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Weather, Climate and Mrs. Sandefur Weather – The short-term day-today changes in temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloud cover and wind direction and speed. – Most weather is predicted using: weather balloons, aircraft, radar, and satellites Weather Changes – Air Masses: large lump of air that similar temperature and moisture level throughout. – Air Masses that effect the US are When air masses meet it causes changes in weather • Cold front: when a cold air mass collides with a stationary warm air mass. The result is: thunderstorms, short bursts of heavy rain Warm Front: • when a warm air mass collides with a stationary cold air mass. The result is: warm steady rain Weather is also affected by changes in atmospheric pressure • High pressure has descending air that moves outward from the center of the high-pressure system. Descending air is warm and dry. The result is: nice dry weather Low pressure • has ascending air that flows towards the center of the lowpressure area. Ascending aircools and condenses as it rises. The result is: clouds, rain Weather Extremes – Hurricanes: • • • What is it? Tropical storm with winds greater than 75 mph The bad: loss of life and property The good: flushes out coastline Tornadoes: • Form when cold dry air collides with warm moist air, which causes the warm air to rise quickly making a funnel cloud Prince Williams Sound Gulf of Alaska Risk of Tornadoes Highest High Medium Low CANADA UNITED STATES Grand Banks Hurricane Frequency High Moderately high MEXICO Atlantic Ocean Fig. 6.2, p. 122 Climate – Climate is the long term average precipitation and temperature of an area – Climate is determined by global wind patterns, latitude, altitude and ocean currents Climate is the average weather patterns for an area over a long period of time (30 - 1,000,000 years). It is determined by Average Precipitation and Average Temperature which are influenced by latitude altitude ocean currents and affects where people live how people live what they grow and eat Fig. 6.3, p. 123 Polar (ice) Warm temperate Highland Warm ocean current Subarctic (snow) Dry Major upwelling zones Cold ocean current Cool temperate Tropical River Fig. 6.4, p. 124 Global Air currents affect regional climates • Uneven heating of the Earth’s surface causes the equator to receive more sunlight making it hotter; the poles receive less light making them cooler. This causes: global circulation Easterlies (from the east) 60°N Westerlies (from the west) Northeast tradewinds 30°N (Doldrums) equator 30°S 60°S Initial pattern of air circulation Southeast tradewinds Westerlies Easterlies Deflections in the paths of air flow near the earth’s surface Fig. 6.6b, p. 125 Cold Cool Temperate Warm Temperate Tropical (equator) Tropical Warm Temperate Cool Temperate Cold Fig. 6.6a, p. 125 Climate type Seasons • Seasonal changes in temp and precipitation affect climate because the earth is tilted on its axis. It is colder in the winter and warmer in the summer because: Spring (sun aims directly at equator) Winter (northern hemisphere tilts away from sun) 23.5 ° Solar radiation Summer (northern hemisphere tilts toward sun) Fall (sun aims directly at equator) Fig. 6.5, p. 124 Coriolis Effect • Rotation of the Earth on its axis prevents air currents from moving directly north or south causing the winds to curve in what is called: Ocean Currents • • Long term variations in the amount of incoming solar radiation Heat from the sun evaporates water and transfers energy from the ocean to the atmosphere. This creates convection cells that transport heat to different latitudes. This leads to: ocean currents and weather Polar (ice) Warm temperate Highland Warm ocean current Subarctic (snow) Dry Major upwelling zones Cold ocean current Cool temperate Tropical River Fig. 6.4, p. 124 – Ocean Currents Affect climate • • Differences in water temp, winds and the rotation of the earth create currents. Currents redistribute heat. For example the gulf stream brings heat to Europe • Upwelling is created when the trade winds blow offshore pushing surface water away from land. The outgoing surface water is replaced by nutrient bottom water. Upwelling support: Wind Movement of surface water Diving birds Fish Upwelling Zooplankton Phytoplankton Nutrients Fig. 6.9, p. 126 The El Nino Southern Oscillation occurs every few years in the Pacific Ocean – In an ENSO, prevailing westerly winds weaken or stop – Surface waters along the coast of North America and South America (west) become warmer – Normal upwelling stops – This reduces the population of some fish species – Also causes severe weather, storms in the US especially CA, and drought in southeast Asia Surface winds blow westward EQUATOR AUSTRALIA Warm waters pushed westward SOUTH AMERICA Warm water Thermocline Cold water Normal Conditions Fig. 6.10a, p. 127 Temperature/Change (°F) +3 +2 1982–83 El Nino conditions La Nina conditions 1997–98 +1 0 -1 -2 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Year Fig. 6.12, p. 128 Winds weaken, causing updrafts and storms Drought in Australia and Southeast Asia EQUATOR AUSTRALIA Warm water flow stopped or reversed SOUTH AMERICA Warm water deepens off South America Warm water Thermocline Cold water El Niño Conditions Fig. 6.10b, p. 127 El Niño Drought Unusually high rainfall Unusually warm periods Fig. 6.11, p. 127 La Nina • La Ninas follow an El Nino and are characterized by cooling trends. La Nina brings more Atlantic hurricanes, colder winters in the north and warmer winters in the south, and an increase in tornadoes. The chemical makeup of the atmosphere affects the weather. Small amounts of water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons trap heat in the atmosphere warming the planet. These gases are called: greenhouse gases The greenhouse effect is when greenhouse gases allow light, infrared radiation and UV radiation through to the surface of the earth where it is reflected back into space. The greenhouse gases trap some reflected infrared radiation (a) Rays of sunlight penetrate the lower atmosphere and warm the earth's surface. (b) The earth's surface absorbs much of (c) As concentrations of greenhouse the incoming solar radiation and gases rise, their molecules absorb degrades it to longer-wavelength and emit more infrared radiation, infrared radiation (heat), which rises which adds more heat to the into the lower atmosphere. Some of lower atmosphere. this heat escapes into space and some is absorbed by molecules of greenhouse gases and emitted as infrared radiation, which warms the lower atmosphere. Fig. 6.13, p. 128 • Ozone Layer The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere. It is created when ultraviolet light turns oxygen into ozone. The chemical reactions is: – Ozone blocks all short wavelength UV-C radiation, 50% of the UV-B radiation and almost no long wavelength UV-A radiation. – Ozone also forms a thermal cap which: traps heat Topography of the earth also creates microclimates A microclimate is small area that has a different climate than the general climate of an area. – Vegetation in an area influences climate: forests stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer because of the trees – Cities create heat islands that trap heat and decrease wind speeds Water also changes climate by causing land breezes and sea breezes Cool air descends Warm air ascends Land warmer than sea; breeze flows onshore Fig. 6.15a, p. 130 Cool air descends Warm air ascends Land cooler than sea; breeze flows offshore Fig. 6.15b, p. 130 a Winds carry moisture inland from Pacific Ocean b Clouds, rain on windward side of mountain range Moist habitats c Rain shadow on leeward side of mountain range 4,000/75 3,000/85 2,000/25 1,800/125 1,000/25 1,000/85 15/25 The rain shadow effect changes climate Fig. 6.14, p. 129 Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn Arctic tundra (polar grasslands) Desert Boreal forest (taiga), evergreen coniferous forest (e.g., montane coniferous forest) Tropical rain forest, tropical evergreen forest Semidesert, arid grassland Mountains (complex zonation) Temperate deciduous forest Tropical deciduous forest Ice Temperate grassland Tropical scrub forest Dry woodlands and shrublands (chaparral) Tropical savanna, thorn forest Fig. 6.16, p. 131 Polar Tundra Subpolar Temperate Coniferous forest Desert Deciduous forest Grassland Tropical Chaparral Desert Savanna Rain forest Tropical seasonal forest Scrubland Fig. 6.17, p. 132 Low Alpine Tundra Elevation Montane Coniferous Forest Deciduous Forest High Tropical Forest Tropical Forest High Temperate Deciduous Forest Northern Coniferous Forest Moisture Availability Arctic Tundra Low Fig. 6.18, p. 133 Plant and animal adaptations to climate – For plants precipitation is generally the limiting factor in determining whether a climate is a desert, forest or grassland, but biomes are not uniform. They have the same general characteristics but there are microclimates that determine the actual plants you will find in any given area. Plants exposed to cold year around or in the winter have: • • Traits that keep them from losing too much heat or water They stay small Desert plants must be able to lose heat and conserve water. They do this by: • • Lose heat and store water Fleshy tissue, vertical, no leaves, store water In wet tropical climates the plants have • Broadleaf evergreen, maximize sunlight In climates that are hot in summer and cold in winter, plants have: • Deciduous leaves that fall off in winter In areas with cool short summers, the trees have: • • Coniferous evergreen Needle shaped leaves