Fundamentals of Physical Geography

2nd Edition Petersen Solutions Manual

Visit to download the full and correct content document: https://testbankdeal.com/dow
nload/fundamentals-of-physical-geography-2nd-edition-petersen-solutions-manual/
8
____________________________________________________________________________________________

MICROTHERMAL, POLAR,
AND HIGHLAND CLIMATE
REGIONS: CLIMATE CHANGE
Chapter Outline
MICROTHERMAL CLIMATE CLIMATE CHANGE
REGIONS Past Climates
Humid Microthermal The Recent Ice Age: The Pleistocene
Generalizations Methods for Revealing Past
Humid Continental Climates Climates
Subarctic Climate Causes of Climate Change
POLAR CLIMATE REGIONS GLOBAL WARMING
Tundra Climate Future Climates
Ice-Sheet Climate Recommendations for the Future
Human Activity in Polar Regions
HIGHLAND CLIMATE REGIONS
The Nature of Mountain Climates
Adaptation to Highland Climates

Learning Objectives
• Describe the major characteristics of each microthermal (cold winter) and polar
climate.
• Locate the general areas of each microthermal and polar climate on a world map
and explain the major factors that control their global distribution.
• Describe the major vegetation types and human adaptations related to each
microthermal and polar climate.
• Explain why highland climates are so variable and what factors control the
nature of a highland climate at a given time and location.

49
 • Explain why global climates have changed over the past few million years and
how earth scientists have documented these changes.
• Appreciate why it is difficult to determine the cause of an Ice Age and recall
what hypotheses have been suggested.
• Discuss the nature of recent global warming and some of the impacts it would
likely have on several different Earth environments.
• Understand the results of extensive research into the relationships between
human activities and global warming.

Key Terms and Concepts

microthermal tundra climate Altithermal
humid continental, hot- muskeg eccentricity cycle
summer climate tundra obliquity cycle
humid continental, ice-sheet climate precession cycle
mild-summer climate exposure greenhouse gas
subarctic climate slope aspect asteroid
taiga tree line comet
boreal forest snow line Little Ice Age
permafrost global warming
patterned ground (frost glaciation
polygons) oxygen-isotope analysis

Lecture Outline
I. Chapter Preview
II. Microthermal Climate Regions
A. Humid Microthermal Generalizations
B. Humid Continental Climates
1. Comparison of Hot-Summer and Mild-Summer Climates
2. Seasonal Changes
3. Land Use in Humid Continental Regions
C. Subarctic Climate
1. High Latitude and Continentality
2. A Limiting Environment
III. Polar Climate Regions
A. Tundra Climate
B. Ice-Sheet Climate
C. Human Activity in Polar Regions

50
IV. Highland Climate Regions
A. The Nature of Mountain Climates
B. Adaption to Highland Climates
V. Climate Change
A. Past Climates
B. The Recent Ice Age: The Pleistocene
C. Methods for Revealing Past Climates
D. Causes of Climate Change
1. Orbital Variations
2. Changes in the Ocean
3. Changes in Landmasses
4. Impact Events
5. Changes in the Atmosphere
6. Atmospheric Gases
VI. Global Warming
A. Future Climates
B. Recommendations for the Future
1. On a Personal Scale

Summary
• Microthermal and polar climates occupy vast areas of the world and vary greatly
in both temperatures and precipitation.
• A number of mechanisms control the temperature and precipitation regimes of
microthermal and polar climates.
• Microthermal and polar climates are found in approximately the same locations
(i.e., with respect to latitudes and coastal positions) on most of the continents.
• Highland climates are often considered as one group because of the difficulty in
distinguishing among the various local climates (microclimates) created by
mountainous environments.
• Plants, animals, and humans must adapt to live in distinctive highland climate
types through various methods.
• Global climates have changed considerably over the past few million years and
Earth scientists continue to document these variations.
• Many hypotheses exist regarding the causes of the most recent Ice Ages, but
there is general agreement that global warming today is related in large part to
human activities.

50
Teaching Tips – Discussion Topics
• The concept of Milankovitch cycles are often difficult for students to grasp.
Animations such as the following may be helpful:
http://www.sciencecourseware.org/eec/GlobalWarming/Tutorials/Milankovitch/
• Another exercise for illustrating the Milankovitch cycles involves working
through the position of Earth relative to the sun physically. Have students “act
out” orbits with different eccentricities, different tilt angles of Earth’s axis, and
precession using a reference as a guide.
• Lead an in-class debate about climate change. Have students divide into two
random groups. One will advocate for the view that the recent global climate
changes are largely a result of manufactured causes and an aberration of larger
geological cycles, and the other will advocate that these changes are in line with
the overall trajectories of climate variation in Earth’s history. After the debate has
concluded, discuss potential outcomes of climate change, both locally and
around the world.
• Now that the students have learned about global atmospheric circulation and
ocean circulation, discuss how circulation affects the distribution of
microthermal and polar climates. Compare circulation maps with climate zone
maps and see if students can find any patterns.

Answers to Questions for Review

1. The Southern Hemisphere contains no major landmasses at the appropriate latitudes
to support a microthermal climate. [pp. 194-195]

2. The warmest month is above 10°C (50°F) and the coldest month is below 0°C (32°F)
and usually has year-round precipitation (with a winter drought in Asia).
Mesothermal climates have hot summers; microthermal climates have mild
summers [p. 196; Table 8.1]

3. Subarctic regions are affected by strong high pressure systems (such as the Siberian
high). Distance from oceans also affects the amounts of precipitation found in these
climates. [pp. 199-200]

4. The year-round influence of polar anticyclones, ice cover, and elevation distinguish
ice sheet climates from the warmer tundra climates, which are usually located closer
to coastlines. [pp. 202-203]

51
5. Little if any life can survive in an ice-sheet climate, but tundra climates can contain
mosses, lichens, grasses, flowering plants, migratory birds, and insects. These plants
hug the ground surface with shallow root systems and die or go dormant during the
severe winters. [pp. 202-205]

6. Elevation exposure and aspect affect the temperatures, winds, insolation, and
orographic precipitation found in highland climates. Nearby lowlands may have
significantly different climate characteristics. [pp. 206-208]

7. Climate conditions of the late Pleistocene and Holocene can be derived using
radiometric techniques such as oxygen-isotope analysis. [pp. 210-211]

8. Major causes of climate change are orbital variations, changes in Earth's atmosphere,
changes in the ocean, changes in landmasses, and any combination of these.
Milankovitch calculated the orbital variation and timed them to major glacial
advances. [pp. 212-215]

9. Increased greenhouse gases will cause global temperatures to rise by trapping

Earth's heat (long-wave) radiation that would otherwise escape to space. [pp. 218-
219]

10. Continued greenhouse warming will cause melting of ice sheets, rising sea levels,
and latitudinal shifting in weather systems. All of these factors taken together will
affect many areas of the globe. [pp. 220-222]

11. M.A. - see page 222

Answers to Practical Applications

1. a. EF
b. ET
c. Dwa
d. Dfa
e. Cfa

2. a. Eismitte, Greenland
b. Point Barrow, Alaska
c. Beijing, China

52
 d. Chicago, Illinois
e. New York, New York

3. New York on the east coast is under maritime influences, but Chicago represents a
station influenced by continentality. The lower precipitation total and the higher
summer temperatures are the major differences.

4. Whether a location is humid or dry is determined by a comparison of precipitation

and potential evapotranspiration. Due to lower temperatures and potential
evapotranspiration, the meager precipitation at Barrow is sufficient to produce a
humid climate.

Answers to Figure Legend Questions

Figure 8.2 The northern Great Lakes and mountain regions of the western United
States. [p. 197]

Figure 8.3 The primary differences are related to the greater continentality and
modified monsoon circulation associated with Shenyang located on the
Asian continent. [p. 197]

Figure 8.4 Generally lower temperatures, lower precipitation, and greater

temperature ranges in Duluth are explained by its higher latitude and
greater continentality. [p. 198]

Figure 8.6 Mining, hunting, fishing, and settlement for strategic reasons best explain
why limited numbers of people occupy the subarctic. [p. 200]

Figure 8.7 The forests of Siberia are so distant from markets and the forest products
are so expensive to ship that they have little commercial value. [p. 201]

Figure 8.9 The Southern Hemisphere has very little land that is subject to a tundra
climate. [p. 203]

Figure 8.10 Location in high latitudes, subsidence and divergence of the polar
anticyclone, and proximity to coasts. [p. 204]

Figure 8.11 M.A. Personal responses.

53
Figure 8.12 M.A. Class discussions.

Figure 8.13 M.A.

Figure 8.14 Temperature and precipitation amounts may be similar and, therefore,
similar types of vegetation. [p. 207]

Figure 8.15 The winter season. [p. 207]

Figure 8.16 Students should note the flag trees in the background with branches on
the left side removed by wind stress. This indicates wind direction from
left to right in the photograph. [p. 208]

Figure 8.17 Most settlement was in the upper portions of the tierra templada zone and
the lower portions of the tierra fria. [p. 209]

Figure 8.18 Because the ice in a glacier, like water, flows under the pull of gravity. The
glacial ice is flowing downhill. [p. 210]

Figure 8.20 According to Milankovitch, these changes in insolation are enough to

bring on the ice ages. [p. 212]

Figure 8.21 Colder currents bring cooler air masses; warm currents bring warmer air
masses. [p. 213]

Figure 8.22 M.A.

Figure 8.23 Volcanic eruptions can melt ice caps and create mud slides, poison gases
can kill populations nearby, and the lava flow and ash flows can bury
entire villages. [p. 215]

Figure 8.24 The second year after the eruption. [p. 215]

Figure 8.25 M.A.

Figure 8.26 Carbon dioxide. [p. 218]

Figure 8.27 M.A.

Figure 8.29 The largest change is in Asia, and the smallest change is in Australia.

54
Figure 8.30 M.A.

55