Transcript Climate
• What is the climate like in Houston? • What is the weather like in Houston? Climate Factors Cy Woods World Geography What is climate? • Climate – what is the weather generally like there? – Climate is weather over a long period of time • What is the climate of Texas? Siberia? Sahara Desert? Amazon Rainforest? Chicago, Illinois? Factors influencing climate • 4 major factors can influence climate – – – – Latitude Elevation Wind Systems and Ocean Currents Continentality Latitude • 3 zones – Low, Middle (Temperate), High – Low Latitude – Tropics • Low numbers (0° - 23.5° N & S) – Middle Latitude – Temperate • Mid numbers (23.5° S 60° S & 23.5° N - 60° N) – High Latitude – Polar • High numbers (60° S 90° S & 60° N - 90° N) • Most people live in the Temperate zones Latitude • Which latitudes get the most precipitation? Elevation • Elevation: the distance above sea level – How high is the location? – The higher in elevation you are, the colder it is. – That’s why people who climb Mt. Everest have to wear heavy coats Mt. Fuji, Japan Notice that the top of most tall mountain peaks is covered with snow, and the base is not. Elevation • Mountains can affect climate greatly – Wet clouds cool as they move up a side of a mountain, eventually getting heavy enough to begin to snow. – The clouds then become dry as the move over to the other side of the mountain, leaving that side more like a desert. The term for the dry side of the mountain is called? Rain Shadow Things that impact climate • Elevation Wind Currents • wind currents move cold and warm air around the earth • Low pressure air & high pressure air Ocean Currents • Act like rivers of water flowing through the ocean – Pushes cold or warm water around the earth • Ocean currents affect the high or low pressure that determines winds – Ocean & wind currents work together Things that impact climate • Wind and Ocean Currents North Atlantic Drift Continentality • Proximity to the ocean: – Areas closer to the ocean have more of a constant year round temperature, whether hot or cold – Areas farther away from the ocean experience more extremes in variation of temperature • It gets really hot in summer, then really cold in winter • This is called CONTINENTALITY! – Russia and Midwest US are two examples of this Things that impact climate • Continentality Earth-Sun Relationships • Weather conditions and climate are impacted by the annual changes in Earth-Sun relationships. Earth-Sun Relationships • Earth-Sun Relationships determine the seasons around the world. Seasons • The seasons are related to the Earth’s tilt and revolution. • Some locations receive more direct sun rays because of the Earth’s tilt. Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn • These are the points farthest north and south of the equator that the Sun’s rays shine directly overhead at noon. Seasons Impact of Earth-Sun Relationships • If hurricanes form over warm water, when would you expect to see hurricanes impacting the U.S.? Seasons • When does Summer start for the Southern Hemisphere? Assignment • Pick 3 cities around the world. None from the U.S. and explain as much about their climate as possible using only the maps in your Atlas. • Write down, based on the factors discussed what the climate of these cities might be like.