Difference between revisions of "Earth Science 7 - Europe/ Iceland 4"
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[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/ref_maps/pdf/europe.pdf] | [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/graphics/ref_maps/pdf/europe.pdf] | ||
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==Countries== | ==Countries== | ||
Revision as of 11:32, 8 March 2012
Contents
Link
Countries
-Austria
-Albania
-Estonia
-England
-Portugal
-Spain
-Ireland
-France
-Germany
-Italy
-Hungary
-Romania
-Macedonia
-Belarus
-Sweden
-Greece
-Bulgaria
-Kosovo
-Vatican City
-San Marino
-Norway
-Turkey
-Moldova
-Iceland
-Montenegro
-Serbia
-Croatia
-Belgium
-Netherlands (formerly Holland)
-Czech Republic
-Austria
-Switzerland
-Slovakia
-Poland
-Hungary
-Western Russia
-Ukraine
-Lithuania
-Latvia
-Denmark
-Finland
-Bosnia and Herzegovina
Note: We are not including the countries of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan as part of Europe.
Latitude and Longitude
Latitude/Longitude:54.076/23.0273
Elevation Range
Highest Point: Mount Elbrus, Russia (18,510 ft high)
Lowest Point: Caspian Sea (3,363 ft below sea level)
Bodies of Water
Oceans:
-North Atlantic Ocean
Seas:
-Mediterranean Sea
-Caspian Sea
-Black Sea
-North Sea
-Greenland Sea
-Norwegian Sea
-Baltic Sea
-White Sea
-Celtic Sea
-Adriatic Sea
-Aegean Sea
-Tyrrhenian Sea
-Ionian Sea
Major Rivers:
-Danube
-Dnieper
-Don
-Elbe
-Loire
-Oder
-Po
-Rhine
-Rhone
-Shannon
-Tagus
Major Topographical Features
Mountains:
-Alps
-Apennines
-Balkan Mountains
-Carpathian Mountains
-Caucasus Mountains
-Kjolen Mountains
-Pyrenees
-Ural Mountains
Plains:
-Great Hungarian Plain
-North European Plain
Plateaus:
-Massif Central
-Mesata
Other:
-Atlantic Highlands
-Scandinavian Shield
Climate Zones
Most of Europe is in the Cfb subdivision. It is also in the Csa and Dfb subdivisions.
Cfb- Mild with no dry season, warm summer. Average temperature of all months is lower than 72°F (22°C). At least four months with average temperatures over 50°F (10°C). Year around equally spread rainfall.
Dfb- Humid with severe winter, no dry season, warm summer
Csa- Mild with dry, hot summer. Warmest month has average temperature more than 72°F (22°C). At least four months with average temperatures over 50°F (10°C). Frost danger in winter. At least three times as much precipitation during wettest winter months as in the driest summer month.
Iceland is in the ET subdivision
ET- Polar tundra, no true summer
Latitude:
Since Europe is between the latitudes that it is (54.076/23.0273), the southern parts of Europe (the parts near the Mediterranean Sea) are very hot and dry, as the wind blows not north, but to the west. Because of this, fires are very common in these areas. The middle-northern part of Europe is temperate forest, meaning that temperatures are fairly moderate with clear seasons. Much of the food that humans eat is grown in temperate forest. Farms and countryside are found in this part of Europe. The extreme northern part of Europe is either taiga or tundra, meaning very cold and very dry weather. Plants do not grow here, so there are few to no farms in these areas. For this reason, it is bitterly cold in northern Europe, especially in the winter. There is also a taiga-like climate in Switzerland and Austria.
Elevation:
Europe is mostly at or near to sea level. But there are some extremes, like Mount Elbrus in Russia (the highest point in Europe) and the extreme low of the Caspian Sea (the lowest point in Europe). But even so, the climates in these areas are the same. This is because they are at the same latitude.
Topography:
The terrain produces roughness to the wind flow that can change the speed and direction. It also heats unevenly, and that produces rising currents of air as well as regions of higher or lower barometric pressure. The terrain can also act as a barrier. It can restrict the flow of the coastal stratus or rain clouds that dump more precipitation because of the added lift from the terrain.
Since Europe has many steppes and mountains, the rainfall in Europe is somewhat scattered. Obviously, the mountains get lots of snow, but places that are hot in Europe (like Spain/Portugal) also tend to be fairly dry. Also, hot and dry places tend to be flatter than, say, Austria or Switzerland, where there are many mountains but it is cold and there is lots of precipitation.
Proximity to Water:
Since Europe is so near to water sources (the Mediterranean Sea/the Atlantic Ocean), Europe's climate is vastly affected by water. In fact, the reason that Europe has consistent amounts of precipitation year-round is because the closer to water you are, the more precipitation you get.
Prevailing Winds:
Europe’s northerly location places it in the prevailing westerly wind belt. This brings mild maritime air from the Atlantic modifying the winters and summers (Africa’s dry land mass lies just across the Mediterranean). These prevailing winds also prevent bitterly cold arctic air from penetrating into the continent instead they sweep into Russia, which does experience bitterly cold winters. Only occasionally, due to changes in jet stream currents, does arctic air penetrate all the way to the Mediterranean. Instead of continental polar air masses, Europe is dominated by cool maritime air from the Atlantic.
Vegetation:
Since places with more vegetation get more rain, and Europe has quite a bit of vegetation, Europe gets lots of rain.
High/Low Pressure Systems:
Europe mainly contains a low pressure system. The pressure may vary slightly during different times, but mainly stays the same.
Ocean Currents:
The nearest ocean current is the North Atlantic Drift. The North Atlantic Drift is a warm current traveling north toward the poles.
Weather
Temperature:
File:Http://www.rssweather.com/Weather-Maps/Europe
Geology
Minerals:
In northern Europe, there is lots of coal. There is also lots of iron in these areas. Also, there is lots of aluminium in the Balkan peninsula and surrounding areas. In Scandinavia, there is lots of zinc and titanium. In southeastern Europe and southern Spain, there is lots of oil. In the Ukraine, there is graphite, lead, and iron ore. In Turkey, there is lots of feldspar and sulfur. In Austria. there is graphite.
Rocks Types:
For rocks, there is lots of slate, gneiss, and quartzite in the eastern Balkans. In the United Kingdom, there is coal, slate, and gypsum. In Turkey, there is coal, limestone, marble, and pumice. In Albania and Austria, there is coal. In Estonia, there is shale, peat, limestone, and dolomite. In Portugal, there is marble and gypsum. In Spain there is coal.
Mining Resources:
Europe:
Aluminum
Copper
Gold
Iron Ore
Steel
Lead
Nickel
Palladium
Zinc
Diamond
Coal
Uranium
Iceland:
Aluminum
Pumice
Scoria
Basalt
Rhyolite
Salt
Sand
References
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/europec.htm
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/euland3.htm
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/cli_latitude.html
http://ggweather.com/archive/weacornermay04.htm
http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/europe/eud/euphys/euphytx.htm
http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/160697/enlarge
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2111.html
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-mineral-map.htm] </ref> http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-mineral-map.htm
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2007/myb3-sum-2007-europe-eurasia.pdf
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2007/myb3-2007-ic.pdf
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