ______________.

climatologists

Climatologists can study climates from hundreds of thousands of years ago by taking _______ ________ samples and analyzing the concentration of gases in ice and meltwater.

Ice core

Climatologists use __________ to create models, such as general circulation models (GCMs), in order to study climate change.

computers

One potential cause of climate change is the increased release of __________ _______ due to human use of fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide

The gradual increase of temperatures worldwide is referred to as _______ _________.

Global warming