TEMPERATURE ZONES

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TEMPERATURE ZONES

• What factors contribute to a regions climate?

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Zones of Latitude

• A regions latitude (distance from the equator)
  can impact its climate.
• Sketch the diagram below.

Polar
Temperate
Tropical
Tropical
Temperate
Polar
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Zones of Latitude

• Tropical Zones Warm weather year round. Area
  between the Tropic of Cancer (23 ½ º N) and the
  Tropic of Capricorn (23 ½ º S).
• Temperate Zones Warm summers and cold winters
  (four seasons). Areas between Tropic of Cancer
  (23 ½ º N) and Arctic Circle (66 ½ º N) and
  Tropic of Capricorn (23 ½ º S) and the Antarctic
  Circle (66 ½ º S).
• Polar Zones Cold year round. Areas north of the
  Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle.
  

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1. High Latitude ______________ zone, _____ N
   _____ S, where is it?
2. Middle Latitude _______________ zone, _____ N
   _____ S, where is it?
3. Low Latitude _________________ zone, _____ N
   _____ S, where is it?

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POLAR
60N
60N
TEMPERATE
30N
30N
TROPICAL
30S
30S
TEMPERATE
60S
60S
POLAR
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1. Which cities will have a temperate climate?
3. Which cities are in the polar zone?
2. Which cities are warm year-round? What is this
zone of latitude called?
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YOUR TURN!
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Topography - Elevation

• Elevation is the height above sea level
• The higher the elevation of a region the cooler
  the temperature becomes.

Cooler Temperatures
Warmer Temperatures
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Topography Rain Shadows

• Mountains can create orographic rainfall.
• The windward side of the mountain is rainy while
  the leeward side is very dry.
• Rain Shadows are desert regions created on the
  leeward side of the mountain

Which side is the leeward side, the right or the
left?
Windward
Which side is the windward side, the right or the
left?
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Asia Precipitation Map

1. Which gets more more rain point A or point B.
2. What causes the difference in rainfall amounts
   between point A and point B?

B
A
Hint Rain comes from here
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Asia Precipitation Map

1. Which gets more more rain point A or point B.
2. What causes the difference in rainfall amounts
   between point A and point B?

B
A
Hint Rain comes from here
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If you said Point A gets more rain because the
Himalayas act as a rain shadow you are correct.
Desert arid region with very little rainfall
Humid Subtropical warm temperatures, lots of
rainfall
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Wind Currents

• Wind currents help distribute the suns heat from
  one part of the world to another.
• Warmer air has lower pressure than cooler air.
  The cooler air rushes into the low pressure areas
  causing wind.
• Warm air currents make areas warmer than normal.
  Cold air currents make areas cooler than normal

High Pressure Air
Low Pressure Air
Wind blows from areas of High Pressure to Low
Pressure
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Jet stream wind currents on land that impact
weather and climate. 1. How does the jet stream
affect the climate of the NE?
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Ocean Currents

• Ocean current move in large circular systems
• Ocean currents affect temperature and
  precipitation of an area.
• Warm ocean currents make surrounding areas warmer
  and rainy.
• Cool ocean currents make surrounding areas cooler
  and drier

Warmer and Rainy
Warm Ocean Current
Cooler and Drier
Cool Ocean Current
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Ocean Currents
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Global Warming

• Global Warming is the build up of carbon dioxide
  (greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere trapping
  heat and causing increase temperature and
  shifting weather patterns.
• Global Warming is being caused by both the human
  release of greenhouse gases from the burning of
  fossil fuels (oil, coal) and a natural warming
  cycle the Earth is going through
• As the global temperature begins to rise many
  changes will occur to climates around the world
• Complete the global warming simulation on the
  class webpage.
• What are the effects of global warming?

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El Niño

• The natural warming of waters off the west coast
  of South America about every 2 7 years due to a
  reversal of wind direction.
• El Nino causes floods and mudslides in the
  Americas.
• El Nino causes droughts in Australia and Asia.

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Major Climate Regions

• Tropical Wet Always hot and rain falls almost
  daily (Amazon Rainforest)
• Desert Receives less than 10 inches of rain per
  year (Phoenix, AZ)
• Semiarid Receives between 10 and 16 inches of
  rain per year (West Texas)
• Mediterranean Dry and hot summers, cool and
  rainy winters (Los Angeles, CA)
• Humid Subtropical Hot and humid summers, mild
  to cool winters (Houston, Tx)
• Marine West Coast Located close to warm ocean
  currents. Moderate temperatures and constant
  rainfall (Seattle, WA).
• Humid Continental Hot summers and Cold
  winters. Located in the interior, far away from
  oceans. Have four distinct seasons (St. Louis,
  MO).
• Tundra Always cold. Flat, treeless lands
  around the Arctic Ocean. Very little rain. Land
  has permafrost. (Greenland)