Climate and Vegetation

CHAPTER 3

THE SUN AND THE EARTH

ROTATION AND REVOLUTION

HOW OFTEN DOES THE EARTH ROTATE?

EVERY 24 HOURSHOW OFTEN DOES THE EARTH REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN?

EVERY 365 AND ¼ DAYS

Because the earth is tilted on its axis, different parts of the globe receive different direct

rays of the sun during different times of the year.

EARTH’S REVOLUTION AND EARTH’S REVOLUTION AND SEASONSSEASONS

http://streaming.factsonfile.com/play/PYT7H5

The Solstice and the Equinox

TURN TO PAGE 49 IN YOUR TEXTBOOKS.

When are the winter and summer solstices?

What happens on these days?

When are the spring and fall equinoxes?

What happens on these days?

Solstice and Equinox Importance

Ancient calendars were

set by calculating the

solstice and equinox.

Planting, harvesting,

and storing for the

winter were planned

by using the calculations.

What is the difference between climate and weather?

Weather is the temperature and precipitation of a

certain place at a certain time---a snapshot!

Climate includes weather conditions (temperature and

precipitation over a long period of time)—like a movie!

TYPES OF PRECIPITATION

CONVECTIONAL

OROGRAPHIC

FRONTAL

CONVECTIONALPRECIPITATION

CONVECTIONAL HEATINGOCCURS IN THE TROPICSAND THE RAIN FOREST WHERE THE HUMIDITY IS HIGH

OROGRAPHIC PRECIPITATION

OROGRAPHIC PRECIPITATIONOCCURS WHERE THEREARE MOUNTAINS THAT BLOCKTHE RAIN SHOWERS

FRONTAL PRECIPITATION

FRONTAL PRECIPITATIONOCCURS WHEN

TWO LARGEAIR MASSES

(COLD AND WARM FRONTS) COLLIDE

WEATHER EXTREMES

Define the following in your notes:

hurricanes

typhoons

tornados

blizzards

drought

Where is “Tornado Alley?”

CLIMATE FACTORSTemperature and Precipitation depend upon the following

factors:

1. ELEVATION2. LATITUDE3. LOCATION TO LANDFORMS4. NEARNESS TO BODIES OF

WATER5. WINDS

As the elevation increases,

TEMPERATURE DECREASES

ANDPRECIPITATION

DECREASES

LATITUDE

THE FARTHER WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE EQUATOR,

THE MORE THE TEMPERATURE AND

PRECIPITATION DECREASE.

CLIMATE ZONES

Polar zone

Temperate zone

Tropical zone

Temperate zone

Polar zone

LATITUDESTROPICAL ZONES

LOW LATITUDES 0- 23 DEGREES

TEMPERATE ZONESMID LATITUDES

24-66 DEGREES

POLAR ZONES HIGH LATITUDES

67-90 DEGREES

LOCATION TO LANDFORMSMOUNTAINS CAN AFFECT CLIMATE, BECAUSE

PRECIPITATION IS SCARCE AS ELEVATION INCREASES. AREAS ON THE DRY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN ARE IN THE RAIN SHADOW.

DRAW A DIAGRAM OF A MOUNTAIN AND LABEL THE

FOLLOWING:

WINDWARD

LEEWARD

RAIN SHADOW

WIND CURRENTS

The transfer of heat around the globe happens because of

CONVECTION.

Ocean currents and wind currents move the heat from place to place.

NOTICEHOW WARM

WATER FLOWS

FROM THETROPICS TO THE

COLDEROCEAN AREAS

Look on page 54. What is the CORIOLIS EFFECT?

IF YOU ARE BLINDFOLDED AND TRY TO WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE….

IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, YOURSTRAIGHT LINE WILL BEGIN TO CURVEIN A CLOCKWISE CIRCLE.

IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, YOURSTRAIGHT LINE WILL BEGIN TO CURVE IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE CIRCLE.

And now, a word from “El Nino::

CHANGES IN CLIMATE

What is El Nino, really?

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

What is global Warming?

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT