221 Facts About Earth

The classification of the clouds is done on the basis of their shapes and their heights in the sky. The clouds are classified according to height, expanse, density and transparency or opaqueness. ♦ Cirrus (8000-12,000m elevation): formed at high altitude. Thin and detached clouds having feathery appearance. They are white in colour. ♦ Cumulus (4,000-7,000m […]

Clouds are an important part of the water cycle. When the water on the Earth’s surface gets warm, it gets evaporated and converted into water vapour. The warm air containing the vapour rises up in the atmosphere and slowly gets cooled. The cool air gets saturated with the vapour and loses its capacity to hold

Water cycle is the continuous movement of water in the atmosphere. Water present in ponds, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans changes its form and converts to water vapour due to the heat of the atmosphere (evaporation). As the water vapour rises, the low temperature of atmosphere causes condensation of the water vapour. Tiny drops of

The Earth’s surface cools faster than the sea after the Sun has set. As we know, the cool air is dense and has high-pressure, so the rapidly cooling Earth’s surface will have higher air-pressure over it than the sea. As a result, the movement of the air begins from a high-pressure area (Earth’s surface or

The surface of the Earth warms up more quickly in the morning than the surface of the water. This is the reason the air above the beach becomes warmer and thinner creating low-air pressure. While the air above the sea is cooler and denser, creating high pressure. This difference in the air pressures creates the

The moving air in the atmosphere is called wind. The movement of air is caused due to the changes in temperature. When the temperature of air increases, it expands. This expansion makes the air lighter and the air rises. As the warm air rises, the empty place is filled by cooler air. This continuous movement

A weather front is a zone or boundary of transition where two different types of air masses meet. For example, a warm air mass and a cold air mass. The drastic changes in the weather occur due to these weather fronts. There are three types of fronts: cold, warm and stationary. ♦ A cold front

Weather is condition of the surrounding atmosphere at a particular time. It is described as a combination of various factors such as, temperature, moisture and air flow. However, the most crucial factor is heating and cooling of air through the Sun. Weather affects our life in many ways. For example, the type of shelter we

Temperature: Approximately 21°C to 48°C. Climate: Very hot climate in day time; daily temperature variations are extreme. Location on the Earth: Deserts are found in every continent and cover about one-fifth of Earth’s land area. Flora and Fauna: Saguaro cacti that grow in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northern Mexico expand like accordions to

Temperature: Approximately 17°C to 30°C, consistently high temperature. Climate: Constantly hot and wet climate with plentiful precipitation with heavy cloud cover, and high humidity, with very little annual temperature variation. Location on the Earth: Lies within 12° latitude of the equator. Flora and Fauna: Broad-leaved trees, huge number of plants. Large mammals and small birds,

Temperature: Approximately 0°C to 40°C. Climate: Extreme hot summers and extreme cold winters, with moderate rainfall. Rains in summers and snow in winters at some places. Location on the Earth: Located away from the oceans in the middle of the continents. Flora and Fauna: Only a few trees like willow are found on the banks

Temperature: Approximately 10°C to 22.0°C. Climate: Hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters; heavily influenced by current of air which moves between the land and the sea. Location on the Earth: Located between 30° and 45° latitude north and south of the equator and on the western sides of the continents. Flora and Fauna: Scrubby,

Temperature: Approximately 20°C to 30°C. Climate: The climate is generally warm with two main seasons: wet season and dry season. Location on the Earth: This covers the land around and on either side of the equator. Flora and Fauna: Lush green forests and dense growth of bushes and trees form tropical forests. A variety of

Temperature: Approximately –6°C to 25°C. Climate: Temperate zone receives rainfall throughout the year and the temperature varies with seasons. Location on Earth: Between the equator and the North and South Poles this region is closer to the North and the South Pole. Flora and Fauna: Deciduous forests found in regions of the Northern hemisphere are

Temperature: The temperature is approximately 17°C to –30°C, sub-freezing to moderately low precipitation. Climate: The climate is very harsh during winters with strong winds; however, summers are cool and pleasant. Location on Earth: Along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Flora and Fauna: Due to frozen soil, no species of plants can be seen here.