Climate

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Climate

• Mr. Norris

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Day 1

• Objective
• I can describe climate and the factors affecting
  it

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What is Climate?

• Yearlong average of weather patterns over an area

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Factors that Affect Climate

• Latitude
• Elevation
• Topography
• Water Bodies
• Global Winds
• Vegetation

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Factor 1 Latitude

• As latitude increases, the intensity of solar
  energy decreases
• Three Zones
• Tropical
• Temperate
• Polar

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The Zones

• Zone 1 Tropical Zone
• Region between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5ºN) and
  the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5ºS)
• Warm Year Round

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• Zone 2 Temperate Zone
• Region between 23.5ºN/S and 66.5ºN/s of the
  equator
• Hot Summers
• Cold Winters

• Zone 3 Polar Zone
• Region from 66.5ºN/S of the equator to the poles
• Very cold temperature year round

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Factor 2 Elevation

• Higher the elevation is, the colder the climate
• Elevation determines amount of precipitation it
  receive

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Factor 3 Topography

• Land features affect amount of precipitation that
  falls over an area
• Mountains cause a rain shadow event
• One side has cool, wet air
• One side has warm, dry air

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Factor 4 Water Bodies

• Large bodies of water (lakes oceans) have an
  important effect on the temperature of an area.
• Temperature of the water body influences the
  temperature of the air above.

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Factor 5 Global Winds

• Winds distribute heat and moisture around the
  Earth
• Warm air moves to the poles
• Cold air moves to the equator

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Factor 6 Vegetation

• Affects both temperature and precipitation
• Temperature
• Influence how much of the suns energy is
  absorbed and how quickly it is released
• Precipitation
• When plants release water vapor from its leaves
  into the air (transpiration)

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Day 2

• Objective
• I can describe how climates are classified using
  the Köppen System.

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Köppen Climate Classification System

• Most commonly used system
• Uses mean monthly and annual values of
  temperature and precipitation
• Five Principal Groups
• Humid Tropical
• Humid Mid-Latitude
• Dry
• Highland
• Polar

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Humid Tropical Climate

• No Winters
• Monthly average temperature above 18ºC (64.4ºF)
• Precipitation can exceed 200-cm
• Two Types
• Wet Tropical
• Tropical Wet and Dry

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• Tropical Wet Dry
• High Temperature
• High annual precipitation
• Experiences distinct periods of low precipitation

• Wet Tropical
• High Temperature
• High annual precipitation

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Humid Mid-Latitude Climate with Mild Winters

• Mild winters with an average temperature in the
  coldest month that is below 18ºC (64.4ºF) but
  above -3ºC (26.6ºF)
• Three Types
• Humid Subtropical
• Marine West Coast
• Dry Summer Subtropical

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• Humid Subtropical
• Between 25º and 40º latitude on the eastern side
  of the continent
• Summer hot, sultry
• Winter wild
• NC climate
• Dry-Summer Subtropical
• Between 30º 45º latitude
• Strong winter rainfall
• Only found in California

• Marine West Coast
• Between 40º and 65º N/S on the coastal area
• Summer cool
• Winter mild
• Northern California to Southern Alaska

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Humid Mid-Latitude with Severe Winters

• Severe winters have an average temperature in the
  coldest month that is below -3ºC (26.6ºF)
• Two Types
• Humid Continental
• Subarctic

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• Humid Continental
• Not in the Southern Hemisphere
• Between 40º and 50º N latitude
• Winters Severe
• Summer warm and great precipitation

• Subarctic
• Winters are long and bitterly cold
• Summers are warm and very short
• The highest annual temperature range on Earth

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Dry Climate

• Yearly precipitation is not as great as the
  potential loss of water by evaporation
• Two Types
• Arid or Desert
• Semi-arid or Steppe
• Transition zone that surrounds the desert and
  separates it from humid climates

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Highland Climate

• Cooler and wetter than nearby areas at lower
  elevations

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Polar Climate

• Average temperature of the warmest month is below
  10ºC (50ºF)
• Little precipitation falls
• Winters extremely cold
• Summer cool
• Two Types
• Tundra
• Ice Caps

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• Tundra
• Treeless region found almost exclusively in the
  Northern Hemisphere
• Plant life of mosses, shrubs and flowering herbs

• Ice Caps
• Monthly average temperature below 0ºC (32ºF)
• Covered with permanent ice and snow

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Day 3

• Objective
• I can explain the causes of changes in climate
  locally and world wide

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Natural Process that Change Climate

• Volcanic Eruption
• Ocean Circulation
• Solar Activity
• Earths Motions

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Volcanic Eruption

• The presence of volcanic ash, dust and aerosols
  in the air increase the amount of solar radiation
  that is reflected back into space.
• Causes Earths lower atmosphere to cool

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Ocean Circulation

• EL NINO
• Causes parts of the eastern tropical Pacific
  Ocean to become warmer than usual
• Arid places receive large amounts of rain
• Places that receive lots of rain may experience
  dry periods
• HERE? We have wet summers

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• LA NINA
• Surface temperatures in the Eastern Pacific are
  colder than average
• Hurricanes damage greater in La Nina times
• HERE? We have dry summers

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Solar Activity

• Formation of sunspots appear to correspond with
  warm periods in Europe and North America
• 11 year cycle

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Earths Motion

• Orbit and Tilt
• Earths tilt causes the seasons
• Change in the degree of tilt or shape of orbit
  could cause global climate changes

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Human Impact on Climate Change

• The Greenhouse Effect
• Is a natural warming of both Earths lower
  atmosphere and surface
• Makes life as we know it possible
• Major Gases Water Vapor and Carbon Dioxide
• Humans have added more greenhouse gases to the
  atmosphere in the pass 200 years by burning
  fossil fuels

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Global Warming

• As a result of increases in Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
  as well as other greenhouse gases, global
  temperatures have increased
• Affects weather and climates

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Temperatures Rising due to Global Warming

• Effects
• Glaciers melting
• GreenlandIf all of the ice melts, oceans will
  rise 23 feet
• Antarcticmajor reduction in ice coverage
• Permafrost in Tundra is releasing CO2 that is
  stored under the ice

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Hottest Years

• Since 1980, the Earth has had 19 of its 20
  hottest years on record
• 2010
• 2005
• 2009
• 2007
• 2006
• 1998
• 2002
• 2003
• 2001
• 1997

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Antarctica Melting

• If all of the ice in the glaciers of Antarctica
  melts, the oceans will rise