GEO T2 TEST 2

climate

weather over a long period of time

why does Canada’s climate have varieties?

• the country extends a great distance north and south (longitude)

• different elevations of the earth’s surface affect climate conditions

• coastal regions have different climates than inland regions.

marine/maritime climate

areas close to oceans and large bodies of water, climate affected by water - usually warm summers and cool winters with high amounts of precipitation.

air masses

large volumes of air that have climate conditions from where they originated from.

which areas of air masses are usually dry and one that has a large amount of moisure?

Air masses developed over water - move onto land have large amounts of moisture

Air masses developed over land - usually very dry

what directions does Canada’s winds blow?

west to east (westerlies)

what is the fast moving air called?

jet stream

jet stream

moves at a speed of 300-500km/hr at an altitude of 9000-18000m

weather

day to day atmospheric conditions outside.

why does precipitation occur?

air cools as it rises as air cools water vapour condenses more than it evaporates

season of distribution of precipitation

winter: oct, nov, dec, jan, feb, mar

summer: April, may, june, july, aug, sept.

what are the four parts of soil?

1. minerals

2. bacteria and organic mineral

3. air

4. moisture

what happens if one of the 4 parts of soil is missing?

it will not be considered as soil.

Minerals

• come from rock called parent roc.

• minerals are broken down through weathering into sand, soil, and clay

Bacteria and Organic material

• dead plants and animals are broken down by bacteria putting nutrients into the soil

• decaying organic material form humus (gives soil its dark colour)

air

plants need air around their root. Humus loosens the soil allowing air pockets to form.

Air spaces are also created by insects, worms and small animals

moisture

water dissolves nutrients that is taken up by the plants.

water is also needed in the processes that down rock and decay organic material.

the top layer of soil contains humus and is called what?

topsoil

Balanced mixture of sand, silt and humus is called what?

loam

when did Alfred Wegner come up with his theory?

1915

what is Alfred Wegner’s theory called?

continental drift

What is the continental drift about?

300 million years ago, the earth land masses which were in constant motion collided creating a supercontinent called Pangea.

When did Pangea begin to break apart?

200 million years ago, began to drift in different directions .

what are the 4 theories of continental drift?

1. apparent fit of continents

2. fossil correlation

3. rock/mountain correlation

4. paleo climate data

what are the 3 ways the earth’s crust moves?

1. convergent

2. divergent

3. transform

convergent

when plates come together (they form mountains)

divergent

when plates pull apart (valleys are created)

transform

when 2 plates move across each other

fault/faultline

where 2 plates meet is called.

coniferous tree characteristics

• long root system to find water

• waxy needles (leaf) to prevent moisture loss

• flexible branches so the snow doesn’t break them

• sap in the tree acts like an anti-freeze

• conduct photosynthesis after the growing season

decidous tree charateristics

• lose its leaves in fall so branches dont break in winter

• dormant (rest phase) through winter and sap flows in spring

• they need an average of 5 months over 10 degrees C to grow.

earthquakes

an indication of movement in parts of the earth’s crust

seismologists

people who study earthquakes

appalachians

mountains found in eastern north america

who helped create the theory of tectonic plates

J. Tuzo Wilson

what is the top layer of soil that contains humus called?

topsoil

continental climate

areas far from oceans and large bodies of water - hot summers and cold winter, low amounts of precipitation affected by water