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CLIMATE!
What is Climate?
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Climate is the average weather at a given point
and time of year, over a long period (typically 30
years).
We expect the weather to change a lot from day
to day, but we expect the climate to remain
relatively constant.
What is Climate Change?
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If the climate doesn’t remain constant, we
call it climate change.
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Climate Zones
LATITUDE
As latitude increases, the intensity of
solar energy decreases.
Three zones
Tropical
Temperate
Polar
CLIMATE ZONES BY LATITUDE
THE ZONES
Tropical Zone
The region between
the Tropic of
Cancer (23.5ºN)
and the Tropic of
Capricorn (23.5ºS)
WARM YEAR
ROUND
THE ZONES
Temperate Zone
The region between 23.5º and 66.5º
North or South of the equator.
HOT summers
COLD winters
THE ZONES
Polar Zone
The region from 66.5º north
and south of the equator to the
poles.
Very cold temperature year
round.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE
Elevation
The higher the
elevation is, the
colder the climate.
The elevation of an
area also determines
the amount of
precipitation it
receives.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE
• Latitude
• Topography – natural and
artificial features of the area such
as mountains and buildings
• Large bodies of water
• Ocean Currents
• Atmospheric circulation
• Amount of plants
• Sunspots
• Earth’s Orbit
WORLDS CLIMATES
Most commonly used system for classification of climates
Köppen Climate Classification Systems
Uses mean monthly and annual values of temperature
and precipitation to classify climates.
Five principal groups
Humid Tropical
Dry
Humid mid-latitude
Polar
Highland
Climates 101
WHAT CHANGES CLIMATE?
Changes in:
Sun’s output
Earth’s orbit
Drifting continents
Volcanic eruptions
Greenhouse gases
What changes climate?
• Changes in:
– Sun’s output
– Earth’s orbit
– Drifting continents
– Volcanic eruptions
– Greenhouse gases
The Greenhouse
Effect
Carbon Sources and
Sinks
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
The Greenhouse Effect is
the process by which
certain gases allow the
sun’s short wave radiation
to heat up the earth, and
trap an ever increasing
amount of long- wave
radiation from the earth .
NASA Video
Greenhouse gases:
CO2
Water Vapor – H2O(v)
Methane – CH4
HEAT ISLANDS
An urban heat island, or UHI, is a metropolitan area
that's a lot warmer than the rural areas surrounding it.
Heat is created by energy from all the people, cars,
buses, and trains in big cities like New York, Paris, and
London. Urban heat islands are created in areas like
these: places that have lots of activity and lots of people.
CARBON SOURCES AND SINKS
SINKS
SOURCES
A carbon source is
A carbon sink is
anything that releases
anything than absorbs
more carbon than it
more carbon than it
absorbs
releases
The Carbon Budget
carbon sources- carbon sinks= ???
CARBON SOURCES
Natural
Human Induced
Volcanic eruptions
Wildfires
Organic combustion/ decomposition
Burning of fossil fuels
Deforestation
Reduction in wetlands
CARBON SINKS
Natural Carbon
Sinks
Plants/ Forests
Oceans
Wetlands
What are humans doing to each of
these sinks to change their ability to
absorb carbon? Why?
Bell ringer 12/15/14
1. Define climate change.
2. CO2 emissions cause climate change. What
activities give off CO2?
3. Differentiate between carbon sources and
carbon sinks.
4. Explain why climate change can cause
desertification.
5. Explain why urban development leads to
local flash flooding.
ACID RAIN!!
How does acid rain affect stonework?
The picture on the left was taken in 1908…
The picture on the right was taken in 1968!
Click here to watch video!
Acid rain forms through a complex process of
chemical reactions involving air pollution.
The two most important pollutants that contribute
to acid rain are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.