Geography Class 10

Weather

Short-term atmospheric conditions that can change within hours or days.

Climate

Long-term patterns of weather measured over hundreds to millions of years.

Climate Zone

A region classified by its average temperature and rainfall.

Thornthwaite Classification

A climate system based on vegetation and the effectiveness of precipitation.

Köppen Classification

A climate system based on temperature and precipitation dividing climates into hot/cold and wet/dry categories.

Polar Climate

Very cold and dry climate found at the poles and interior Greenland with minimal vegetation.

Ice Cap Climate

Extremely cold climate where temperatures rarely rise above freezing even in summer.

Temperate Climate

Climate with cold winters and mild summers supporting diverse plant life.

Warm Summer Temperate

Humid rainy summers similar to monsoon-like conditions.

Cool Summer Temperate

Mild summers and snowy winters typical of northern regions like Michigan.

Subarctic Climate

Long cold winters with little precipitation also called boreal or taiga.

Arid Climate

Dry climate with very low rainfall including deserts.

Semi-Arid Climate

Dry climate with slightly more rainfall supporting grasslands and savannahs.

Desert

An extremely dry region with little vegetation and large temperature swings.

Atacama Desert

The driest place on Earth with areas that have never recorded rainfall.

Tropical Climate

Hot and wet climate near the equator with the greatest biodiversity.

Monsoon Climate

Tropical climate where winds reverse every 6 months bringing seasonal heavy rains.

Savannah Climate

Tropical-adjacent climate with three seasons cool/dry hot/dry and hot/wet.

Mediterranean Climate

Warm dry summers and short mild rainy winters found on west coasts between 30–40 degrees latitude.

Tundra Climate

Very cold climate with short summers where plants grow low to the ground.

Taiga

A subarctic biome with marshes bogs and coniferous forests.

Rain Shadow

A dry region on the leeward side of mountains where precipitation is blocked.

Precipitation

Any form of water falling from the atmosphere including rain snow sleet or hail.

Humidity

The amount of water vapor in the air.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms interacting with their environment shaped by climate.

Vegetation

Plant life in a region influenced by temperature and rainfall.