Download Climate and Weather

Unit 2; Section 3
Weather or Climate?
 Weather – conditions of the atmosphere over a short
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period of time.
Climate – conditions of the atmosphere over a long period
of time.
Precipitation – water that falls to the ground as rain, sleet,
hail, or snow.
Temperature – how hot or cold the air is.
Weather is what you see from day to day. Climate is what
usually happens from year to year.
Why Climates Vary
 Climate depends on location.
 Tropics – hot climates because
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they get direct sunlight.
Polar Regions – cold climates
because they get indirect
sunlight.
Air and water spread heat around
the globe as they move.
Oceans keep temperatures mild
near the coast.
Mountains also affect climates.
The Water Cycle
Oceans and Climates
 Oceans help
distribute the
Earth’s heat and
shape climates.
 Global wind
patterns help
create ocean
currents.
 Generally warm
water flows away
from the Equator
while cold water
moves toward it.
 In the Atlantic Ocean,
the Gulf Stream and
North Atlantic Current
carry warm water to
Europe.
 This current of warm
water gives western
Europe a milder climate
than other regions of the
same latitude.
 The cold Peru Current
moves north from
Antarctica along the
coast of South America.
 The city of Antofagasta,
Chile has colder
temperatures than
Miami, Florida even
though it is closer to the
Equator.
 Water takes longer to
heat up or cool than
land.
 Wind blowing over water
in the summer tends to
cool the coastal areas.
 In the winter the water
remains warmer than the
land so coastal places are
warmer than inland
areas.
Weather Forecasting
 Satellites orbit the earth
taking photographs of large
weather systems.
 Satellites in space can
record everything from
wind patterns to the height
of waves.
Raging Storms
 Tropical cyclones that
form over the Atlantic
Ocean are called
Hurricanes.
 Tornadoes are like
funnels of wind that can
reach 320 km’s an hour.