Download 3.1 – Intro to Climate Change

3.1 – Intro to Climate Change
Complete # 1, 2, 4, 7 on p. 190 – 191
A) What is weather?
B) What is climate?
C) How is weather different from climate?
o use a whiteboard & marker to jot down your ideas
weather = daily conditions that happen at a certain place &
time
o what is happening right now (narrow, shortsighted)
o includes daily temperature, cloud cover, wind,
precipitation
o ex: today’s forecast is a high of ……C, with
….......... of precipitation & winds at a speed of
…………….
climate = weather conditions that occur in a region,
averaged over a long period of time
o broader, more encompassing than weather
o includes average temperatures, wind speeds,
precipitation levels, humidity, etc.
o ex: Ottawa’s climate is …………………….,
whereas Mexico’s climate is …………………
 climate has changed many times since Earth formed
o see Figure 3.2 on p. 196
 since 1880, Earth’s climate has changed quicker than ever
o see Figure 3.4 on p. 198
How do we know that climate is changing?
 rising temperatures on average
 less precipitation at equator, more in polar regions
 more severe storms (Hurricane Katrina, Tsunami in Asia)
 climate change and global warming are not the same thing
o global warming only really looks at temperature
changes
o climate change involves changes in temperature,
precipitation, winds, soil quality, storm frequency &
intensity, etc.
Don’t be fooled!
 global warming is a natural thing, but is enhanced by
humans & human activities
 climate change does not happen due to natural reasons
How the Sun & Earth Affect Climate
 the Sun affects natural climate the most
o ex: solar activity  p. 270
 Earth’s position in space affect climate
o rotation every 24 h  p. 270
o tilt of Earth’s axis  p. 270
o Earth’s orbit (revolution) around the Sun  p. 270
 Earth’s structure affects climate
o latitude (nearness to the equator)  p. 272
o elevation (height in atmosphere)
o nearness (proximity) to water
o air masses
 use p. 270 & 272, plus your prior knowledge from grade 9
science to review (and learn) how each point above affects
climate
o make notes on each topic
o notes on elevation, nearness to H2O, and air
masses are posted around the classroom (or you
can look onto the Internet)