Download WEATHER AND CLIMATE

2-1
• A. Weather – condition of the bottom layer of the earth’s
atmosphere in one place over a short period of time
• B. The weather in one place might be affected by the weather
in another area far away
• C. Climate – weather patterns that an area typically
experiences over a long period of time
• D. Climate depends on a number of factors
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elevation
latitude
location in relation to nearby landforms (ex. mountains)
location in relation to nearby bodies of water (ex. oceans)
• E. Climates may change, but it occurs over a very long period
of time unlike weather
• A. The Sun – an intensely hot star that gives off energy and
light that are essential for plant and animal survival
• B. The sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth
• C. Greenhouse Effect
• 1. only a small amount of radiation reaches the earth’s
atmosphere
• 2. what is left is enough to warm the earth’s land and water
• 3. the atmosphere helps prevent heat from escaping back
into space too quickly
• 4. without the Greenhouse Effect, the earth would be too
cold to sustain most living things
• D. Rotation and Revolution
• 1. rotation – the spinning motion of the earth, like a top on its axis, as it
travels through space
• 2. axis – invisible line through the center of the earth from pole to pole
• 3. the earth completes 1 rotation in approximately 24 hours
• 4. whatever side is facing the sun, it is in daytime
• 5. whatever side is facing away from the sun, it is in nighttime
• 6. since the earth turns from west to east, the sun rises in the EAST and
sets in the WEST
• 7. revolution – one complete orbit around the sun
• 8. the earth completes one revolution every 365 ¼ days
• 9. to account for the quarter day, every four years we have
an extra day called Leap Day in February
• 10. The earth’s tilt on its axis determines which part of the
planet the sunlight strikes more directly…thus creating
seasons
• a. Season changes in the summer and winter are called
solstices
• b. Season changes in the spring and fall are called
equinoxes
• E. Latitude and Climate
• 1. the sun’s rays always fall directly at or near the Equator
• 2. this is why the closer you are to the Equator, the warmer
the climate, while the farther you are from the Equator
(poles), the colder the climate
• 3. geographers use latitude to divide the world into climate
zones
• a. Tropical zones
• b. Temperate zones
• c. Polar zones
• A. Heat from the sun is distributed by a process called
convection (transfer of heat from one place to another)
• B. Air (Wind)
• 1. light, warm air rises from the Equator and flows north and
south towards the poles
• C. Water (Currents)
• 1. warm water from the Equator flows towards the poles
• A. Precipitation – all forms of water that fall from the
atmosphere onto the earth’s surface
• B. Warm air absorbs moisture, but when it cools down, it cannot
hold the water vapor…thus it must release it
• C. Different types of precipitation:
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snow
rain
sleet
hail
What type of precipitation falls
depends on air temperature and wind
conditions
• A. Nearby Bodies of Water
• B. Elevation
• 1. air temperature decreases as you get higher in elevation
• 2. Mt. Kilimanjaro is located almost on the Equator, however,
it has snow on the peak all year long
• C. Nearby Landforms
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The following also have an affect on climate:
Coastal mountains
Inland mountains
Large desert areas
Lakes
Forests
Tall buildings that are closely concentrated
Pavement and concrete in large quantities
• A. 5 broad types of climate regions
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• 2.
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• 5.
tropical
dry
moderate
continental
polar
• A. Many climate changes in the past have occurred because of
nature
• B. More changes are now occurring because of human action
• *global warming