Final study aid- GEOG215 - Spring 2008

Chapter 11- Tropical Climates

• Know what characteristics are common in tropical climates
• Know what temperature ranges are needed to classify a region as having a tropical climate
• Know what moisture characteristics are present in sub-regions of the tropical climates
• In terms of Köppen classification system, know what letters comprise the tropical climates
• Know approximately where the tropics are located on a map of the world
• Know what feature in terms in global atmospheric circulation patterns are present that influence the various sub regions of the tropical; climates
• Hadley circulation cells and the various parts of a cell
• Know what the ITCZ is, why it is located where it is, and how it moves over the annual cycle
• Know how and when moisture occurs in the tropics, the form the moisture producing storms take, and why moisture is important in terms of biological factors and temperature control
• Know what biomes are common in tropical environments and where they occur on maps
• Rainforest
• Steppe/Savanna
• Desert
• Know why deserts are important in terms of climate change investigations
• Know why rainforests are important systems on our planet
• Know what is meant by desertification
• Know how human culture changing has influenced the desertification process
• Know what classification of Air mass (e.g., cT, mT etc…) influences various sub-regions of the tropics

Chapter 12- Mid-latitude Climates

• Know what characteristics are common in Mid-latitude climates
• Know what temperature ranges are needed to classify a region as having a mid-latitude climate
• Know what moisture characteristics are present in sub-regions of the mid-latitude climates
• In terms of Köppen classification system, know what letters comprise the mid-latitude climates

• Know approximately where the mid-latitude are located on a map of the world
• Know what air masses influence the climates in the mid-latitudes
• Know what “continentality” is and how it relates to the Mid-latitude climates
• Know what a “Mediterranean” climate is where they occur in the mid-latitudes and why they form there

Chapter 13- Polar and Highland climates

· Know why Polar climates are cold

• Know what characteristics are common in Mid-latitude climates
• Know what temperature ranges are needed to classify a region as having a polar climate
• Know what moisture characteristics are present in sub-regions of the polar climates
• In terms of Köppen classification system, know what letters comprise the polar climates

· Know why they added the highland climate

· Know what a highland climate entails and how it is formed

· Know the influence of ice vs open water on the polar climates

· Know what an Arctic hurricane is and how it differs from its tropical counterpart

· Know why the North pole does not have a climatic classification but the south pole does

· Know why the south pole is colder than the north

· Know the influence of topography and elevation on both highland climates and polar climates

Chapter 14- Climate reconstruction

· Know why we bother to know about climates in the past

· Know what kinds of evidence are used to reconstruct climates

o Oxygen isotopes

o Pollen (Microflora)

o Actual plants (Macroflora)

o Fossils (macro and micro)

o Landforms (glacial, coastal, fluvial, eolian)

o Theoretical (mathematically based physics of the atmosphere)

· Know where the data can come from

o Ocean cores

o Ice cores

o Sediment cores

o Soils

· Know what the data tell us and how they are used to reconstruct past climates

· Know how civilizations have been influenced by climate and give some examples from the recent and historical and prehistoric periods

o Know about little climatic optimum

o Know about the little Ice age

· Know about longer term reconstructions

o E.g., Wisconsinan Glaciation (late Pleistocene epoch)

o Holocene climatic optimum (hypsithermal)

Chapter 15- Causes of climate change

· Know what factors are responsible for short term climate changes

· Know what factors are responsible for long term climate changes

· Know how solar radiation plays a role in climate changes

· Know how gases in the atmosphere affect climate changes

· Know how humans might be influencing climate

· Know how other natural phenomena such as volcanoes influence climate

· Know about sunspots and how they might influence climate change

· Know how droughts influence and are caused by climate change

· Know how changes in Albedo could influence climate

· Know about Impacts and Milankovitch cycles as sources of extraterrestrial influence on climate change

· Know how plate tectonics can influence global climates

o Continent location

o Ocean dimensions and connectivity

o Thermal energy balance