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WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Chapter 3
Four factors or elements that affect climate are:
o
Latitude
o
Wind Currents
o
Proximity to Water
o
Elevation
Latitude
CLIMATE ZONES
Low Latitudes - Tropical Wet and Tropical Wet
and Dry.
 Middle Latitudes - Mediterranean, Humid
Subtropical, Humid Continental, Marine West
Coast.
 High Latitudes - Subarctic, Tundra, Icecap
 Varies - Semiarid, Arid, Highland

WIND CURRENTS

Wind and ocean currents distribute the sun’s
heat through convection, the transfer of heat in
the atmosphere through upward motion of the
air.
AIR PRESSURE AND WINDS
Air is a fluid
 Warmer air is less dense
 Air moves from dense to less dense conditions
 Ex.: Land-sea breezes

Warmer air “holds” more water
 Low pressure=warm air=precipitation
 High pressure=cold air=dry air

WEATHER FRONTS
Front:
the boundary that separates
two air masses of different
temperatures.
Precipitation often occurs along these
fronts
PROXIMITY TO WATER
Areas near the ocean have a milder winter and a
cooler summer.
 Ocean currents are like rivers in the ocean.
Warm water flows away from the equator and
cold water flows toward the equator.

OCEAN CURRENTS
Follow same circular pattern (driven by wind)
Warm currents flow away from equator, pile up on
eastern shores
ex. Gulf
Stream
Cold currents flow towards equator, cause upwelling
PROXIMITY TO WATER
One important ocean current is:
o
The North Atlantic Drift - This ocean current
warms Western Europe.
ELEVATION

Elevation influences temperature. As you go up
in elevation the temperature becomes colder
because the atmosphere is thinner. Areas with
very high elevations can have vegetation similar
to the arctic.
Ms. Frizzle explains…


On the windward side of a mountain the orographic
effect leads to more precipitation
On the leeward side of a mountain, the rain shadow
effect leads to less precipitation and warmer
temperatures. They are often deserts.