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Weather & Climate
Cornell Notes
Weather (el tiempo)
• Weather is the atmospheric conditions
and short term changes of a specific area
at a specific time.
Weather Factors
• Weather factors include:
1. Air temperature
2. Wind
3. Precipitation
4. Barometric pressure
5. Humidity
6. Clouds
7. Visibility
- Air temperature
(temperatura del aire)
The measure of the average speed of
the air molecules
Hot, mild, cold
- Wind (el viento)
Horizontal movement of air
- Precipitation (la precipitación)
Water falling from the atmosphere
The water can be in its liquid or solid state—
such as rain, snow, sleet, and hail.
- Humidity (la humedad)
The amount of water vapor per volume
of air
- Clouds (las nubes)
Masses of small water droplets or tiny ice
crystals that float in the air
Spaces on Earth
atmo = air
hydro = water
litho = rock
bio = life
The Sun’s Energy
• Solar radiation causes
water in the
hydrosphere to
evaporate and enter
Earth’s atmosphere.
• As land and water are cooled, the water vapor
in the air condenses.
• Water droplets form clouds and precipitation
falls from the clouds back to Earth’s surface.
Air Mass (la masa de aire)
• Body of air that has
properties similar
to the part of the
Earth’s surface over
which it develops
• Body of air with
similar conditions
(warm, low
pressure, humid,
etc.)
Front (el frente)
• A front is a boundary between two air masses of
different density, moisture, and temperature.
Warm Front (el frente cálido)
• Forms when lighter,
warmer air moves
over heavier, colder
air.
Warm Front
Cold Front (el frente frío)
• Occurs when colder air
moves toward warmer
air.
Cold Front
Highs and Lows
• An area of low pressure is created when
warm air rises causing a decrease in
pressure close to the Earth’s surface.
– Often associated with cloudy,
stormy weather
• An area of high pressure is created when
cold air sinks causing pressure to increase
as more air moves down.
– Often associated with dry, clear weather
Weather Maps
• Weather maps
provide information
on the atmospheric
conditions over an
area of interest.
Climate (el clima)
• The long-term average of the weather
patterns of an area
• Earth is classified into climate regions based
on temperature, precipitation, and
vegetation.
Climate
California Climate
• Mediterranean climates are characterized by
mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
• Highland climates are characterized by cool-tocold temperatures and are found in the
mountains and on high plateaus.
Climate Controls
• Air and ocean currents influence the
different climate regions.
• Other factors include:
– Distribution of land and water
– Presence or absence of mountain
barriers
– Altitude
– Latitude
Climate Controls
Land and Water
• Land surfaces heat and cool rapidly whereas
ocean surfaces heat and cool slowly.
Ocean Currents
• Ocean currents help to redistribute heat
from Sun’s energy on Earth.
– The Gulf Stream moves warm water away
from the equator and carries the heat to
higher latitudes.
– The cold California Current carries cold water
off the California coast.