Essential Geography and Meteorology Terms Glossary
Geographical Features and Landforms
Archipelago
A group of islands clustered in a relatively extensive area of the sea.
Bay
A coastal inlet smaller than a gulf.
Range
A series of connected mountains.
Sedimentary Basin
A zone of depression filled with sediments.
Fault
A fracture or zone of fractures separating two blocks of rock, allowing them to move relative to each other.
Littoral
Pertaining to the shore or sea coast.
National Topographic Map
A map representing the physical and human elements of a significant area of a country.
Plateau
A flat or slightly inclined surface located at a significant altitude above sea level.
Marsh
Low, muddy land often saturated or flooded by tides or rivers.
Peninsula
Land surrounded by water on most sides, connected to a larger landmass by a narrow strip (isthmus).
Peneplain
An erosion surface characterized by low relief and gentle slopes.
Jurassic Relief
A young mountain range (cordillera) formed by convex folds (anticlines) and concave folds (synclines).
Appalachian Relief
A landscape of long, parallel ridges and valleys formed when an older, eroded relief is uplifted by orogenic movement and subjected to differential weathering.
Karst Relief
Distinctive landforms developed in areas underlain by soluble rocks like limestone.
Relief
The variations in elevation and slope of a land surface, including both positive (hills, mountains) and negative (valleys, basins) features.
Ria
A coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley.
Socle (Basement Rock)
Plateaus or plains formed by the erosion of ancient mountains, exposing old, hard, crystalline rocks.
Meteorological Concepts and Phenomena
Anticyclone
An area of high atmospheric pressure (typically above 1014 mb). Winds circulate clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Associated with stable weather.
Temperature Range
The difference between the highest and lowest temperatures recorded over a specific period (e.g., daily, monthly, annual).
Aridity
A condition characterized by a severe lack of available water, typically due to insufficient rainfall and/or high temperatures.
Cyclone (Depression)
An area of low atmospheric pressure (typically below 1014 mb). Winds circulate counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Associated with unstable weather and precipitation.
Windward
The side or slope facing into the prevailing wind.
Coastal Breeze (Sea/Land Breeze)
A light, local wind generated by temperature differences between land and sea.
Continentality
Climatic characteristics typical of continental interiors, marked by low rainfall, large temperature variations (daily and annual), and minimal moderating influence from the sea.
Equinox
The time when the sun’s rays strike the Equator perpendicularly, resulting in approximately equal day and night length globally (around March 20-22 and September 22-23).
Polar Front
The boundary surface separating cold polar air masses from warmer tropical or subtropical air masses.
Humidity
The amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere.
Isobar
A line on a map connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure.
Isotherm
A line on a map connecting points of equal temperature.
Isohyet
A line on a map connecting points of equal precipitation amounts.
Precipitation
Water falling from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail (liquid or solid forms).
Barometer
An instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Thermal Regime
The characteristic pattern of temperature variations over a period (e.g., daily, seasonally, annually).
Annual Rainfall Regime
The characteristic pattern of precipitation variations throughout the year.
Leeward
The side or slope sheltered from the prevailing wind.
Solstice
The time when the sun’s rays strike one of the Tropics (Cancer or Capricorn) perpendicularly, resulting in the greatest difference between day and night length (around June 21-22 and December 21-22).