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What Causes Different Climates?
Map of
World
Climates
I. The Significance of Climate and Biomes
A.
What is the difference between climate and weather?
1. Climate: the average, year after year conditions in a particular
region
2. Weather: the condition of the atmosphere at a certain time and
place
3. BOTH are measured in terms of temperature, wind speed,
humidity,
cloudiness, precipitation and other variables.
B. What is a biome?
1. Biomes are areas that are similar in climate and other physical
factors
2. These areas tend to develop similar communities of plants and
animals.
Powered by the sun, the climate system is a
complex exchange of energy and moisture among
Earth’s atmosphere.
II. Global Climate Controls
Latitude
Elevation
Topography
Water Bodies
Atmospheric Circulation
Vegetation
A. Latitude
1. Because the Earth tilts on its axis, and because the
earth is spherical the Sun’s rays strike the Earth at
different angles.
a. as a result, different parts of Earth receive
different amounts of solar radiation.
3. The tropics receive the
most solar radiation
because the sun’s rays
strike almost directly.
Temperatures in the
tropics are warm yearround.
4. The temperate zones have
moderate conditions.
5. The polar zones receive the
least radiation because the
suns rays strike at a very
low angle. Temperatures
in polar regions are usually
cold.
B. Elevation
1. Elevation is the height above sea level.
2. On average, air temperature drops about
6.5ºC for every 1000 m of altitude.
3. The higher the elevation, the colder the climate
C. Topography
1. Climates often differ on either side of a mountain.
2. As air rises over a mountain, it cools. As it cools,
it condenses, and releases moisture (rain). This is
called the windward side.
3. As the dry air flows over the mountain, it
descends and warms, usually producing deserts.
This is called the leeward side.
Direction of
Prevailing Winds
Deserts
such as the
Atacama in
Chile are
common
on leeward
sides of
mountains.
The dry area is
Called a rain shadow
and can extend for
hundreds of km
downwind of a
mountain range
D. Water Bodies
1. Land gains and loses heat much faster than water.
2. The temperature of a large body of water can influence
the temperature of the air above it.
3. Based on other factors certain areas closer to large
bodies of water may have a relatively small yearly
temperature range.
a. example: the California coast vs. the interior of
California
4. Continental interiors have large yearly temperature
ranges
5. Dry air gains and loses heat much faster than humid
air, so deserts have large daily temperature ranges
Water Bodies (Continued)
1. Ocean currents can warm or cool the air above.
2. Ocean currents may be considerably warmer or colder
than the normal air temperature for that latitude.
E. Atmospheric Circulation
1. Solar energy and earth’s rotation create motion in the
atmosphere called planetary winds.
2. There are three basic wind systems in each hemisphere:
Polar Easterlies, Northeast or Southeast Tradewinds and
Prevailing Westerlies.
3. These winds blow air masses with distinct regions of
origin (ie. formed over land or water, formed at certain
latitudes).
4. Winds move warm air toward the poles and cool air
toward the equator.
These belts shift
seasonally as the earth
spins on it’s axis and
different latitudes
receive direct sunlight.
In the Northern
Hemisphere, belts
shift northwards in the
summer, and
southwards in the
winter.
F. Vegetation
1. Vegetation influences how much of the sun’s energy
is absorbed and how quickly this energy is released,
which affects the climate.
2. During transpiration, plants release water vapor
from their leaves into the air.
F. Vegetation, cont.
3. Some plants release particles that promote the
formation of clouds.
4. Large areas of vegetation mimic large bodies of
water.
Application
Explain which of the six climate controls are primarily
responsible for the climate in the following cities:
• Patagonia, Chile
• San Francisco, California
• Denver, Colorado
• Carson City, Nevada
The End