Transcript Factors That Affect Climate

Climate
II. Climate
A. The Earth Sun relationship
B. Factors Affecting Climate
C. World Climate Patterns
Climate
The Earth Sun Relationship
The earth tilts at a 23.5° angle in relation to the sun. This causes the
changing seasons.
Solstice – longest and
shortest days of the
year (occurs in winter
and summer) June &
December 21
Twice a year on the equinox, the days and nights
all over the world are equal in length. The
equinoxes mark the beginning of spring and
autumn. September & March 21
Climate
Factors Affecting Climate
Weather - the condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and time.
Climate - weather conditions at a particular location over a long period of time.
Weather is the result of several factors. Large
masses of air absorbs and distributes solar energy.
Clouds hold water vapor. Water vapor in the
atmosphere can become precipitation—falling water
droplets in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail.
Factors Affecting Climate – LACE MOPS
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Latitude
Air Mass
Continentality
Elevation
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Mountains
Orographic Effect
Patterns
Storms
Latitude
Climate zones are
hotter closer to the
Equator
(more hours of
sunlight)
Air Mass
In the Northern
Hemisphere, cold air from
the Polar Regions comes
from the north.
Hot air from the tropics
comes from the south,
(opposite in the Southern
Hemisphere).
Mountains to the north of a
city (in the Northern
Hemisphere) could block
the cold air from reaching
the city.
(Ex. Alps, Palm Springs)
Continentality
Water moderates climate. Water takes longer to heat and cool
than land. Areas inland from the coast will be hotter in the
summer and colder in the winter than areas with the same latitude
on the coast.
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Elevation
It gets colder as you go up a mountain. The formula for vertical
climate is: Temperature decreases 3.5º F for every 1,000 feet
increase in elevation (the opposite is also true). You can work out
the temperature at the top of a tall mountain.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/images/0314-01.jpg
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.savetibet.org/images/images/MountEverest.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.savetibet .org/news/new
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It is 75º at the base of a 15,000 ft. tall mountain. What is the temperature
on top of the mountain?
First, count the
thousands…
(15,000)
Second,
multiply that
number by
3.5…
Third,
Subtract that
number from the
temperature at
the base to get
the answer…
3.5° (from formula)
X 15 (how many thousands of feet the mountain is tall)
52.5° (how much colder at the top than the bottom)
75° (temperature at bottom)
- 52.5° (how much colder at the top)
22.5 ° (temperature at the top)  Answer
Orographic Effect
Landforms also affect climate. This is especially true of mountain areas. As winds move
up the side of a mountain, they cool and release moisture as rain or snow, on the
windward side of the mountain. The winds that reach the other side of the mountain are
dry and become warmer as they descend. The drier side is known as the leeward side.
Also Known As:
Rain-Shadow
Effect
Pg 29: Orographic / Rain-Shadow Effect
• Windward
• Leeward
Patterns – Pressure, Ocean Currents
& Prevailing Winds
Pressure- High pressure is heavy, cold air. Low pressure is
warm, light air. Heat rises. There are some fairly constant air
pressure systems.
Global wind patterns are caused by the same kind of circulation on a larger scale.
Hot air flows toward the poles, and cold air moves toward the equator.
At the Equator, winds are diverted north and south, leaving a generally windless band
called the doldrums.
Prevailing winds, global winds that blow in fairly constant patterns. We can predict
weather because of atmospheric patterns like the prevailing winds.
Wind and ocean currents help distribute the sun’s heat from one part of the world to
another through convection - the transfer of heat in the atmosphere by upward motion of
the air.
• A periodic reversal of the pattern of ocean currents and water
temperatures in the mid-pacific regions.
• Think about it - your farm is used to moist, warm air, and now it
is getting cold, dry air…..
General: El Niño episodes (left hand column) reflect periods of exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures across the eastern tropical
Pacific. La Niña episodes (right hand column) represent periods of below-average sea-surface temperatures across the eastern tropical
Pacific. These episodes typically last approximately 9-12 months. Sea-surface temperature (top) and departure (bottom) maps for
December - February during strong El Niño and La Niña episodes are shown above.
Although controversy exists over the
causes of global warming, scientists
agree that air temperatures are
increasing. Some scientists believe
that this warming is part of the
earth’s natural warming and cooling
cycles. Other scientists argue that
global temperature increases are
caused by the greenhouse effect.
This means that humans may also
be a factor of climate.
http://www.hurricane.com/hurricanes/hurricane-katrina/hurricane-katrina_files/image020.gif
When hot air masses (Westerlies) and cold air masses (Easterlies)
collide - there are thunderstorms.
Cyclonic storms (hurricanes, typhoons, etc.) in the Northern
Hemisphere spin counter-clockwise.
In the Southern Hemisphere cyclones spin clockwise.
World Climate Zones