Unit notes and practice questions
Everything here is for unit 2 of the Grade 10 Geography textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.
The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 10 Geography page. Open one at a time.
When you use it
Use when distinguishing between natural short-term fluctuations and long-term shifts in climate systems.
Watch out
Climate variability occurs over shorter timeframes with or without human action, while climate change is a persistent shift that lasts for decades or longer.
Drafted from Grade 10 Geography, pages 23-47, then checked twice before it went up
| Letter | Climate Group | Defining Criterion |
|---|---|---|
| A | Humid tropical | Temperature |
| B | Dry | Precipitation |
| C | Humid middle latitude with mild winters | Temperature |
| D | Humid middle latitude with severe winters | Temperature |
| E | Polar | Temperature |
| H | Highland | Altitude |
When you use it
Use when identifying the letter codes and defining criteria of Köppen climate groups.
Watch out
Group B is classified primarily by precipitation, and H by altitude, whereas groups A, C, D, and E are defined by temperature.
Drafted from Grade 10 Geography, pages 23-47, then checked twice before it went up
| Ocean Current | Type | Location | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea Current | Warm | West Africa | Supplies moisture and brings coastal rainfall |
| Mozambique Current | Warm | Southeast Africa | Supplies moisture and brings coastal rainfall |
| Canary Current | Cool | Western Sahara coast | Causes dry coastal conditions and forms rich fishing grounds |
| Benguela Current | Cool | Western Kalahari and Namibia coast | Causes dry coastal conditions and forms rich fishing grounds |
When you use it
Use when analyzing the effects of warm and cool ocean currents on coastal rainfall and desert formation in Africa.
Watch out
Cool currents cause coastal aridity rather than rainfall, but they create rich fishing grounds.
Drafted from Grade 10 Geography, pages 23-47, then checked twice before it went up
10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.
Question 1
What is the minimum length of observation time commonly used to determine the climate of a place?
Answer: C 30 years
Why
Climate is defined as the average of weather conditions in a place over a long period, typically 30 years or more.
Question 2
According to the climatologist Wladimir Köppen, what is the best natural expression of an overall climate?
Answer: A Natural vegetation
Why
Köppen believed that the distribution of natural vegetation was the best expression of an overall climate.
Question 3
Where was the highest temperature in Africa and the world (58 degrees Celsius) recorded?
Answer: A Azizia, Libya
Why
The highest recorded temperature in Africa and the world was 58 degrees Celsius in Azizia, Libya.
Question 4
On average, what percentage of the total labor force in Africa is employed in the agricultural sector?
Answer: C 70%
Why
Agriculture is the backbone of Africa's economy, accounting for about 70% of the labor force and over 25% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Question 5
The ancient Greeks divided the climate of each hemisphere into which three zones?
Answer: A Torrid, temperate, and frigid
Why
The ancient Greeks made the first known attempt at climate classification by dividing each hemisphere into torrid (tropical), temperate, and frigid zones.
Question 6
In Köppen's climate classification scheme, which of the principal climate groups is based primarily on precipitation rather than temperature?
Answer: B Group B
Why
Groups A, C, D, and E are defined primarily by temperature. Group B (dry climates) has precipitation as its main defining criterion.
Question 7
What are the characteristics of the Harmattan wind that blows over Sub-Saharan Africa?
Answer: A Warm, dry, and dust-laden wind from the Sahara
Why
The Harmattan is a warm, dry, northeasterly or easterly wind blowing out of the southern Sahara that carries large amounts of dust and sand.
Question 8
In the Mediterranean climate region of North Africa, during which months does most of the rainfall occur?
Answer: B December to January
Why
The Mediterranean climate has dry summers and wet winters. In North Africa, winter rains fall in December and January.
Question 9
Based on the normal lapse rate of 6.4 degrees Celsius per 1,000 meters, what will the temperature be at the top of a 2,000-meter Ethiopian mountain if the temperature at sea level is 26 degrees Celsius?
Answer: B 13.2 degrees Celsius
Why
Temperature decreases by 6.4 degrees Celsius for every 1,000 meters of altitude. For 2,000 meters, the drop is 6.4 x 2 = 12.8 degrees Celsius. Subtracting 12.8 from 26 gives 13.2 degrees Celsius.
Question 10
Why does the Cool Benguela Ocean Current cause dry desert conditions along the coast of Namibia?
Answer: A It chills incoming air so moisture condenses over the sea, leaving winds to absorb land moisture
Why
The cool ocean surface chills winds blowing over it, causing moisture to condense offshore into fogs. When these winds reach land, they are dry and absorb moisture rather than releasing rain.
The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.
Unit 2 runs from page 23 to page 47 of the Ministry of Education edition.
Ministry of Education edition, English, 204 pages
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