CLIMATE

Pre-Diagnostic Assessment

1. How does the windward side differ from theleeward side of a high land?

a. The windward receives more precipitation thanthe leeward.

b. The leeward side has more vegetation thanthe windward side.

c. The windward side receives more heat thanthe leeward side.

d. The leeward side receives more precipitationthan the windward side.

2. What happens to the temperature of

air when altitude increases?

a. remains the same

b. increases

c. decreases

d. varies

3. Which of the following best describe aclimate?

a. The weather that occurs in the atmospherewithin a day.

b. The pattern of weather that occurs in a regionover along period of time.

c. The pattern of weather that occurs in a regionover a short period of time.

d. The disturbance in the atmosphere thathappens in a long period of time.

4. Why are the coldest places on earth found at thepoles?

a. great amount of gaseous particles trap heat fromthe surface

b. great amount of thermal radiation is received bythese areas

c. less amount of thermal radiation is received bythese areas

d. less amount of gaseous particles trap heat fromthe surface.

5. What will happen when the rates of

evaporation and condensation are equal?

a. Clouds form.

b. The dew point is reached.

c. The humidity increases.

d. Precipitation occurs.

6. Which of the following can cause global

warming?

a. volcanic eruptions

b. the amount of rainfall

c. the rising of warm air into the atmosphere

d. increase of the amount of CO2 in the

atmosphere

7. When does greenhouse effect happen?

a. Greenhouse gases on the surface absorb heat

from the atmosphere.

b. Greenhouse gases on the surface absorb heat

from the earth’s interior.

c. Greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere

absorb heat from the outer space.

d. Greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere

absorb heat from the earth’s surface.

8. Which activity does not contribute to global

warming?

a. reforestation

b. illegal fishing

c. mining activities

d. incineration of garbage

9. City A is surrounded by bodies of water and

has a moderate climate. It is located near the

equator. What will most likely affect the climate

of the city?

a. latitude

b. altitude

c. topography

d. all of these

10. Which of following is an indication of global

warming?

a. rising of sea level

b. decrease of global temperature

c. coastal erosion

d. strong waves in the ocean

Definition of Terms

altitude- the height above sea level

climate- the overall condition of an area over a

long period of time.

climate change- a long term shifting of global

weather pattern

El Niño- brought about by the current of the

ocean bringing warm air to a landmass in the

Pacific region.

fauna – composed of living animals.

flora- composed of different plant vegetation.

greenhouse effect- the increase of global

temperature due to some atmospheric gases.

gyre- the circular patterns formed by surface

currents.

latitude- an imaginary line that is parallel to the

equator.

leeward- the side of the mountain that receives

less amount of precipitation.

longitude- an imaginary line that extends from

north pole to south pole.

mitigation – a manner of modifying something

to become useful.

precipitation- forms when water vapor

condenses and falls to the ground as rain,

snow, hail or sleet.

topography- the surface features of an area.

temperature- refers to the hotness or coldness

of an object.

windward- the side of the mountain that

receives most of the precipitation.

Facts

Climate is the overall atmospheric condition of

a place for a period of 30 years or more.

Climate is influenced by latitude, altitude,

distance from bodies of water, ocean currents,

and topography.

Latitude

As the latitude increases, the smaller the angle

of the sun’s rays strike the surface.

When the area is further from the equator, the

air temperature is lower. When a place is

closer to the equator, the air temperature is

higher.

Altitude

The air temperature decreases as the altitude

increases.

Baguio City is the summer capital of the

Philippines because of its cold climate. It has

an annual average temperature of 16⁰C. It has

an elevation of 1435m above sea level.

Distance from bodies of water

Soil absorbs heat faster than water. Soil

releases heat faster compared to water.

Places that are near oceans have moderate

climate as the body of water regulates the

temperature. Places that are far from the

bodies of water have extreme climates.

Ocean currents

Figure 6.1 shows different loops or gyres of

surface currents around the world. In northern

hemisphere, the current flows in clockwise

direction. On the other hand, in southern

hemisphere the current flows in

counterclockwise direction. These clockwise

and counterclockwise of ocean currents are

caused by Coriolis Effect.

Ocean currents that flow away from the

equator carries warm water. The air above the

warm water has higher temperature.

When ocean currents that bring cold water

move towards a coastal region, the

temperature of that area decreases as warmer

air from the land flows to the sea resulting to a

cold climate.

When warm ocean currents that take along

warm water go to a land mass, the

temperature of that place increases as warmer

air above the water flows inland, resulting to a

warm climate.

Topography

One of the topographic features of an area is

mountain. Mountainous areas greatly affect the

amount of precipitation in a certain region. The

area in which the wind blows is called the

windward side. Here, the wind is blocked by

the mountain, forcing it to move upward. As it

moves up, the water vapor condenses and

forms clouds. This will result in precipitation on

the windward side.

The air moves down towards the opposite

region called leeward side. The cold air mass

starts to absorb heat and becomes warm and

dry. As a result, the area near the leeward side

becomes dry and has less precipitation. The

dry region on the leeward side is called rain

shadow. Vegetation in this region includes

desert plants and grassland.

Summary

The closer the place is to the equator, the

warmer the climate; the farther the place is

from the equator the colder the climate.

Air temperature decreases when altitude

increases.

Bodies of water help regulate the climate of a

certain area.

Mountain ranges affect the formation of

precipitation.

Ocean currents will either cool or warm the air

above them.

Cold currents bring cold water while warm

currents take along warm water.

Coriolis Effect deflects the ocean currents.

Climate change- a

long term shifting of

global weather

pattern.

Climate change brings drastic effects

to some people and animals.

Human activities may speed up the

rising of the global temperature.

Climate change

Global warming can bring about a rising of

sea level due to the melting of ice caps and

glaciers.

Effect: We may experience severe weather

disturbances such as much stronger typhoons

and heavier rainfalls. Some parts of the world

may experience El Niño or La Niña. And most

of all, it can cause extinction of some fauna

and flora.

Climate change

El Niño happens when the

temperature in eastern Pacific rises

above normal.

La Niña occurs when the temperature

in eastern Pacific decreases below

normal

Solar radiation warms the Earth as its

energy is absorbed by the atmosphere. In

the atmosphere, there are greenhouse

gases present. These include water

vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and

nitrous oxide. Greenhouse gases

prevent heat to escape from earth making

earth’s temperature higher.

Fig. 8.2 shows that greenhouse gases such as

carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons

(CFCs), and nitrous oxide trap heat preventing

it to escape from the earth. All gases absorb

heat, some just absorb more than others. So

assuming solar radiation is constant, the

average atmospheric temperature depends on

the mix of gases.

More greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

means that the equilibrium temperature will be

higher as these absorb more heat. This will

result to the increase of global temperature.

Less greenhouse gases will mean lower

temperature. Mankind more or less evolved

under conditions of a specific mix of gases (of

course with certain degree of variation) in the

atmosphere, and we thrived under these

conditions.

If the mix of gases in the atmosphere werealtered considerably, earth’s temperature wouldchange significantly, and we will be faced withnew conditions that we are not used to, whichwe will have to somehow adapt to, or faceextinction. Areas that are found in temperateregions may have shorter winter. Countries thatare found in tropical regions may have longerand drier summer. Glaciers that cover land willmelt which results in the increase of sea level.

So…..

when are we going to start changing for the

better???

when are we going to care???

Act now if you care…

Quiz

1. What are the factors that affect

climate?

2. How can you lessen the harmful

effects of climate change?

3. Explain how greenhouse effect

happens.

4. How is rain shadow form (leeward)?

5. What are some impacts of climate

change to people and animals?