Transcript The Effect of Land and Water, Altitude

Chapter 1 - Lesson 3
The Effect of Land and Water, Altitude
Chapter 1
Earth’s Climates and Vegetation
The Effect of Land and Water pg 35
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Another important effect on climate is the heating and cooling differences
between land and water
Land heats quicker than bodies of water
It also cools quicker than bodies of water
Water takes longer to warm up but stays warm longer
Land in the middle of a continent is likely to be colder than land at the
coast.
The Effect of Land and Water pg 36
• Ocean currents also affect the temperature of some land areas
• The North Atlantic Drift – this current brings warm temperatures to
Western Europe as it flows across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf
of Mexico
• Without the North Atlantic Drift, Western Europe would have a
much colder climate
The Effect of Land and Water pg 36
Sea Breeze - a daytime cool breeze blowing toward the land from the sea
that pushes the warmer air up and warms the land
The Effect of Land and Water pg 36
Land Breeze – cool night air from the land, blows toward the sea and
warms due to the land cooling quicker than the water
• How do land and water affect climate?
(pg.36)
The Effect of Altitude pg 36
• Altitude effects the climate because the higher the elevation the
colder it gets
Altitude – the elevation of landforms above sea level
Rain Shadow – the dry area on the side of a mountain or
mountain range
• How does altitude affect climate?
(pg.36)
Climate and Vegetation pg 37
• Six major climate regions: tropical, desert, temperate warm,
temperate cold, polar, and highland
• Each region has its own climate patterns and its own type of plant
life
Vegetation – plant life
Rainforest - a tropical forest, usually of tall, densely growing,
trees in an area of high annual rainfall
Climate and Vegetation pg 37
• Tropical Climates: Along or near the equator, as far north as the
Tropic of Cancer and as far south as the Tropic of Capricorn
• Warm all year long, with a lot of precipitation and rainforests
• The largest rainforests are in South America – Amazon and
Africa – near the Congo River
• The average yearly temperature is 80 degrees and 100 inches of
rain falls on average each year
Climate and Vegetation pg 38
• Desert Climates are found in areas where there is little
precipitation for the whole year
Arid – dry
• Desert climates are arid, and receive less than 10 inches of rain per
year
• Deserts can be hot or cold but they must be dry to be a desert
• Example of a cold desert is the Gobi Desert, A hot desert; the
Mojave Desert
Climate and Vegetation pg 38
• Temperate Climates are generally found in the temperate zones
• Temperate Cold climates are usually inland, big changes of
temperature from winter to summer
• Temperate Warm climates are found along coastal areas near
oceans and seas
• Two kinds of Temperate Warm climates: Marine – warm and
damp/wet climates, Mediterranean – warm and dry climates
Climate and Vegetation pg 38
• Polar Climate – North and South of the temperate zones are
regions with a polar climate
• This name comes from them being so close to the North and South
Poles
• A polar climate has no summers and is freezing cold
• Highland Climate – this climate is found where there are a lot of
mountains and relies on the altitude of the mountains and the rain
shadow
Terms to Know
• Arid
• Altitude
• Vegetation
• Rain shadow
• Sea breeze
Rainforests
temperate
climate
tropic
Land breeze
• What is the relationship between
climate and vegetation? (pg. 38)