geography north america and the...
TRANSCRIPT
Geography North America and the
USA During this topic, you will have the chance to learn about some of the key
physical and human features of North America and the USA. You will have the opportunity to study some places in more detail, for example New York and
The Grand Canyon. You will also look at the different climates that exist across the USA, including floods, droughts and tornadoes.
CLIMATES WITHIN THE U.S.A The overall climate in the U.S.A is temperate, with 3 main excepGons: Ø In Alaska there is an arcGc tundra Ø Hawaii and South Florida have a tropical climate Ø The ‘Great Plains’ are dry, flat and grassy, turning into arid desert in the West.
Temperate = Generally moderate spread rainfall throughout the year with mild to warm summers and cool to cold winters.
See if you can find out what the following phrases mean:
ArGc tundra
Tropical climate
Arid desert
Extremes of weather: droughts
• Some parts of North America experience ‘mega droughts’ and there is a desperate shortage of water.
• These droughts have been linked to climate change and warmer temperatures, coupled with less precipitaGon (snow and rain) in the winter.
Some parts of North America experience ‘mega droughts’ (lasGng 2 decades or longer) and there is a desperate shortage of water. These droughts are linked to climate change and warmer temperatures, couples with less precipitaGon (snow and rain) in the winter season. Click on the link below to find out more…
hVps://ediGon.cnn.com/2015/02/14/us/nasa-‐study-‐western-‐megadrought/index.html
Extremes of weather: hurricanes A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone – a powerful, rotaGng storm that begins in warm, tropical oceans and creates strong winds and heavy rain. The Saffir-‐Simpson Scale is used to measure how severe a hurricane is. This is based on wind speed. A Category 1 hurricane (wind speed up to 90 mph) would cause minor damage whereas a Category 5 hurricane (wind speed more that 150 mph) would cause catastrophic damage.
No other state gets hit by hurricanes more frequently than Florida (approximately 40%)
• The state of Louisiana experienced a devastaGng hurricane in 2005. Hurricane Katrina was a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 175mph.
• 1836 people died and 80% of New Orleans was completely under water.
Watch a short video about Hurricane Katrina by clicking on the link below: • hVp://www.coolgeography.co.uk/A-‐level/AQA/Year%2013/Weather%20and%20climate/Hurricanes/Hurricane_Katrina.htm
And finally…!
• See if you can find out how hurricanes get their names – who choses and what are the criteria?
• If you would like some help with this, try clicking on the link below: hVps://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=DCWOVCe1TlM