Transcript Climate - Mona Shores Blogs

Climate
Long term weather patterns
www.blueplanetbiomes.org
Factors Affecting Climate
Altitude
www.cappadocia.travel
Latitude
www.mrdowling.com
Currents
go-passport.grolier.com
Altitude
How far above sea level
you are
The farther up, the cooler
the climate is.
With climate change,
people are moving farther
up mountains to avoid
mosquitoes.How does
this impact other
organisms?
news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/science/nature/5348692.stm
Latitude
How far north or
south of the
equator you are.
Equator receives
direct sun rays.
The farther from
the equator the
greater the angle
of incidence of
light, thus the
cooler the climate
schools-wikipedia.org/wp/e/Effect_of_sun_angl...
Currents
Wind Currents
Ocean Currents
Wind Currents
Air moving
across the warm
waters of the
North Atlantic
moderate the
Climate of
Northern
America and
Western Europe
Wind Currents
The Jet Stream
moves south of us
during the winter,
pulling cold Artic air
from the NW into
Michigan.
Fast moving systems
from the Canadian
Rockies are called
Clippers.
www.jeffsweather.com
www.accuweather.com
Wind Currents
During the summer,
the Jet Stream
moves to the north
of Michigan.
Air from the Gulf of
Mexico travels from
the SW to bring
moisture and
warmth to Michigan
www.fas.org/.../docs/rst/Sect14/Sect14_1c.html
Wind Currents
Test Yourself.
Do you know location and effects of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_wind
Trade Winds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nor'easter
Nor'easter
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/nino/global.html
Doldrums
www.answers.com
Ocean Currents
The North Atlantic Current
is the “Conveyer Belt” that
moderates our climate
Warm less dense water
from the Equator travels on
the surface to the north
Winds moving across the
N. Atlantic pick up the heat
and transfer it to
W.
Europe and N. America
thedifferencemagazine.blogspot.com/2007/08/no...
Ocean Currents
Glacial melt at the
poles creates cold
dense water that
sinks and travels to
the equator. This
drives the warm less
dense water to the
surface and pushes
it northward
nsidc.org/.../factors/land_sea_distribution.html
Ocean Currents
What is the future of
the N. Atlantic
Current if there is no
glacial melt?
What becomes of
the Climate in the
Northern
Hemisphere?
Earths Climatic History
1.6 mya
Earth’s Climate
is like a
pendulum. It
naturally swings
between
extreme heat
and cold over
long periods of
time.
Eocene
65 mya
100 mya
200 mya
300 mya
Earths Climatic History
img62.imageshack.us
Evidences of Climate Change
Ice Cores
Indicate varying levels
of CO2 in the
atmosphere.
Sediment Cores
During periods of
elevated CO2 in the
atmosphere
sediment cores
indicate a warm
climate
www.nsf.gov
Effects of Climate Change on
Temperature and Precipitation
www.adaptation.rncan.gc.ca
Effects of Climate Change on
Biodiversity
Genetic
Adaptations
require long
periods of time
to evolve.
Rapid climatic
changes cause
significant
changes in food
webs and mass
extinctions
Cataclysmic Events
causing
Climate Change
Supervolcano
Eruptions
“Snowball Earth”
effect causing mass
extinctions ~95-99%
Asteroid strikes
caused a ~80%
extinction.
www.solcomhouse.com/ye
llowstone.htm
http://atropos.as.arizona.
edu/aiz/teaching/a204/im
ages/snowball_earth.gif
www.theresilientearth.co
m/?q=content/meteor-s...
Effects of Global Warming
www.pm.gov.au
www.treehugger.com/2008/02/24-week/
www.greendiary.com
flatplanet.wikispaces.com
www.aboundlessworld.com
www.cosmosmagazine.com
Effects of Global Warming
eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_observ/9_10_95/p07.html
Climate change can involve abrupt
flips. The most likely cause is a
disruption in the N. Atlantic current.
These have been natural occurring
events over Earth’s history.
Greenhouse Earth Effect
CO2 is rising faster
than at any period
in recent history.
Will man cause the
next climate
change before its
time?
If so what is the
effect on Michigan?
www.webwombat.com.au