Physical Geography - Climate

Making Connections Textbook Assignment:
Physical Geography - Climate
1) Read Chapter 13 in Making Connections. Check your understanding of this topic by
defining the terms in bold letters that appear throughout this chapter. It is important
to understand these terms in order to utilize them correctly throughout this unit of the
course. If you would like an official definition for each term, they are listed in the
glossary at the back of the textbook.
2) There are six factors that affect climate (pages 145-153 in your text). Note the phrase
LOWER Near Water which might help you remember them on a test or exam.
a) Describe the effect of latitude on climate using Figure 13-2 on page 146.
b) How do ocean currents affect climate What happens if a cold and a warm ocean
current meet
c) Using Figure 13-5 on page 149 for reference, explain how the prevailing winds
affect climate.
d) Elevation and relief are related, but affect different characteristics of climate.
Elevation can be explained with the statement, “The __________________ you
go, the _______________ it gets”.
e) Using appropriate terminology from the relief section (pages 150-151), explain
why it rains to much in Vancouver.
f) “Bodies of water have a moderating effect on land temperatures.” Explain how
this is accomplished.
3) Name the three types of precipitation. In each case, something happens to a mass of
moist air. What is it that happens What are the three different causes
4) a) In which climate region do we live
b) Describe the climate (not weather) of this region based on your own experiences.
Use descriptive words instead of statistics (e.g., “winters are not very cold, but it rains a
lot”).
c) Look at the climate statistics for the city closest to you that is shown on page 157.
Try to see how your climate experiences are reflected in the numerical data. Why does
this only work well if you describe your climate, rather than your weather

5) Fill in the chart below using the tips on page 156 and the climographs on page 157.
Location
Average
Temp.(°C)
Temp. Range
(C°)
Total Precip.(mm)
Season of
Maximum Precip.
Continental or
Maritime
Moncton
Timmins
Resolut
e
Toronto
Yellowkni
fe
Regina
Prince
George
Vancouv
er
6) Fill in the last two lines of the chart above using the data below. In which climate
region is each station located Explain how you reached your decision.
STATION A Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug. Sept Oct Nov Dec Yr
Avg temp. (°C) -14 -11 -5 4 10 14 16 15 10 4 -6 -12 2.1
Avg precip. (mm) 23 15 16 22 43 76 101 70 47 18 16 19 466
STATION B Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug. Sept Oct Nov Dec Yr
Avg temp. (°C) -9 -8 -3 3 9 15 19 18 13 7 2 -6 5.0
Avg precip. (mm) 120 96 117 101 91 93 103 81 81 106 114 126 1229