Transcript Climate and Climate Change

Section 1: Pg. 472
Climate vs. Weather
 Weather changes easily…day by day
 Climate is different.
 It is an average of the year to year temperature and
precipitation in an area.
 Climate changes result in a change of climate all over the
world.
Factors that Influence Temperature
 Latitude: Climates hear the equator are
warm….farther from the equator are cold
 Altitude: The higher elevation it has, the colder it is
 Ocean Currents: Warm currents can warm the air
above them, causing the temperature to be warm in a
certain area that would normally be cold.
Zones of Latitude
 Tropical Zones: Near equator, direct sunlight year
round, warm climate
 Polar Zones: Near the poles, never has direct sunlight,
cold climate
 Temperate Zones: Between tropical and polar. In
summer, they have direct sunlight---warm….In winter,
sun hits at an angle, so they are cold.
Climate types
 Marine Climates:
 Located near oceans
 Have little changes in temp…mild summers, cool winters
 Happens because water doesn’t change temperature
easily
 Continental Climates: Extreme Temperature changes
with very cold winters and warm to hot summers.
 Ocean currents don’t affect these climates
Factors the Influence Precipitation
 Prevailing Winds: Carry air masses that change
humidity and temperature
 Mountain Ranges: Cause air masses to rise and cool as
they travel over high landscape
 Windward: Side of the mountain that the wind hits
 Leeward: Side of the mountain opposite the wind
 Seasonal winds: Bring changes as the seasons change
Changing of the Seasons
 Caused by the tilt of the earth on it’s axis.
 As the earth rotates, the sun hits it at various angles.
 This causes the change of the seasons…
 Turn to page 479 in your book……
Classification of Climates
 2 factors
 Weather
 Temperature
 6 Regions:
 Tropical Rainy
 Dry
 Temperate Marine
 Temperate Continental
 Polar
 Highlands
Tropical Rainy
 2 types
 Tropical Wet: Low lying areas near the equator
 Most days have rain (many days out of the year)
 Rain Forest: Happen in tropical wet climates and have
rainfall year round.
 Tropical Wet and Dry: Areas near the equator that
have distinct dry and rainy seasons
 Savannas: Tropical grasslands that have scattered
clumps of trees that can survive the dry season.
Dry
 2 Types
 Arid: Less than 25 cm of rain per year with extreme
temperatures
 Deserts: Arid regions that get less than 25 cm of rain a
year. Can be hot and sandy, or cold and rocky.
 Semiarid: Found at the edges of deserts. They are dry,
but have enough rainfall to support small plant life.
 Steppe: Area that is dry, but gets enough rainfall for
short grasses and low bushes to grow.
Temperate Marine Climates
 Found near oceans
 All types have humid, mild winters
 Marine West Coast: Coolest, mild rainy winters, summer
precipitation varies (Found on west coast of US). Allows for
thick forests and tall trees.
 Mediterranean: Drier and warmer (S. Coast of California and
Mediterranean sea). Mild temperatures, winter---rainy,
summer---little rain
 Humid Subtropical: Found in the edges along the
tropical/temperate zone. Climates are wet and warn, but not
constantly hot. Found in the southern tips of the US.
Temperate Continental Climates
 Only on Continents in N. Hemisphere
 Humid Contental: Tropical and polar air masses shift,
changing temperature and precipitation constantly. In
winter, cold weather moves in from the polar, and in
summer, tropical bring heat and humidity. These
areas receive moderate rain in the summer, and small
amounts in the winter.
 Subarctic: North of the humid continental. Has
short, cool summers, and Long very cold winters.
Polar Climates
 Coldest climate region
 Ice Cap: Found on greenland and Antartica
 Avg. temps at or below freezing
 Covered with ice and snow year round
 Very dry air---due to ice
 Tundra: Short, cool summers….Long Cold winters
 Permafrost: Permanently frozen tundra soil
Highlands
 Areas of high elevation within other regions
 High elevation makes them colder than the areas
around them
 Usually has low temperatures and more precip than
areas around them.
 Will have a tree line where areas at a certain elevation
are too cold for trees to grow.