Transcript Climate - cloudfront.net

Earth’s Climate and
Vegetation
Main Idea
• To discover how
the Earth, the
sun, the oceans,
and wind interact
to produce Earth’s
varied climates.
Why it Matters
•Climate
affects
animals,
plants, and
people.
The Atmosphere – yup, it’s gassy.
• Surrounding Earth is a sea of gases called the
atmosphere.
• The atmosphere holds the air necessary for life on the
planet.
• The atmosphere is also important as the source of
Earth’s weather and climate patterns.
The Atmosphere – yup, it’s gassy.
• Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given moment.
• Climate refers to the different kinds of weather at a particular
place over a long period of time.
• Climate, like landforms and bodies of water, is important to plant,
animal, and human life.
• Different plants and animals can live only in certain climates.
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The Atmosphere – yup, it’s gassy.
• People have learned to adapt to a number of climates.
• The kinds of food that people grow are also influenced by climate.
• The climate of any given place is caused by a number of factors
related to location.
1. Where it is in relation to the equator
2. Its nearness to large areas of land or water
3. Altitude above sea level
The Effect of Latitude 1. Where is it in relation to the equator?
• How far north or south of the equator a place is located – its
latitude – is important in determining climate.
• Because the surface of the planet is curved, the sun’s rays hit
Earth at different angles.
The Effect of Latitude
The Effect of Latitude • Near the equator the sun’s rays hit
Earth’s surface more vertically, or
directly, than at other latitudes.
• These direct rays make the climates near the
equator hot or warm
• Areas near the poles never receive vertical
rays
• The climate near the poles is cold all year.
The Effect of Latitude -
• Areas in the middle latitudes receive vertical rays only part of the
year, which creates the seasons.
• Called temperate zone
• In temperate places the overall climate is neither very hot nor
very cold, although temperatures can be very hot or very cold at
times, depending on the season.
The Effect of Latitude • Seasons occur because Earth is tilted on its axis 23.5 degrees in
relation to Earth’s path around the sun.
• This tilt exposes the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to the
more vertical rays of the sun at different times of the year.
The Effect of Latitude • When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the
sun, it is summer there.
• At the same time, it is winter in the Southern
Hemisphere.
• When the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward the
sun, it is summer there and winter in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Tropics – the Effect of Latitude
• Around June 22 the vertical rays of the sun
hit Earth at 23.5 degrees north latitude.
• Farthest north the vertical rays reach
• Called the Tropic of Cancer
Tropics – the Effect of Latitude
• Around December 22the vertical rays of the sun hit Earth
at 23.5 degrees south latitude.
• Farthest south the vertical rays reach
• Called the Tropic of Capricorn
• The word tropic refers to the area on Earth at or
near the equator.
REVIEW •How does latitude affect climate
on Earth?
The Effect of Land and Water
2. Its nearness to large areas of land or water
• Heating and cooling differences between land and water effects
climate.
• Land heats quicker than bodies of water
• Land cools quicker than bodies of water
• Water takes longer to warm up but it stays warm longer.
• Result: places in the middle of a large continent are likely to be much
colder than places along the coast.
The Effect of Land and Water
• Ocean currents also affect the temperatures of some land areas.
• Examples: North Atlantic Drift
• Current brings warm temperatures to Western Europe as it flows
across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico.
• Without the effect of this ocean current, Western Europe would
have a much colder climate.
North Atlantic Circulation
The Effect of Land and Water
• The differences in the heating and cooling of land and water also cause
winds.
• During daylight hours, air over land is heated more quickly than air over
water. Cooler air from the water blows in and pushed the warmer air up.
• Sea Breeze
• At night, the land cools more quickly than the water. Warmer air over
the water is pushed up by the cooler air blowing out from the land.
• Land Breeze
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Review:
•How do land and water affect
climate?
The Effect of Altitude
• A 3rd major effect on climate is the elevation, or altitude, of landforms
above sea level.
• Going up a mountain is something like moving from the equator to one
of the poles.
• The air temperature gets cooler the higher you go.
• For every 1,000 feet of altitude , the temperature drops almost 3
degrees Fahrenheit.
The Effect of Altitude
• Because of the effects of altitude, it is possible to find a place
with a cold climate in a larger region with a warm climate.
• Example: Tanzania (East Africa)- warm climate, has snow and ice all year
long on top of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Review:
•How does altitude affect
climate?
Climate and Vegetation
There are six major climate regions on Earth:
1. Tropical
2. Desert
3. Temperate warm
4. Temperate cold
5. Polar
6. Highland
Each of the six regions its own climate patterns and its own kinds of plant
life, or vegetation.
Climate and Vegetation - Rainforest
• Most of Earth’s tropical climates are along or near the equator,
• far north as the Tropic of Cancer
• far south as the Tropic of Capricorn
• Tropical climates are generally warm all year-round and have a lot
of precipitation.
Rainforest
• Rain Forests:
• Average yearly temperature is close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
• Rainfall may reach as much as 100 inches in a year
• Rain forests with thick vegetation and tall trees exist in many
areas of the tropical climate.
• Amazon River (South America)
• Congo River (Central Africa)
• Islands of Indonesia and Malaysia in SE Asia
Desert
•
•
•
•
Little precipitation for the whole year.
Considered “arid” or dry
An area that receives 10 inches or less of precipitation in a year
Can be hot or cold
Desert
• To survive a desert climate, vegetation has adapted to the arid
surroundings.
• Some plants have leaves and stems that store much water.
• Others have long root systems that reach water over a large
area.
• Most desert plants grow far apart from each other so they do
not compete for the same water supply.
Climates and Vegetation
• The major difference between tropical and desert climates in
precipitation.
• In temperate warm and temperate cold climates, the major
difference is temperature.
Climates and Vegetation
• Temperate climates are generally found in the temperate zones,
away from the equator and the North and South Poles.
• A temperate WARM climate is affected mostly by water.
• A temperate COLD climate is affected by land.
Climate and Vegetation – Temperate Cold
• Areas with a temperate cold climate are mostly inland.
• In this kind of climate, big changes in temperature take place
from summer to winter, and there are about the same amounts of
precipitation all year.
• Temperate cold climates support a variety of trees that grow in
thick forests.
Climate and Vegetation - Temperate Warm
• Temperate warm climates are found along coastal areas near
oceans and seas.
• Two kinds of temperate warm climates are marine and
Mediterranean.
1. The word marine refers to the sea. Marine climates are warm
and generally damp or wet.
2. Mediterranean climates are named for the sea between Africa
and Europe. Around the Mediterranean Sea many areas of land
are warm and mostly dry.
Climate and Vegetation - Temperate Warm
• Mediterranean climates are named for the sea between Africa and
Europe.
• Around the Mediterranean Sea many ares of land are warm and
mostly dry.
• Other areas of Mediterranean climate are found:
•
•
•
•
in California
part of Chile in South America
Southern Australia
Southern Africa.
Climate and Vegetation – Polar Climate
• North and south of the temperate zones are regions with a polar
climate.
• The name polar comes from their location near the North and
South Poles.
• A polar climate is the opposite of a tropical climate.
• A tropical climate has no winters.
• A polar climate has no summers.
• Can have moss/grass growing or no vegetation at all.
Climate and Vegetation- Highland Climate
• Places in hilly or mountainous
regions have a highland
climate.
• This kind of climate cannot be
defined exactly.
• Temperature, precipitation,
and vegetation may all vary
depending on altitude, the
main winds, and the rain
shadow.
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Review:
•What is the relationship between
climate and vegetation?
Answer the questions in your notes.
• Questions must be answered in complete sentences.
• Refer back to your notes to answer them.