Year 8 - Keywords

Weather & climate

WEATHER - The day to day condition of the atmosphere

CLIMATE - The average weather conditions of a place

METEOROLOGY - The study of the weather

TEMPERATURE - a measure of how hot or cold it is

PRECIPITATION - moisture in the air

BEAUFORT SCALE - a measure of wind speed

ANEMOMETER - an instrument to measure wind speed

THERMOMETER - an instrument to measure temperature

MICROCLIMATE - the climate of a small area

ASPECT - the direction a place is facing

RELIEF RAIN - caused by moist air being forced to rise over hills

CONVECTIONAL RAIN - caused by the sun heating the ground

FRONTAL RAIN - caused by warm moist air rising over cold air

ANTICYCLONE - a weather system with high pressure in the centre

DEPRESSION - a weather system with low pressure in the centre

Ecosystems

Climate - The weather of a place taken on average over many years

Equatorial climate - Places near to the equator which are hot and wet throughout the year

Adapt - plants and animals which have learnt to live with the temperatures and rainfall of an area.

Drip tips - pointed leaves which shed excess water easily

Lianas - Vine like plants which use trees as a support

Buttress roots - wide roots which stand above the ground to support tall trees

Deforestation - The clearing and destruction of forests

Global warming

Global warming - warming of the atmosphere due to increases in the amount of carbon dioxide and other chemical released into the air

Greenhouse effect - The way the atmosphere traps some of the sun's heat to warm our environment

Fossil fuels - Fuels from the remains of plants and animals, such as coal, gas and oil

Rivers

Weathering- the break down of rocks by weather, plants and animals

Erosion – the wearing away and removal of rocks and soil

Deposition – the laying down of material carried by rivers

V-Shaped valley – a valley eroded by a river

River bank – the side of a river

River bed – the bottom of a river channel

Waterfall – sudden fall of water over a steep drop

Gorge – a steep sided valley created by a waterfall cutting back

Meander – a large bend in a river

River cliff – a steep slope cut into the bank on the outside of a bend

River beach – a gentle slope on the inside of a river bend