Factors Affecting Climate in Canada
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Transcript Factors Affecting Climate in Canada
Factors Affecting Climate in
Canada
Geography Now!
Grade 9 Applied Geography
How many factors affect climate?
The answer is 6!
L is for latitude
O is for ocean currents
W is for winds and air masses
E is for elevation
R is for relief
Near Water
1.
Latitude
The closer you are to the equator, the hotter
it is.
The closer you are to the poles, the cooler it
is.
This is because the earth’s rounded surface
causes the sun’s energy to be spread out
over large areas.
2.
Ocean Currents
Ocean water travels in paths called currents
Some currents are warm and some are cold
Warm ocean currents raise the temperature
of the nearby shoreline
Cold ocean currents lower the temperature
of the nearby shoreline
3.
Winds and air masses
An air mass is a large volume of air.
Air masses move over an area of land and
bring weather conditions with them.
Cold air masses bring cold temperatures
Warm air masses bring warm temperatures
Ocean (maritime) air masses bring wet
weather
Land (continental) air masses bring dry
weather
In Canada, winds tend to move from west to
east. These winds are known as
“westerlies”.
5.
Elevation
Mountains influence climate because the
higher up you go, the colder the climate is.
In dry air, the temperature decreases at a
rate of 1°C for every 100m of altitude.
In moist air the temperature decreases at a
rate of 0.6°C for every 100 m of altitude.
6.
Relief
Mountains force moist ocean air masses to rise.
As air rises, it cools
Moist air condense (becomes liquid) as it rises up
the mountainside.
This causes relief precipitation
The leeward side (the side away from the wind
receives little rain
The windward side (facing wind) receives a lot of
rain.
7.
Near Water
Bodies of water are a source of moisture
Winds carry the moisture over land. This
makes the climate their moister.
The colder deep water and warmer surface
water mix to make the land climate cooler in
the summer and warmer in the winter.
This means that large lakes or oceans make
the land more moderate.
Climate Change: Human Impacts
Humans can influence climate change
because our cars and factories emit gases.
They get trapped in the atmosphere and
warm the planet.
A warmer globe can lead to an increase in
severe weather like… hurricanes,
tornadoes, flooding and droughts.