Geography - Unit 2 part 2

what does the red line on a climate graph represent?

temperature

what do the blue bar graphs on a climate graph represent?

precipitation

what does the green shading on a climate graph represent?

the growing season

what does the black straight line on a climate graph represent?

the freezing point (0 degrees celsius). precipitation below this line is likely to be snow.

what is the green line on a climate graph and what does it represent?

a line at 6 degrees celsius. the growing season is shaded under the red temperature line above this point.

what does a climate graph need to include?

"title (location and year)

how do you calculate yearly average temperature?

add up the average temperature of all 12 months and divide by 12.

how do you calculate temperature range?

warmest month temperature minus coldest month temperature.

if the temperature range is exactly 25 degrees, how do you determine if it is maritime or continental?

Total Annual Precipitation:

Less than 1000 mm (100 cm): Continental (drier).

Greater than 1000 mm (100 cm): Maritime (wetter).

how do you calculate total precipitation?

add up the precipitation for each month shown in the graph.

how do you calculate the growing season?

count the months where the temperature is above 6 degrees celsius and express it as a month range (e.g. 2.5 months).

what is convectional precipitation?

"caused by a hot ground surface. warm wet air rises in a vertical updraft

what is frontal precipitation?

occurs when cold air (denser) pushes warm air upward. results in light rain over a long period of time. warm air rises above the cold air front.

what type of climate does vancouver have?

pacific maritime

what type of climate does regina have?

prairie (continental)

what type of climate does iqaluit have?

arctic

what two things are needed for farming?

good soil and freshwater.

what ancient civilizations are examples of farming-based societies?

ancient egyptian and mesopotamian societies.

what river did egyptian civilization grow around?

the fertile nile river and its delta.

why doesn't the sahara desert have many people living there?

Due to its harsh climate and poor sandy soil

what percentage of egypt's population lives within 20km of the nile river or its delta?

90%

what did toronto start as?

a farming centre.

how many soil regions are there in canada?

4

what does M.O.M.A stand for (the four parts of soil)?

minerals, organic matter, moisture, and air

what are minerals in soil and where do they come from?

"minerals come from broken up rock

what is parent matter?

broken up rock that provides minerals to soil.

what does bacteria do in soil?

"bacteria breaks down plant and animal material. decaying organic material forms humus

what is humus?

decaying organic material formed by bacteria breaking down plants and animals. it provides nutrients and moisture to soil.

what does moisture do in soil?

water dissolves nutrients (makes them liquid) so they can be taken up by plants. it also helps break down rock and organic material.

what does air do in soil?

"air is needed around the root systems of plants. air holes are created by worms

what is a soil profile?

a cross section of soil from the surface to the bedrock.

what are the layers of the soil profile in order from top to bottom?

O horizon (organic)

A horizon (topsoil)

E horizon (eluviated)

B horizon (subsoil)

C horizon (parent soil)

R horizon (bedrock)

what is the o horizon?

organic material. dying plants and animals that are in the process of breaking down.

what is the a horizon?

topsoil. rich in organic materials. takes hundreds of years to produce. it is a thin layer.

what is the b horizon?

subsoil. mainly inorganic material (broken up rock) with some organic material.

what is the c horizon?

parent material. broken pieces of rock and/or solid rock.

what is the r horizon?

the bedrock layer underneath all other layers.

what is leaching?

where there is a lot of precipitation, capillary action moves water through soil, dissolving nutrients and carrying them downward.

what is capillary action?

the movement of water through soil.

what is calcification?

in drier climates, water is drawn to the surface by evaporation. as the water evaporates, nutrients dissolved in soil water are carried to the surface and deposited there.

what can calcification lead to?

rich topsoil with lots of nutrients. in extreme cases. in extreme cases, so much is deposited that the soil becomes poisonous to plants.

what type of soil covers most of canada?

podzolic soils, which have a pale layer a few centimeters below.

what are podzolic soils?

the most common soil type in canada. they have a pale layer a few centimetres below the surface and are generally less fertile.

where are the richest (most fertile) soils in canada found?

in the grasslands of the southern prairies.

what are the richest soils in canada called?

chernozem, also called black soil.

why are soils in the southern prairies so fertile?

it is fairly dry there. dead grass forms humus in the soil, giving it a dark color keeping it fertile.

why are soils in most other parts of canada poorer?

rain trickles through the soil and washes nutrients downward (leaching).

why are arctic soils not very fertile?

the soils are thin and stony. plants do not supply enough humus.

how do soils along the west coast and mountains vary?

they vary greatly from place to place.

what is the difference between leaching and calcification?

leaching occurs in wet climates where water carries nutrients downward. calcification occurs in dry climates where evaporation carries nutrients upward to the surface.

what are the characteristics of podzolic soils?

most common soil in canada. pale colour. pale layer a few centimetres below the surface. generally less fertile due to leaching.

what are the characteristics of chernozem (black) soils?

"richest and most fertile soils in canada. found in the prairies (grasslands) of the southern prairies. dark, deep, rich, and fertile. called back soil.

why are chernozem soils dark?

"because dead grass forms humus in the soil, giving it a dark color and keeping it fertile.

what is the connection between leaching and podzolic soils?

"in most of canada there is a lot of rain which trickles through the soil and washes nutrients downward (leaching). this leaves a pale layer a few centimetres below the surface.

what is the connection between soil and the rise of civilizations?

great civilizations began because of farming. good soil and freshwater are needed for farming. civilizations like ancient egypt and mesopotamia grew up around fertile land and water sources.

what is the composition of healthy soil?

45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air, 5% organic material.

what is the generalized description of topsoil?

humus plus living organisms.

what is the generalized description of leaching in the soil profile?

the removal of nutrients from the soil.

what is the generalized description of subsoil?

accumulation of minerals and organic materials.

what is the generalized description of parent material?

weathered rock.

what is the difference between weather and climate?

weather is short-term (daily decisions like clothing). climate is long-term (decisions like building infrastructure or agricultural planning).

what does LOWERN stand for?

"latitude.

what is latitude and how does it affect climate?

latitude is the distance from the equator. closer to the equator = more concentrated sun rays = hotter. closer to the poles = more spread out sun rays = colder.

what is the albedo effect?

"light surfaces like snow reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere.

what are ocean currents?

"warm and cold currents that act like conveyor belts.

what does the ocean do to influence weather and climate?

"it stores solar radiation.

what is the alaska current?

"a warm current that flows along canada's west coast. it moderates temperatures.

what is the labrador current?

"a cold current that affects canada's northeast.

what is the gulf stream?

a warm current influencing canada's southeast. its interaction with the cold labrador current causes thick fog.

what happens when the labrador current and gulf stream meet?

"they create heavy fog (the ""fog factory"") and good conditions for fishing.

what are air masses?

vast bodies of air with uniform temperature and moisture characteristics.

what are the four types of air masses?

"maritime (wet).

how does air pressure drive wind?

air moves from areas of high pressure (sinking cool air) to areas of low pressure (rising warm air). this pressure difference drives atmospheric circulation.

what are the prevailing winds in north america?

"the westerlies.

how does elevation affect climate?

"as elevation increases.

what is the dry adiabatic lapse rate?

dry air cools at 1 degree celsius per 100 metres of elevation gain.

what is the wet adiabatic lapse rate?

wet air cools at 0.6 degrees celsius per 100 metres of elevation gain.

how do you calculate the temperature at the top of a mountain? (example: 3000m mountain.

what is relief?

"the physical shape and features of the land (e.g. mountains.

what is orographic lift?

"when moist air is forced upward by a mountain.

what is the windward side of a mountain?

"the side facing the wind (usually near water). moist air rises.

what is the leeward side of a mountain?

"the side away from the wind. dry air descends here.

what is the rain shadow effect?

the dry conditions on the leeward side of a mountain caused by the loss of moisture on the windward side. example: bc's okanagan valley.

give an example of the windward and leeward effect in canada.

windward: the pacific westerlies drop rain on bc's coast mountains. leeward: the okanagan valley is dry due to the rain shadow effect.

what is ccfar/ccfap?

"cooling.

what drives the ccfar process?

"convection.

what is nearness to water and how does it affect climate?

"closer to water = wetter.

what is a maritime climate?

a climate close to water. water moderates temperature. more than 1000mm of rain yearly. less than 25c temperature range between seasons.

what is a continental climate?

a climate far from water. less than 1000mm of rain yearly. more extreme temperature range between seasons. drier air masses.

how does water moderate temperature?

water stores heat and releases it slowly. in early summer it keeps nearby land cooler than inland. in early winter it keeps nearby land warmer than inland.

what are the characteristics of the arctic climate region?

"very cold.

what causes the arctic climate?

"very high latitude (less concentrated sun rays).

what are the characteristics of the continental climate region?

"cold winters and hot summers (extreme temperature swings).

what causes the continental climate?

"not close to any oceans or large bodies of water.

what are the characteristics of the maritime climate region?

"little temperature variation.

what causes the maritime climate?

"nearness to water moderates temperatures and creates rain. warm ocean current comes from the south on the west coast.

what is the greenhouse effect and how does it relate to climate change?

"rising greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. this leads to warming temperatures.

how does climate change affect the albedo effect?

"as sea ice melts due to warming temperatures.

what is the saturation point?

the point at which air can no longer hold any more moisture and precipitation begins.

why do the poles receive less concentrated solar energy than the equator?

"because of earth's curve.