1. What is the name of the prevailing winds in the mid-latitudes?

2. How does the wind affect the Earth’s energy balance?

3. Why do coastal areas have a milder climate than inland areas?

4. What keeps Europe from being much colder than it is?

5. Which side of a mountain is the dry or desert side?

Water Resources

Water Resources• As precipitation falls on

the land, it flows down mountains and hills.

• Headwaters—the first and smallest streams

• Headwaters join to form river

• Any smaller stream or river that flows into the larger stream or river is a tributary

Where do we get our water in San Antonio?

A. Gulf of MexicoB. Medina LakeC. San Antonio RiverD. Edward’s Aquifer

• Aquifer – rock layers where groundwater is plentiful

Edward’s Aquifer

Edward’s Aquifer

How can humans prevent flooding?• San Antonio, Texas "One of the most flood-

prone regions in North America"

How can human activity make floods worse?

• Impervious cover – development that prevents rain from soaking into the ground

One way to decrease storm water run-off:

Green Roofs (aka “living roofs”)

Soil Resources

Who cares about dirt?

Why is soil important?

• Producing the world’s food depends on soil.

• Today more than 6 billion people rely on food grown on just 11% of the global land surface.

• By 2030, when today’s toddlers have toddlers of their own, 8.3 billion people will walk the Earth. Farmers will have to grow 30% more grain.

arable: land that is fit for growing crops

irrigation: water artificially supplied to the land

A toxic white crust runs through irrigated fields in Grand Valley, Colorado: Moisture evaporating from the soil has drawn underground salt to the surface. To keep the salt from damaging the roots of their crops, farmers must add even more water.

What can happen to soil?

soil exhaustionLoss of nutrients

soil salinizationSalt build-up in the soil =

destructive to crops

Say this five times fast:soil salinization salt in the soil

erosion

• Movement of surface material from one location to another by water, wind, and ice

• Deforestation – destruction or loss of forests

• Reforestation – replanting a deforested area

Why is deforestation happening?

A. People logging for wood.B. People cutting the wood for fuel.C. People clearing the land for farms and

ranches.D. All of the above.

What are these pictures showing you?

A. erosionB. deforestationC. irrigation

Contour Plowing• Plowing fields across a hill, rather than up and

down the hill

A late-summer patchwork of trees, mowed hay fields, and standing corn follows the contours of Wisconsin’s Coon Creek watershed. Once ravaged by erosion, its farms and streams became a national showcase for soil conservation strategies in 1933.

Terrace farming• growing crops on sides of hills or mountains by

planting on graduated terraces built into the slope. Used to maximize arable land area and to reduce soil erosion and water loss.

What is this picture showing you?

A. reforestationB. contour plowingC. deforestationD. erosion

• What method is being used to stop erosion?

• What can happen if a place does not have arable land?

• Caption: Syria’s “dead cities” perished centuries ago, in part because forests were cut and replaced by olive groves, says soil scientist John Ryan. Rain-driven erosion followed. “If there’s no soil to absorb rain, springs don’t flow, “ Ryan says. “You need soil and water to sustain people.”

National Geographic article:“Dirt Poor”

Where is Haiti?

A. AB. BC. CD. D

Caption: As a substitute for unaffordable imported food, some desperate Haitians turn to cakes made of clay, salt, and shortening – a traditional dietary supplement for pregnant women. Yolen Jeunky collects a batch to sell to Port-au-Prince.

• Continue working on your pictures for your vocabulary.

• Add color!!