Transcript Ch 3 Power Point

Chapter 3
Seasons
• Earth’s Tilt 23.5 deg. In relation to the
sun. Because of this and the earth’s
revolution different parts of the earth
receive the direct rays of the sun more
hours of the day at certain times of the
year.
Solstice
• Two lines of latitude-Tropic of Cancer and
the Tropic of Capricorn-mark the points
farthest north and south that the sun’s ray
shine directly overhead directly at noon.
Equinox
• Another signal of seasonal change are the
equinoxes. Twice a year the days and
nights all over the world are equal in
length. The equinoxes mark the beginning
of the spring and autumn.
Weather
• What causes the Weather?
– A complex result of several conditions.
• Water vapor This determines whether there will be
precipitation falling water droplets in the form of rain, sleet,
snow, or hail.
• Cloud cover Clouds may hold water vapor.
• Landforms and bodies of water Water heats slowly but
also loses heat slowly. Land heats rapidly but loses heat
quickly as well.
• Elevation As elevation above sea level increases, the air
becomes thinner and loses its ability to hold moisture.
• Air movement Winds move the air and the solar energy and
moisture that it holds. As a result , weather can change very
rapidly.
Hurricanes
Terminology
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Typhoons in Japan
Baguio in the Philippines
Cyclones in the Indian Ocean
Willy Willies in the South Pacific
Chubasco in Mexico
8 September 1900
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Greatest hurricane to hit Galveston
Worst natural disaster in U.S. history
Number of deaths is estimated between 6,000 and 8,000
Tides reached more than 15’ and every structure on the
island was damaged
• 3,600 buildings destroyed by the storm
• 130 to 140 miles per hour is the estimate of the winds
reached during the storm
• $20 million in estimated damage costs related to the
storm. In today's dollars, that would be more than $700
million.
8 September 1900
18 August 1915
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Hurricane hit Galveston
Wind speeds up to 120 m.p.h.
Tides ranged up to 14’ on the island
275 dead with $56 million in damage
The Schooner “Crockett” was blown over
the seawall while dragging two anchors
• The Trinity Shoals Buoy (21,000 lbs.) was
blown 10 miles inland
14 September 1919
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Hurricane hit near Corpus Christi
Wind speeds over 100 m.p.h.
16’ tides
284 dead with $20 million dollars in
damage
• At 1 P.M. the water was 5’ deep
• By 5 P.M. the water was 10’ deep in
downtown Corpus Christi
1933
• There were 21 tropical disturbances in the
Atlantic Ocean
• 7 made landfall between Corpus Christi
and Brownsville
Hurricane Audrey
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27 June 1957
Costliest and deadliest June hurricane
Made landfall at Orange, TX
Wind speeds between 85 and 100 m.p.h.
Storm surge of twelve feet
The only recorded Category 4 storm ever to
make landfall in June
• 500 dead with $8 million in damage
• Many died by climbing trees to escape rising
water and were bitten by poisonous snakes
Hurricane Audrey
Hurricane Carla
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8-14 September 1961
Made landfall at Port O’Connor
Wind gust up to 175 m.p.h.
Tides were 19’ above normal
34 dead with $300 million in damage
Largest Texas hurricane
22’ storm surge carried flood waters 10 miles
inland
• Rainfall ranged from 10 to 16 inches in some
spots
Hurricane Carla
Hurricane Beulah
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18-23 September 1967
Hit Brownsville
Wind gust over 135 m.p.h.
Spawned 155 tornadoes
15 deaths and $100 million in damage
Over 30” of rainfall in some areas
3 areas received more than 15” of rain in a 24hour period
• The most tornadoes ever recorded in a single
month
Hurricane Beulah
Hurricane Celia
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3-5 August 1970
Hit Corpus Christi
Category 3 hurricane
Winds reached 130 m.p.h. with gust over 165 m.p.h.
At Aransas Pass the wind gust reached 180 m.p.h.
One of the costliest hurricanes in Texas history
11 deaths and $454 million in damage
– would exceed the $1 billion mark by today's standards
Hurricane Celia
Hurricane Allen
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10 August 1980
Most severe storm ever recorded in the Caribbean
Category 5
Winds of 170 m.p.h.
950,000 Texans were evacuated
Stalled 45 miles offshore and lost some energy
Winds were 135 m.p.h. when it crossed land
Worst part of Hurricane Allen was situated over the King
Ranch
• Damages totaled $1 billion
Hurricane Allen
Hurricane Alicia
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15-21 August 1983
Wind speeds of 130 m.p.h.
18 deaths and $3 billion in damages
Spawned 22 tornadoes
12’ storm surge in Seabrook
Final destruction of Brownwood subdivision –
FEMA bought out the remaining homes
• Trees and limbs blown down equaled an area
the size of a football field 1200’ high
Hurricane Alicia
Tropical Storm Claudette
• July 1979
• Tropical Storm Claudette (1979) brought
45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin,
Texas, contributing to more than 600
million in damage
Hurricanes Outside Texas
Hurricane Camille
• 14-22 AUG 1969
• This powerful, deadly,
and destructive
hurricane formed just
west of the Cayman
Islands
• became a Category 5
hurricane
• Wind speeds near 200
mph
• $1.421 billion in
damage
• 256 deaths
Hurricane Agnes
• 14-23 JUN 1972
• Damage was estimated
at $3.1 billion and 117
deaths were reported
• Hurricane Agnes the
worst natural disaster
ever to hit the
Pennsylvania
• Max Winds: 75
• Category: 1
Hurricane Donna
• 29 AUG-14 SEP 1960
• Hurricane Donna was
one of the most
destructive storms to
ever hit Florida
• nearly 12 inches of
rain in Miami
• Max Winds: 140
• Category: 5
Hurricane Betsy
• 27 AUG-13 SEP 1965
• a category three hurricane
struck extreme southern
Florida from the east
• eye at one time estimated
to be 40 miles in diameter
• Up to 11.8 inches of rain
occurred
• six to eight foot storm tides
• Max Winds: 135
• Category: 5
Hurricane Hugo
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10-25 SEP 1989
Max Winds: 140
Category: 5
Hugo ranked as the
eleventh most intense
hurricane at time of landfall
to strike U.S. this century
and is rated as the second
costliest hurricane with
over $7 billion in damages
• 82 deaths
Hurricane Gilbert
• 08-20 SEP 1988
• Hurricane Gilbert had the lowest
sea level pressure (888 Mb)
ever recorded in the Western
Hemisphere
• A total 318 people died due to
the effects of this storm
• caused $40-50 million in
damages from the more than 29
tornadoes reported
• Max Winds: 160
• Category: 5
Hurricane Andrew
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16-28 AUG 1992
Max Winds: 135
Category: 4
$25 billion in
damages, makes
Andrew the most
expensive
natural disaster
in U.S. history
• Tornados Unlike hurricanes, which take
days to develop, tornadoes form quickly
and sometimes without warning.
Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale
Category
Wind Speeds
Damage
F-0
40-72
Chimney damage, tree
branches broken
F-1
73-112
Mobile homes pushed off
foundations or overturned
F-2
113-157
Considerable damage, mobile
homes demolished trees
uprooted
F-3
158-206
Roofs and walls torn down,
trains overturned, cars thrown
F-4
207-260
Well constructed walls leveled
F-5
261-318
Homes lifted off foundations and
carried large distances, autos
thrown as far as 100 yards.
Other Weather Extremes
• Blizzards A heavy snowstorm with winds of more than 35 miles per
hour and reduced visibility.
– Greatest snowstorm in a 24 hour period was 76 inches (6 feet 4 inches)
in Silver Lake Colorado in 1921.
– A snowstorm that lasted from February 13th to 19th, 1959 dumped 189
inches (almost 16 feet) on Mt. Shasta, California.
• Droughts is a long period of time without rain or with a very
minimal rainfall. In the early 1930s a drought hit the Great Plains in
the United States. Dust Storms damaged farms across a 150,000
square-mile region that became known as the Dust Bowl.
• Floods When water spreads over land not normally covered with
water. In 1993, flooding along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers
claimed 50 lives and caused about $15 billion in damage.
Factors Affecting Climates
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Wind Currents Wind and ocean currents help distribute the sun’s heat from one part
of the world to another through convection.
Ocean Currents are like rivers flowing in the ocean. Moving in large circular systems,
warm waters flow away from the equator toward the poles, and cold water flows back
toward the equator.
Zones of Latitude Geographers divide the earth into three general zones of latitude
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Low or Tropic
Middle or Temperate
High or Polar
Elevation or the distance above sea level. As altitude increases the air temperature
drops 3.5 deg. For every 1000 feet.
Topography Landforms also affect climate. This is especially true of mountain
areas. Remember that moisture-laden winds cool as they move up the side of
mountain, eventually releasing rain or snow. By the time the winds reach the other
side of the mountain, they are dry and become warmer as they flow down the
mountain.
Chapter 3 Section 2
El Nino
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Occurs off the coast of South America
The coast of South America is characterized by upwelling
Trade winds blow warm water away from the shoreline which is then replaced by rising cold
water which is rich in nutrients and schools of fish
About every 7 years the trade winds weaken and upwelling slows
When upwelling slows warmer waters accumulate offshore which results in greater fish
mortality
Fish crop is reduced by half which causes the prices of beef and poultry to rise world wide
due to the loss of cheap anchoveta which is ground up into livestock and poultry feed
As fish die and rot in harbors and bay, they produce a type of hydrogen-sulfide rich acid fog
This fog, called Callao Pintor, corrodes metal
The decline of fish causes seabirds to migrate and lowers the level of Guano deposition on
offshore islands
Lack of guano results in lower levels of fertilizers and decreased agricultural production
Causes a rise in intense storm systems in the U.S.
La Nina
• Band of cool water
• Periodically appears in the Pacific Ocean
along the equator
• Brings drought conditions to the northern
hemisphere due to the retreat of the jet
stream to the north
• Resulted in a severe drought in the
Midwest in 1988 and the Great Texas
Drought of 1996
Global Warming
• Controversy exist over the causes of
global warming, scientists agree that the
air temperatures are increasing. Since the
late 1800s, the temperature of the earth
has increased by one degree. However
estimates for the next century suggest that
will increase by 3-5 degrees.
Chapter 3 Section3
World Climate Regions
• Defining a Climate Region
– Climate regions act like a code that tells geographers
much about an area without giving many local details.
– Geographers use a variety of methods to describe
climate patterns.
• Five General Climate Regions
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Tropical
Dry
Mid-latitude
High-latitude
Highland
Types of Climates
• Tropical Wet This subregion has little variation In
temperature over the year- it is always hot, with an
average temperature of 80 deg.
• Tropical Wet and Dry This climate region has a rainy
season in the summer and a dry season in the winter.
• Semiarid The climate subregion does receive
precipitation just not very much: about 16 inches per
year.
• Desert Not just sand dunes. Deserts are categorized
according to the amount of rainfall. Deserts receive less
than 10 inches of rain per year.
Types of Climates
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Mediterranean
Marine West Coast
Humid Subtropical
Humid Continental
Types of Climates
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Subarctic
Tundra
Ice Cap
Highlands
Chapter 3 Section 4
Soils and Vegetation
• Soil Region
• Vegetation Region
World Vegetation Regions
• Forestlands
• Grasslands
• Desert and Tundra
Human Impact on the Environment