Transcript LACEMOPS Power Point

Climate Factors
&
World Climate Regions
LACEMOPS
TEKS 3A,B,C and 4A,B,C
Latitude
Latitude
a) Low Latitudes –> 30° south to 30°
north
(1) Warm to Hot all year long
b) Middle Latitudes –> 30 ° to 60 °
in both N. & S. hemisphere
(1) Hot and Cold with seasons
c) High Latitudes –> 60 ° to 90 ° in
both N. & S. hemisphere
(1) Chilly to Cold all year
Air Currents
Global Wind Patterns
 Same kind of circulation just on a larger
scale
– Hot air flows toward the poles, cold air
moves toward the equator
– Because the earth rotates, winds turn
at an angle
 In the North – turn to the right
 In the South – turn to the left
–Coriolis Effect – bending of the
wind
Global Wind Currents
Convection Currents
Continentality – a region’s distance
from the moderating influence of
the sea
a) Air crossing over continents
loses its warmth the farther
inland it goes
(1) Larger land masses =greater
changes in temperature
(2) Land gets hot or cold depending
on air temp., while water
remains the same
Elevation
 Elevation -the distance above sea level
– also affects climate
– Air temps drop about 3.5 degrees per 1,000
ft.
– (pics of mt. everest, death valley, etc.) maybe
Mountain Barriers
 The lay of the land affects climate
 as winds blow up the side of a mountain
they cool and drop rain, snow, etc.
(windward side)
 as they come down the other side they
are drier and warm as they come down
(leeward side)
Deccan Plateau
What climate inferences can be made regarding this picture ?
Ocean Currents
 Like rivers flowing in the ocean
– Warm waters flow away from the equator
– Cold waters flow back toward the equator
 Currents affect temperature of a region
–Warmth of Gulf Stream and North
Atlantic Drift help keep Europe’s
temperature moderate
–Atacama Desert in South America
and Namib Desert in Africa formed
partially by cold ocean currents
Pressure and Prevailing
Winds?
 High Pressure –
heavy, cold air
 Low Pressure –
warm, light air
– Heat rises
– Prevailing winds
Storms
 Storms are created by Prevailing winds
 Where polar winds meet Westerlies there
are storms
– When hot air masses and cold air masses
collide – there are storms
 Cyclonic storms (hurricanes, typhoons)
– Spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hem.
– Spin clockwise in the Southern Hem.
El Nino/La Nina
 La Niña is characterized by unusually cold ocean
temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific,
– when winds blow warmer water onto the western Pacific rim
– Causes more rain in India and dryness along the coast of Americas
 El Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean
temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific
– Occurs every 2-7 yrs
– Prevailing winds that blow over central Pacific Ocean slow or
reverse direction – changes ocean temps, affecting weather
worldwide
El Nino
La Nina
Global Warming
 Global temperature is rising
 Natural? Or Man-made?
 Greenhouse effect – burning of fossil fuels
traps solar energy, increasing temperatures
World Climate Regions
Factors in Climate
Key factors in climate differences –
 Rain amount
 Location
 Topography
 Elevation
 Temperature
Tropical Wet
 Always hot
 Avg. temp of 80 degrees
 Days begin sunny but becomes rainy in
the afternoon
 Rains almost daily
 Avg. more than 80 inches of rain
 Location
– Central & South America, Africa &
Southwest Asia
Tropical Wet & Dry




Rainy season in summer – temp warmer
Dry season in winter – temp cooler
Rainfall is less than Tropical Wet
Location
– Africa, South & Central America, parts of Asia
Semiarid
 Does get rain but not much: about 16 in. per
year
 Summers are hot
 Winters are mild to cold
 Some areas can produce snow
 Location –
– In the interior of continents or around desert
zones
– Contains some of the most productive
agricultural lands in the world
Desert
 Can be hot/cool/cold depending on the
amount of rainfall
 Less than 10 in. of rain per year
 Hot Deserts
– Sahara & Arabian Desert – have low humidity,
high temps during day, temps drop at night
– Cool/Cold deserts – found in mid-latitudes near
mountain ranges – temps range from pretty hot
to below freezing
Mediterranean
 Named for its location around the
Mediterranean Sea
 Summers – dry & hot
 Winters – cold & rainy
 Supports dense population & rich
agricultural activity
 Also is located along the west coast of
U.S. and parts of Australia
Marine West Coast
 Mostly cloudy, foggy, & damp
 Winds over the ocean moderate temps &
keep temps constant
 Rain is evenly distributed throughout the
year
 Industrial regions experience smog (smoke
& fog)
 Location –
– Close to the ocean along parts of west coast
of U.S. & Canada
– Western Europe also
Humid Subtropical
 Long summer heat & humidity
 Areas are on the east coasts of continents
 Subject to hurricanes in late summer &
autumn
 Winters – mild & cool
 Very suitable for raising crops, esp. rice
 Location –
– Southeastern U.S. and large parts of
China
Humid Continental
 Large variety of temps & rainfall
 Found in mid-latitude interior of
continents
 Arctic air collides with tropical air to
create a vast change in temps.
 Length of seasons depends on
latitude
Subarctic
 Covered by evergreen forests (taiga) esp.
– Canada & Russia
 Huge temp range between summer &
winter
 Summers – short, cool
 Winters – very cold
 Temps at freezing or below for the last 5
to 8 months of the year
Tundra
 Flat, treeless lands that form a ring
around the Arctic Circle
 Almost completely in the Northern
Hemisphere
 Very little rain, less than 15in.
 Permafrost – subsoil is frozen
constantly
 Summer – temps may reach 40
degrees – but only lasts for a few
weeks
Highlands
 Climate varies with latitude, elevation,
topography, and continent location
 Other factors are whether a slope is
facing north or south & the kinds of
winds that are carrying moisture
 Many are amongst mountain ranges
Ice Cap
 Snow, ice, permanently freezing temps
 So cold it rarely snows!
 “polar deserts” – less than 10 in. of rain
a yr.
 Coldest temp recorded –
–128.6 below zero, Vostok, Antarctica
Soil Regions
 Soil – a thin layer of weathered rock,
humus, air, & water
 Humus – organic material
 World’s food supply depends greatly on
the topsoil (top 6 in. of soil)
 Depth, texture, & humus content
determine what type of vegetation can be
grown in a region
Vegetation Regions
 Soil, temp., & moisture influence the kind
of vegetation that will grow in a region
 Ecosystem – community of plants &
animals
 Biome – the ecosystem of a region
– Forest
– Grassland
– Desert
– Tundra
Forestlands





2 Types
Deciduous Trees – broadleaf
Ex: rainforest, some may stay green all year
Most shed their leaves at least once a year
Located – almost completely in Northern
Hem.
 Coniferous Trees – needleleaf, cone bearing
 Located – northern parts of N.A., Asia, &
Europe
Mostly flat regions dotted with a few trees
- Different names from different regions
a. Savanna – tropical grassland region
b. Steppe or Prairie – northern hemisphere
c. Pampas – southern hemisphere
A. Can only support plants that can:
(cacti, sagebrush, shrubs )
- Conserve water
- Withstand heat
B. Only supports plants that hug the
ground
- Mosses
- Lichen