Transcript Weather and Climate Powerpoint Ch4

Climate and
Climate Change
What Causes Climate? Vocabulary
 Climate – The average, year-after-year conditions of
temperature, precipitation, winds, and clouds in an area.
 Tropical Zone – The area near the equator,
between about 23.5° north latitude and 23.5°
south latitude.
 Polar Zone – The areas near both poles, from about 66.5° to
90° north and 66.5° to 90° south latitudes.
 Temperate Zone – The area between the tropical and polar
zones, from about 23.5° to 66.5° north and 23.5° to 66.5°
south latitudes.
What Causes Climate? Vocabulary
 Marine Climate – The climate of some coastal regions,
with relatively warm winters and cool summers.
 Continental Climate – The climate of the centers of
continents, with cold winters and warm or hot
summers.
 Windward – The side of the mountain that faces the
oncoming wind.
 Leeward – The downwind side of mountains.
 Microclimate – The climate characteristics of a small,
specific area; it may be different from the climate of the
surrounding area.
What Causes Climate? –
Main Ideas
 The climate of a region is determined by its
temperature and precipitation.
 The main factors that influence temperature
are latitude, altitude, distance from large
bodies of water, and ocean currents.
 The main factors that affect precipitation are
prevailing winds and the presence of
mountains.
 The different seasons are a result of the tilt of
Earth’s axis as Earth travels around the sun.
What Causes Climate? –
Review Questions
 Name the four main factors that influence
the temperature of an area.
 How do prevailing winds affect the
amount of precipitation an area receives?
 On which side of mountains – leeward or
windward – does precipitation fall?
 How does the tilt of Earth’s axis cause
the seasons?
Climate Regions Vocabulary
 Rain forest – A forest in the tropical wet climate
zone that gets plenty of rain all year.
 Savanna – A tropical grassland with scattered
clumps of trees; found in the tropical wet-anddry climate zones.
 Desert – A region that gets less than 25
centimeters of rain a year.
 Steppe – A prairie or grassland found in the
semiarid climate region.
 Humid subtropical – a wet and warm climate
area on the edge of the tropics.
Climate Regions Vocabulary
 Subarctic – A climate zone that lies north of the
humid continental climate zone, with short, cool
summers and long bitterly cold winters.
 Tundra – A polar climate region, found across
northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia, with
short, cool summers and bitterly cold winters.
 Permafrost – Permanently frozen soil found in
the tundra climate region.
Climate Regions – Main
Ideas
 Climates are classified according to
temperature and precipitation.
 There are five main climate regions:
tropical rainy, dry, temperate marine,
temperate continental, and polar.
Highlands are often considered to be a
sixth climate region.
Climate Regions – Review
Questions
 What two factors are used to classify
climates?
 Briefly describe each of the five main
climate types.
 Give three examples of how the climate
of a region affects what plants and
animals can live there.
Long-Term Changes in the
Climate - Vocabulary
 Ice Age- Cold time periods in Earth’s
history, during which glaciers covered
large parts of the surface.
 Sunspot – Dark, cooler regions on the
surface of the sun.
Long-Term Changes in the
Climate – Main Ideas
 During each ice age, huge sheets of ice
covered much of Earth’s surface.
 Possible explanations for major climate
changes include movement of continents,
variations in the position of Earth relative
to the sun, and changes in the sun’s
energy output.
Long-Term Changes in the
Climate – Review Questions
 What types of evidence do scientists use
to study changes in climate?
 How was the climate during an ice age
different from the climate today?
 List three factors that could be
responsible for changing Earth’s
climates.
Global Changes in the
Atmosphere – Vocabulary
 Greenhouse gas – Gases in the
atmosphere that trap heat.
 Global warming – A gradual increase in
the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere.
 Chlorofluorocarbons – Chlorine
compounds formerly used in air
conditioners, refrigerators, and spray
cans; also called CFC’s.
Global Changes in the
Atmosphere – Main Ideas
 Human activities that add greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere may be
warming Earth’s atmosphere.
 Chemicals produced by humans have
been damaging the ozone layer.
Global Changes in the
Atmosphere – Review
Questions
 What human actions increase the
amount of carbon dioxide in Earth’s
atmosphere?
 How could increases in carbon dioxide in
the air affect world temperatures?
 What chemicals are the major cause of
ozone depletion in the stratosphere?