AP Environmental Science / Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources
4.8 Earth's Geography and Climate
Notes
Geography shapes climate:
- Rain shadow: moist air rises on the windward side of mountains, rains, and the leeward side is dry.
- Oceans moderate coastal climates; ocean currents move heat.
Practice
The dry side of a mountain range is the:
Air dries out crossing the mountains.
Coastal cities have milder temperatures because:
Oceans buffer temperature.
The Gulf Stream keeps western Europe:
Warm current.
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