Weather and Climate Glossary Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• climate : the average weather conditions of an area over 25–30 years
• weather : the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere
• drought : a long period with less rainfall than normal, causing water shortages
• deforestation : permanent removal of trees so land can be used for something else
• ocean current : a directed movement of ocean water caused by wind and temperature
• prevailing winds : the direction the wind usually blows from
• milankovitch cycles : long-term changes in earth’s orbit that affect climate
• eccentricity : a 100,000-year change in the shape of earth’s orbit
• axial tilt : a 40,000-year change in the tilt of earth’s axis
• precession : a 24,000-year “wobble” of earth’s axis
• solar variation : changes in the sun’s activity that affect earth’s temperature
• ice cores : layers of frozen ice used to study past climates
• tree rings : rings inside trees that show past climate conditions
• tropical cyclone : a storm with wind speeds over 119 km/h (hurricanes/typhoons)
• quaternary period : the current geological time period