Geography study notes

Quarter 3 Topic 1-Climates around the world

The difference between weather and climate
• Weather is an atmospheric condition for specific times and place.
Weather changes daily even hour to hour,even place to place.
• Climate is an areas weather over a long period of time . Climate
changes very slowly over many years.
• To describe temperature we use words such as hot mild or cold
• To describe rainfall we use words such as wet or dry
Hot mild and cold climates
• Hot climates ; The areas between the equator and 30*C north and south
have tropical climates. These climates have rainfall all year around.The
temperature is always high usually above 25*C some places reaching a high of 35*C.
In the summer the rainfalls in heavy thunderstorms and in the winter less rain.
• Mild climates ; mild climates are found in areas such as the British
Isles,Northern Europe and New Zealand. Summers are warm and winter can be cold with
the occasional snow and freezing temperatures for a short periods of time.
Temperatures usually remain between 10*C and 30*C. Rainfalls throughout the year
but most frequent in the winter months.
• Cold climates; this climate is sup-divided into smaller groups,poplar
and sup-artic
• Polar climates of the artic such as around the North Pole doesn’t
support life. In the Antarctic the temperature never goes above freezing
• Sub-arctic covers areas such as Greenland Alaska Siberia and the far
north of Canada and Scandinavia. In Winter the temperatures in these areas stay
below zero with the rivers and lakes remaining frozen. In Summer the snow melts and
the plants can support animal life.
Wet and dry areas around the world
Wet areas around the world
• Wet areas are mainly found close to the equator (within 25° of the
equator), in places such as Brazil, DRC, Indonesia, and the Philippines. These
areas receive regular rainfall throughout the year. They usually get more than 1
000mm of rain. It rains a lot in these areas due to the regular warm temperatures.
The heat evaporates water and keeps the humidity in the area high.
Dry areas of the world:
• Close to 33% of the Earth's surface is covered in arid (dry)
conditions. The majority of deserts are found at 30° latitudes, both north and
south of the equator. In these areas, the summer climate varies from hot to very
hot, with hardly any rain. In Winter, the days can be cool or warm but the nights
can be very cold. The air is dry so there are not many clouds, the Sun is very
powerful and gives off a serious glare. The temperature difference between day and
night is big.
• Dry climates can be described as arid or semi-arid:
• Arid (desert) areas make up 12% of the Earth's surface and are known
for specific plants that have adapted to the climate. These areas no do get more
than 300mm of rainfall a year. Not many people, animals, and plants can survive in
these conditions.
• The semi-arid area is mostly grasslands and receives just enough
rainfall a year to allow for the grass to grow
Quarter 3 Topic 2- Tropical rainforest:
• Rainforest location,Temperature and rainfall pattern Rainforest
location : Most of the world’s rainforests are located on or near the equator ,
more specificity along the Tropic of Cancer and topic of Capricorn ,rainforests are
found in Central Africa , Asia , South America and Australia the largest and most
well known is the amazon rainforest in South America
• Rainforest temperature and rainfall: tropical rainforests have an
annual rainfall of 254cm rainforest have the most predictable weather as its
constantly warm with an average temperature of 30-33*c
• Natural vegetation and wildlife:The rainforest canopy is divided into 4
layers the Emergent layer; these are the tallest trees,Canopy layer; these are the
trees that blocks out most of the sunlight the home to many birds, butterflies,
bats , monkeys, frogs,sloths,lizards,snakes and many insects the understory layer;
this the the layer where most of the smaller trees and shrubs sit forest floor;This
the lowest level home to jaguars gorillas leopards tapir tigers and elephants
• Most plants and animal species, in a rainforest, are not found on the
forest floor but in the leafy world, known as the canopy.The canopy can reach over
30m above the ground, and is made up of overlapping branches and leaves from the
rainforest trees. Most of the rainforest animals live in the canopy as it offers,
food, shelter, and hiding places. There are plants that live in the canopy whose
roots don't touch the ground, these plants are called air plants.
• Compared to the forest floor, the canopy has very different conditions.
Plants and animals that live in the canopy have adapted specifically to life in the
trees, which are drier and hotter than other parts of the forest. It can be quite
difficult to see far due to the number of leaves in the canopy. It is common for
canopy animals to communicate using loud calls or songs. Animals in the canopy move
through gaps between trees by flying, gliding, or jumping.
• Due to the constant shade provided by the canopy's leaves, the forest
floor is often dark and humid. According to estimates, only 2% of the sunlight
reaches the floor. Forest floor animals are among the largest in the rainforest.
Deforestation
• Deforestation meaning; Deforestation is when forest are cut down and
permanently cleared away for other uses.
• Since 1950s over half of the trees in the world have been cut
down.Trees are cut down for various reasons such as
• Logging—for timber and woodworks
• Grazing land - for. Cattle and other animals
• Pulp-for paper
• Road construction- for our ever growing population
• Mining-for our growing demand for minerals and resources
• Farming space - for our ever growing demand for food
Consequences
• Soil erosion-this causes floods and landslides
• Lack of biodiversity— the number of species in an area
• Habitat loss - this means a lack of biodiversity
Climate change
Clearing trees can increase daytime temperatures and decrease nighttime
temperatures. A fewer number of trees creates less water vapour, thereby reducing
clouds and precipitation
• Extinction certain species
• The Sumatran Orangutang,Bengal tiger and Javan Rhinoceros are
critically endangered due to habitat loss from deforestation
Global warming
There is a large amount of carbon dioxide stored in the leaves and roots of
rainforest trees. As a result of the cutting down of trees, this carbon is released
into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. As a greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide
contributes to global warming.
• Loss of culture
• Loss of food,shelter,clothing and cooking materials
• Rainforest dwellers that rely on the natural environment for the
following materials above they are focused to move or risk starvation and sickness
if their forest is cut down or polluted by mining
Quarter 3 Topic 3- Hot deserts
Deserts are dry areas that receive less than 250mm of rain annually. Some deserts
are hot and others, such as Antarctica, are cold. The Atacama Desert in Chile is
known as the driest place as it only receives about 10mm of rain a year. This
section focuses on hot deserts.
• Location;deserts are found along and around the Tropic of Cancer and
the Tropic of Capricorn like rainforest. Deserts can be found in North
America,Asia,Africa,Australia and South America
• Temperature and rainfall; The average in the day in a desert can get up
to 55*c and as low as -35*c at night with most deserts receiving less than 250mm of
rain a year with some deserts receiving only 10mm of rainfall per year
• Natural vegetation and wildlife;Not many plants grow in the desert
because there is not a lot of rainfall. The plants that do grow in deserts do not
need a lot of water to survive or have ways to survive with little water. Some
plants have long roots that search for water, and some plants store water in their
leaves or stems. Examples of these plants are scrub brushes, grasses, and cacti. To
protect themselves from being eaten, some plants have spikes or poisons to protect
themselves.
• The animals that live in deserts have had to adapt to the lack of water
and extreme temperatures.
• Camels store water in their bloodstream, not in their hump as many
people believe. They can drink a lot of water very quickly and then can go without
for many days.
• The Barrel Cactus is a flowering cactus that can be found in North
American deserts. The people who used to live in the desert drank the water these
cacti stored and used the spikes as fish hooks.
• Meerkats can be found in the Kalahari Desert. They have long claws to
help them to dig for insects to eat. They live in groups and warn each other when
danger is near. Poisonous snakes and scorpions cannot harm meerkats.
• The Sidewinder is found in the Mojave Desert and has an unusual method
for moving. This helps the snake keep traction on the shifting sand but it also
ensures that only 2 points of the snake's body is touching the hot sand at any
given time. The Namib Desert Viper also moves in this manner.
• Some plants have seeds that stay dormant in the sand for a long time
until there is enough rain for them to grow. Cacti are very common in deserts.
Cacti are well suited to deserts for various reasons: they are great at storing
water, they have an outer waxy coating that prevents water from escaping, their
spines protect them from becoming dinner, and their roots are shallow and widely
spread so they can quickly absorb any rainfall.No kings or queens rule over deserts
because there is a lack of rain.
• People in the deserts; It is not easy to live in a desert. The people
living there have a lifestyle that allows them to survive in the desert. People who
live in the Sahara Desert raise crops on irrigated land. Others tend herds of
goats, sheep, and camels. The herders must find grass for the animals, so these
people live in tents that allow them to move easily when all the grass is eaten in
one area.
• People that move around from place to place in search of water and
grazing areas are known as nomads.
• An oasis is a place in a desert where water is permanently found.
People often build settlements close to or near an oasis. This way they can grow
crops such as dates, palms, figs and olives.
Quarter 4 Topic 1 -People and provinces in SA