Transcript Climate and Climate Changes

Climate and Climate Changes
Chapter 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3
Defining Climate

Climatology: the study of Earth’s climate and the
factors that affect past, present and future climatic
changes.

Climate describes the long-term weather patterns of
an area.
Climates Describe
Variations in…
1.
Temperature
2.
Precipitation
3.
Wind
4.
Other variables
Normals

Normals are standard data values for a location.

Data is used from at least 30 years and include…
1.
Daily high and low temperatures
2.
Amount of rainfall
3.
Wind speed and direction
4.
Humidity
5.
Air pressure
Causes of Climate

1. Latitude: determines the
amount of solar radiation an
area receives.

Latitude alone separates the
Earth into three different
Climate zones.
Causes of Climate
1.
Tropics: 23.5 degrees N – 23.5 degrees S.
This climate zone receives the most direct sunlight.
Temperatures are generally warm year round.
Causes of Climate

Temperate zone: 23.5 degrees – 66.5 degrees North
and South.

Moderate temperatures, four seasons.
Causes of Climate
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Polar zones: 66.5 – 90 degrees North and South.

Receives light at low angles. Very indirect sunlight
causing temperatures to be cold.
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Regions experience long periods of light and dark.
Causes of Climate
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2. Large bodies of
Water.

Water heats and cools
slower than air.

Large bodies of water
act like a buffer for
coastal regions.
Causes of Climate
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3. Altitude
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High Altitude can decrease an areas temperature.
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These regions are called highlands.
Causes of Climate
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4. Mountain Barriers : Warm
moist air condenses when air is
lifted up over a mountain
causing precipitation. Resulting
in the formation of a desert on
the opposite side of the
mountain.
Natural Climate Changes
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Ice ages are times in Earth’s history when

Average global temperature decreased.
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Extensive glaciers covered Earth’s surface.
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Ice ages alternate between periods of warm and cold.
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The last ice age ended 10,000 ya
Natural Climate Changes
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Seasons: are short-term periods
of climatic change caused by
regular variations in daylight,
temperature, and weather
patterns.
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Seasons are caused by the tilt of
the Earth’s axis.

The hemisphere that is tilted
towards the sun is experiencing
summer, away winter.
Natural Climate Changes

El Nino : a warm ocean current that occasionally
develops off the western coast of South America.

El Nino Video
Natural Climate Changes
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Volcanic Activity

Volcanic dust can remain suspended in the
atmosphere for several years, reflecting incoming
solar radiation and lower global temperatures.
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The eruption at Mount Pinatubo
in 1991 lowered the global
temperature for a year!
Unnatural Climate
Changes
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Greenhouse effect: the natural heating of Earth’s surface caused by
certain atmospheric gasses called greenhouse gasses.

Life on Earth would not be possible on Earth with out the greenhouse
effect!!!! We would all freeze!

Greenhouse effect acts like a blanket around Earth preventing all heat
from escaping back into space.
Unnatural Climate
Changes

Global Warming: an unhealthy amount of
greenhouse gasses causing the average global
temperature to increase.

Basically causing the blanket to become to thick,
trapping too much heat.
Unnatural Climate
Changes

Causes of global warming
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1. Burning fossil fuels

Major green house gasses CO2,
Methane, and Nitrous oxide.

2. Deforestation