Download 1 Factors that Affect Climate

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CGC1P1: Interactions in the Physical Environment
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Factors that Affect Climate
PART A: Weather and Climate
1. The words weather and climate are often incorrectly used interchangeably.
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Weather is the day to day report of precipitation (rain or snow) and temperature. It can
usually be predicted up to 10 days in advance.
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Climate is the long term pattern of weather for a city, country, or region. There are
many different climate regions around the globe and within Canada.
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Categorize the following statements as weather or climate statements.
______________ In July, it is often hot and humid in Toronto.
______________ Yesterday, it was very warm and sunny.
______________ A good time to go to Banff to ski is in the winter.
______________ A typhoon hit Japan’s coast yesterday.
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3. Give an example of a weather statement.
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4. Give an example of a climate statement.
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PART B: Factors that Affect Climate
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There are six basic factors that influence the climate in Canada. The phrase, LOWER,
Near Water? formed by the order of the factors below may help you to study and
remember the details of each factor. Complete the questions and diagrams on the
pages that follow. Latitude
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Part a shows the sun’s rays being spread over a large area while hitting the
earth at higher latitudes (father north of the equator) and Part a in the
diagram shows the sun’s rays concentrated over a small area around the equator.
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Use the diagram above and the Word Bank below to help you understand how Latitude
affects Climate.
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In Unit 1, we learned that lines of Latitude run in an ________________ and
________________ direction. They measure above and below the ________________.
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Looking at the diagram, the closer you are to the equator, the ________________ it is.
This is because the sun’s rays are more ________________ (or concentrated) in this
area. Therefore, areas near the equator are warmer.
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Areas that are far ________________ and ________________ the equator are NOT as
warm because the sun’s rays are _____________________ (not as concentrated) in
these areas. This makes these areas have ________________ temperatures. The
sun’s rays have to ________________ farther to get to these areas.
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This is all because our Earth is a ________________ shape. So, from all this, we can
say that as latitude ________________, temperature ________________.
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direct
cooler
decreases
less direct
increases
equator
WORD BANK
stretch
warmer
above
east
curved
west
below
Ocean Currents
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On the map below, label the first arrow (#1) North Pacific Current, and the
second arrow (#2) Labrador Current. Beside the North Pacific Current, write
“warm” and colour the arrow red. Beside the Labrador Current, write “cold” and colour
the arrow blue.
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1. __________________
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2. _________________
Use the diagram above and the Word Bank below to help you understand how Ocean
Currents affect Climate.
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Ocean currents move around and around. Some currents are ________________ and
some currents are ________________. The temperature of an ocean current will affect
the temperature of the ________________ passing over it.
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Canada is affected by two currents: the warm ________________ ________________
Current and the cold ________________ current. The Labrador Current is cold because
it flows down from the cold ________________.
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Because of the warm North Pacific Current, ________________ ________________
has warm temperatures. Because of the cold Labrador Current, the ________________
provinces have cooler temperatures.
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British Columbia
Maritime
cold
Arctic
WORD BANK
Labrador
Air
North Pacific
warm
Winds and Air Masses
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An air mass is a large volume of air with the climate conditions of the area where it is
formed. An air mass originating over an ocean contains moisture. As the air passes
over land, the moisture is released in some form of precipitations.
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On the diagram below, the arrows indicate winds, which are sometimes called Air
Masses. Label the inland air masses “dry”, and the coastal air masses (near water)
“moist”.
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_________________
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_________________
_________________
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_________________
Use the diagram above and the Word Bank below to help you understand how Wind
affects Climate.
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Winds are large masses of ________________. Some air masses are
________________ and some air masses are ________________.
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If you are near ________________, air masses will be moist. If you are
________________, air masses will be dry. For example, looking at the diagram above,
an air mass originating over ________________ will be dry. An air mass originating
over ________________ or the ________________ will be moist.
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Air masses are moist when they are near a large body of water, like an
________________. These areas also have a lot of ________________ because there
is more moisture in the air from the nearby water.
! water
air
precipitation
dry
WORD BANK
British Columbia
inland
Manitoba
Maritimes
moist
ocean
Elevation
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Elevation is the distance on Earth above sea level. Label the Letter A, “Sea Level”
Label the Letter B, “Rising Air” and the Letter C, height/attitude.
C
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B
A
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The sun warms the __________________. As the ground warms up, warm air
____________. The higher up you go from __________________, the _____________
the temperature is.
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This is because as air rises, it __________________ (grows) and loses ___________.
The further the air rises, the more the temperature will __________________. If you
went up a mountain, the temperature would be _________________.
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! decrease
! ground
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Relief
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sea level
colder
WORD BANK
expands
rises
heat
cold
Relief looks at how mountains act as barriers to air masses (air) moving up a mountain.
Label the Letter A “Mountain” and the Letter B “Air Mass.”
B
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A
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When an air mass move up a mountain, the mountain gives the air mass a “hard time”
from moving. It acts as a “block.” Because of this, the “other side” of the mountain will
have much different temperatures.
Near Water
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MARITIME VS. CONTINENTAL CLIMATES
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Bodies of water are special because they are able to __________________ the climate
of an area. Moderate means to “__________________” and make it “in the middle.”
Because of this moderating effect of water, places that are near water have ________
winters and __________________ summers. This is called a __________________
climate. An example of a place with a Maritime climate would be __________________,
because it is right beside the __________________ Ocean.
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In the summer, bodies of water are cooler than the air temperature and make the
surrounding air colder. In the winter, bodies of water are able to hold on to heat and
make the surrounding air temperature more mild.
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Summer
Cooler
Winter
Warmer
A lot of ____________________ also occurs in a Maritime climate because the ocean
releases a lot of __________________ into the air.
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Places that are NOT near a body of water, called __________________ areas, have
nothing to moderate their climates. Because of this, these places have more
__________________ temperatures. Winters are __________________ and summers
are __________________. These areas are considered to have an ________________
climate. An example of this would be __________________.
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inland
moisture
moderate
precipitation
extreme
control
WORD BANK
Maritime
Ontario
cool
Pacific
Continental
British Columbia
hot
mild
cold