Landforms E4.3F - Describe how landforms affect the formation of clouds and precipitation.

Landforms Three basic types Plains Plateaus Mountains

Plains Large, relatively flat areas Two types Coastal- Interior (lowlands) (Great Plains)

Plateaus Flat, raised areas that have been uplifted by forces within Earth Rise steeply from the land around them

Mountains High, steep peaks Four types Folded Upwarped Fault-Block Volcanic

Four types of mountains

Folded Mountains

Upwarped Mountains

Fault-Block Mountains

Volcanic Mountains

Major US Landforms

Climate Average weather conditions over many years Includes temperature, precipitation, air pressure, humidity, days of sunshine Affected by latitude, topography, location of lakes and oceans, wind patterns, ocean currents

Latitude Affects climate Determines how much sunlight an area receives and at what angle Polar Zone Temperate Zone Tropics Temperate Zone Polar Zone

US Climate Zones

Topography Topography is the surface features of the earth. Includes Large bodies of water Mountains Large cities

Topography - Water Coastal regions have warmer winters and cooler summers. Ocean currents affect coastal climates. Coastal areas also have more moisture. Causes “lake effect”

Topography - Mountains Mountains have cooler climates Less air molecules to hold heat at high elevations Rain shadows form

Topography – Large Cities Radiation is absorbed by streets, parking lots and buildings and radiated back into the atmosphere Pollution traps heat in a “heat sink” Skyscrapers can act like mountains and create rain shadows