Download 5 Factors That Affect Climate

5 Factors That Affect Climate
What is the weather like outside today? What will the weather be like this whole season?
What type of weather are you expecting for the summer? If it is winter and you live in
Michigan, you might expect the weather to be a cold day around 30 o with possible snow.
Weather is the day to day changes in the air. You know that there are surprise days in
February that the weather is 55o. Climate is the average weather in an area. The average
is calculated from the weather that had occurred over a long period of time. The climate
includes the temperature and precipitation that an area receives. As geographers, we will
discuss the climate rather than the weather. Remember, climate is what you expect and
weather is what you get!
There are five factors that play a role in an area’s climate. The five factors
are: the
latitude zone, the elevation of the land, topography (landforms),
ocean currents
and winds.
1. Climate Zones and Climate Regions
The first factor that affects climate is where a place is located on earth. The
Earth is round and tilted on its axis, so the sun’s rays reach the Earth in different
ways. The rays are strongest and more direct at the Equator. However, the rays
are not as strong and are less direct at the poles. According to where the sun’s
rays differ, we divide the Earth into three climate zones. There are special lines of
latitude that divide each climate zone. Each zone has particular climate regions.
The special lines of latitude are dotted lines are used because they are half numbers.
The lines are named because they separate the main climate zones.
North Pole 90oN
Arctic Circle 66 ½oN
Tropic of Cancer 23 ½oN
Equator 0o
Tropic of Capricorn 23 ½oS
Antarctic Circle 66 ½oS
South Pole 90oS
LOW ZONE: The lowest latitude lines are between 0o to 23½o. This climate zone is called the low latitude
zone. The climate here is tropical, which is generally warm and rainy all year. The Tropical Region is
between the Tropic of Cancer (23½oN) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23½oS). This area receives the most
direct heat from the sun all year.
HIGH ZONE: The highest latitude numbers are between 66½o to 90o. This climate zone is called the high
latitude zone. The climate here is polar; generally it’s cold and snowy all year. Polar Regions are between
the Arctic Circle to the North Pole and between the Antarctic Circle to the South Pole. They receive the
least direct heat of the sun.
MIDDLE ZONE: The latitude lines between 23½o to 66½o are the middle latitude zones. The middle
latitudes fall between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle, and between the Tropic of Capricorn and
the Antarctic Circle. The areas closer to the low latitudes/tropics have moderate climate. The summers
are warm, and the winters are mild and rainy. The areas closer to the high latitudes/polar have a
continental climate. The summers are warm, and the winters are cold and snowy.
MORE CLIMATE REGIONS:
Throughout the different climate zones there are areas that have dry climates. These places receive very
little precipitation throughout the year. Dry or arid areas receive less than 10 inches of annual
precipitation. Other dry areas are semi-arid areas receive 10-20 inches of annual precipitation. There are
reasons why these areas lack precipitation that will be discussed later.