Transcript climate terms and concepts

Climate Factors
I love learning
about climate
factors
Me too!
Ms.
Mac’s
class is
the
best!
Weather vs. Climate
Weather and Climate are not the same
 Weather
- The conditions of the
atmosphere at a particular place and
time.
 Climate
- Average conditions of a
certain place over a long period of
time
World Climate Patterns
Geographers divide the world into major climate regions.
The major climate regions are tropical, dry, midlatitude, high
latitude and highland climates. Each of these can be broken
down into smaller categories.
Each climate region
has its own
characteristic
natural vegetation.
Climate patterns
change over time
as a result of both
natural processes
and human activity.
6 Climate Factors
I.
Latitude
II.
Altitude
III.
Land - Water
Relationship
IV.
Mountain
Barriers
V.
Ocean Currents
VI.
Prevailing Winds
Latitude
I.
Latitude - Distance north or south
of
the equator
A. Low - Warm to hot
B. Middle - Seasonal
C. High - Polar (cool to cold)
Factors Affecting Climate
A. Low Latitudes
(30° S. to 30° N)
B. High Latitudes
(60-90° N, 60-90° S.)
C. Arctic Circle
(66° N)
D. Antarctic Circle
(66° S)
E. Mid Latitudes
(30-60°, N & S)
Factors Affecting Climate
Latitude plays a major role in climate. The
farther one gets from the Equator, the
cooler the climate.
High elevations are generally cooler than
the surrounding landscape. (The “rule of
thumb” is 3.5 degrees for every 1,000
feet.)
Other factors that help determine climate
are wind and water currents, recurring
phenomena such as El Nino, and large
landforms.
Altitude/ Elevation
II. Altitude - Height above sea level
A. In mountain areas, there are major
climatic differences from the bottom to
the top.
B. As air rises, it loses the ability to hold
heat. It gets 1F colder for every 300400 ft. you go up.
Latitude, Elevation (altitude) ,
and Climate
 Latitude
and elevation affect the
angle of the sun’s rays and
temperatures on Earth
 Low latitudes include the Tropic of
Capricorn, the Equator, and the
Tropic of Cancer.
 The Earth’s polar areas are
considered the high latitudes.
Latitude, Elevation, and Climate
(cont.)
 Mid
latitudes:
 Between
30 degrees N and 60
degrees N in the Northern
Hemisphere, and between 30
degrees S and 60 degrees S in the
Southern Hemisphere, are
considered the mid latitudes.
 The most variable weather is found
here.
Altitude/ Elevation:
 At
all latitudes, elevation influences
climate because of the relationship
between the elevation of a place and
its temperature.
 As elevation increases, temperature
decreases
The Influence of Elevation on Temperature
Mountain Barriers
IV. Mountain Barriers - Cause
different climates on opposite sides
of mountain.
A. Moisture carrying winds must rise to
get over mountains.
B. Air cools as it rises, losing ability to
hold water causing rain on the
windward side
C. This leaves no moisture for the
leeward side creating a desert.
Mountain Barriers
WINDWARD SIDE
Less
rain
Rain
WIND
NO
RAI
N
LEEWARD SIDE
Less
Rain
Cascade Mts
5,000 ft.
Dry
Spokane, WA
Ocean
Seattle, WA
(80 in. Rain per Year)
12 in. Rain per Year
Winds and Ocean Currents
–
–
Global winds blow in fairly constant
patterns called prevailing winds.
The Coriolis effect causes prevailing
winds to blow diagonally rather than
along strict north-south or east-west
directions.
Winds and Ocean Currents
Wind and water combine with the
effects of the sun to influence
Earth’s weather and climate.
 Wind
–
Patterns:
Wind blows because of temperature
differences on Earth’s surface, with
tropical air moving toward the Poles
and polar air moving toward the
Equator.
Warm Currents
LAND
Causes
Warm
And
Moist
Climate
(Rain
Forest)
OCEAN
Cold Currents
LAND
Causes
Cool
And
Dry
Climate
(Desert)
OCEAN
Prevailing Winds
VI. Prevailing Winds - Winds that
blow most often in different parts of
the Earth.
A. Wind blows because:
1.
2.
3.
Air over warm land rises
Cooler air moves in from surrounding
areas to replace rising air
The cool air is heated and process repeats
Prevailing Winds
Low Pressure
L
High Pressure
H
Cool Air Descends
Warm Air Rises
Warm Land Mass
Cool Land Mass or Water
Ocean currents are caused by
factors such as:
 the
Earth’s rotation
 changes in air pressure
 differences in water temperature
 The Coriolis effect is observed in
ocean currents as well.
 Ocean currents affect climate in the
coastal lands along which they flow.
Winds and Ocean Currents
 The
Horse Latitudes:
 When
sailors became stranded in the
doldrums, they would lighten the
load of the ships, including livestock,
so that a light breeze could move
them.
 These areas then became known as
the horse latitudes.
Weather and Water Cycle
–
Wind and water work together to
affect weather—driven by
temperature, condensation creates
precipitation
 El
Niño is a periodic change in the
pattern of ocean currents, water
temperatures and weather in the
mid-Pacific region. It can influence
climates around the world.
El Niño
A
periodic reversal of the pattern of
ocean currents and water
Question
A
periodic change in the pattern
of ocean currents, water
temperatures, and weather in
the mid-Pacific region is known
as which term?
 A. Doldrums
 B. Current
 C. Prevailing Winds
 D. El Niño
Question
 Which
climate would you prefer
to live in?
 A. Tropical climate
 B. Dry climate
 C. Midlatitude climate
Regions
Geographers divide the Earth into
regions that have similar
climates.
 Each
of these divisions has its own
characteristic soils and natural
vegetation.
Climate Regions
 Climates
regions:
–
are organized into five
Tropical climates—these are found in
or near the low latitudes—the
Tropics.
 Tropical
wet
 Tropical dry
More about Climates
–
–
Dry climates—there are two types of
dry climates—the desert and the
steppe—which occur in low latitudes
or midlatitudes.
Midlatitude climates—this climate
experiences variable weather
patterns and season changes that
give rise to a variety of natural
vegetation.
Temperate climate regions
 There
are four temperate climate
regions
 Marine west coast climate
 Mediterranean
 Humid subtropical
 Humid continental
High Latitude Climate Regions
 High
latitude climates—freezing
temperatures are common
throughout the year because of the
lack of direct sunlight.
 Three
are:
high altitude climate regions
 Subarctic
 Tundra
 Ice
cap
Rain Shadow
 Warm
air crosses the ocean and the
land picks up water vapor
1
Rain Shadow

As the warm air filled with water vapor reaches
Utah’s Mountains, climbs to go over mountain.
air rises, it cools and cannot hold as much water
vapor. Vapor condenses and falls as rain or snow
on mountains.
2
Rain Shadow

When air reaches the far side of the
mountain it has already lost much of its
water vapor. The dry side of the
mountain is called the rain shadow.
3
More terms!!!!
 Lets
see how many you know!!!!!!
Prevailing Wind
Wind in a region that blows in a
fairly constant directional pattern
Coriolis Effect
 The
resulting diagonal movement,
either north or south, of prevailing
winds caused by the Earth’s rotation
Doldrums
A
frequently windless area near the
Equator
Current
 Cold
or warm stream of seawater
that flows in the oceans, generally in
a circular pattern
Windward
 Being
in or facing the direction from
which the wind is blowing
Windward

being in or facing the direction from
which the wind is blowing
Leeward
 Being
in or facing the direction
toward which the wind is blowing
Rain Shadow Effect
 Result
of a process by which dry
areas develop on the leeward sides
of mountain ranges
Natural Vegetation
 Plant
life that grows in a certain area
if people have not changed the
natural environment
Oasis
 Small
area in a desert where water
and vegetation are found
Coniferous
 Referring
to vegetation having cones
and needle-shaped leaves, including
many evergreens, that keep their
foliage throughout the winter
Deciduous
 Falling
off or shed seasonally or
periodically; trees such as oak and
maple which lose their leaves in
autumn
Mixed Forest
 Forest
with both coniferous and
deciduous trees
Prairie

An inland grassland area
Permafrost
 Permanently
frozen layer of soil
beneath the surface of the ground
Hypothesis
A
scientific explanation for an event
Smog
 Haze
caused by the interaction of
ultraviolet solar radiation with
chemical fumes from automobile
exhausts and other pollution sources
Factors of Climate
 Latitude
 Elevation
 Continentally
 Landforms
 Winds
and currents (inc. El Nino)