Download - Climate
Climatevs.
Weather
The short term condition of the
atmosphere
The average weather in an
area over a long period of time
Both are defined by:temperaturehumidity winds precipitation
I. What Determines
Climate?4 factors
A. Latitudedistance from equator measured in degrees north or south of the equator
equator: 0° latitude
North Pole: 90° N
South Pole: 90° S
A. Latitude
Equator = direct, concentrated sunlight
Poles = less sunlight because of the angle of the earth’s tilt.
A. Latitude
Effects of Latitude on Solar Angle
B. Atmospheric Circulation
Patterns
3 important properties of air: Cold air sinks,
and warms as it sinks.
Warm air rises and cools as it rises.
3 important properties of air:
Warm air holds more water vapor than cold air.As warm air cools, the water vapor it
contains condenses forming rain, snow, or fog.
3 important properties of air:
1. Wind is a result of cooler air replacing warm air that rises
B. Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
2. Because different latitudes get different amounts of solar energy…
B. Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
…we get different winds & different circulation patterns of precipitation.
B. Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
Why does the equator get such large amounts of
rainfall?
Why does the equator get such large amounts of
rainfall?
Answer:Answer:Warm air holds lots of
water that evaporates from oceans & land. As air rises, it cools & loses ability to hold lots of water. Thus, it rains heavily at the equator.
C. Ocean Circulation Patterns
C. Ocean Circulation Patterns
1. caused by winds & rotation of earth
2. make climates more moderate
coasts have warmer winters & cooler summers than inland
C. Ocean Circulation Patterns
D. Local Geography
D. Local Geography
1. Higher elevations are cooler
2. mountains cause air to be deflected upwards & cooled…
D. Local Geography
…so it releases moisture on one side of mountain but not on other.
D. Local Geography
III. Seasonal Changes in
Climate
Seasons are caused by
Earth’s 23.5° tilt
SEPTEMBER AND MARCH 22
JUNE 21
DECEMBER 21
EARTH IS TILTED
A TILTED EARTH WOULD EXPLAIN MOST OF THE OBSERVATIONS THAT WE SEE .
THE EARTH IS TILTED AT A 23.5 DEGREE ANGLE.
Solar AngleBeam spreading reduces intensity of solar energy
Atmospheric Beam Depletion
Earth-Sun Relations
Earth’s Seasons
Mythbuster
Tell this to everyone you know:
“Earth’s seasons are solely a result of the tilt of earth’s axis, and NOT due to how close or far from the sun our planet is!!!
bibliography
Slides 25 through 35 are used with permission (as per the millennium copyright act) from the following website:
raider.muc.edu/~mancuscm/lecture%20ppts/Lecture%201.ppt midwoodscience.org/mcdonnell/seasons.ppt