Transcript Climate vs. Weather - Mr. Dudley

Climate vs. Weather
• The main difference between weather and
climate is the length of time over which both are
measured.
• Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a
particular time. Weather temperatures vary
from day to day and include temperature,
humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility.
• Climate is the average weather conditions in an
area over a long period of time. Climate is
mostly determined by two factors – temperature
and precipitation.
5 Factors that determine Climates
• Latitude
• Wind patterns
• Mountains
• Large bodies of water
• Ocean Currents
Latitude
• Latitude- Lines that run east and west
around the globe and measure the
distance north or south from the equator
(measured in degrees)
• The higher the latitude is, the colder the
climate tends to be.
• Solar Energy and Latitude The amount
of direct solar energy a particular area
receives is determined by latitude.
• Areas at the equator are hot because the
sun’s rays hit it directly.
Latitude (cont’d)
• Seasons and
Latitude Seasons
happen because the
Earth is tilted on its
axis. This tilt affects
how much solar
energy an area
receives as Earth
moves around the
sun.
Prevailing Winds
• Prevailing Winds – winds that blow mainly
from one direction.
• Prevailing winds affect the amount of
precipitation that a region receives
– If prevailing winds form from warm air, they
may carry moisture.
– If prevailing winds form from cold air, they will
probably be dry.
Prevailing Winds (cont’d)
• The amount of moisture in prevailing
winds is also affected by whether the
winds blow across land or across a large
body of water.
– Winds that travel across large bodies of water
absorb moisture.
– Winds that travel across land tend to be dry.
Mountains
• Mountains can influence an area’s climate
by affecting both temperature and
precipitation.
• Example – Mt. Kilimanjaro
– 3 degrees South of Equator, but still has snow
on its mountain tops year-round.
• As elevation increases, temperature
decreases.
Large Bodies of Water
• Water vs. Land - Water absorbs and
releases heat slower than land does.
• Because of this fact, water helps to
moderate the temperatures of the land
around it.
• So, sudden or extreme temperature
changes rarely take place on land near
large bodies of water.
Ocean Currents
• Surface Currents Surface currents are
streamlike movements of water that occur
at or near the surface of the ocean.
• Surface Currents and Climate As
surface currents move, they carry warm or
cool water to different locations.
Climates of the World
• Plants and animals that have adapted to
one climate may not be able to live in
another climate. For example, frogs
would not be able to survive at the North
Pole.
• The three major climate
•
•
zones are determined by
latitude.
In each of these zones,
there are several types of
climates because of
differences in the
geography and the
amount of precipitation.
There are different
biomes in each zone. A
biome is a large region
characterized by a
specific type of climate
and certain types of plant
and animal communities.