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Climate and
Climate Change
Lesson 1
Factors Affecting Climate
Climate
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Weather – Condition of the atmosphere at
a particular place and time
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Climate – average, year after year events;
Conditions of temperature, precipitation,
winds and clouds in an area
 Factors Affecting Climate
Precipitation
 Temperature
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Factors Affecting Precipitation
1. Prevailing Winds – moves air masses
 Amount of water vapor in an air mass
determines how much precipitation will fall
 Warm air can carry MORE water vapor than
cold air
 Amount of water vapor depends on where
winds originate from (ocean or land)
 Sinking cold air warms as it nears the earth’s
surface and absorbs water vapor which
creates very dry air or desert
Factors affecting Precipitation
2. Mountain Ranges
 Forces air to rise and cool
 Water vapor condenses and forms clouds
 Rain/snow falls on the windward side
 Cool/dry air on the leeward side
 Known as a rain shadow
Factors Affecting Temperature:

Latitude
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Areas at the equator receive the sun’s direct rays
At areas near the poles the sun’s rays are spread
out over a larger area
Three Zones
Tropical: 0°-23.5° (latitude) direct sun rays year round
 Temperate: 23.5°-66.5°(latitude)direct rays in the
summer
 Polar: 66.5°-90° (latitude) sun rays strike at a low angle
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Factors Affecting Temperature
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Altitude
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Altitude can create a different climate due to the
distance above sea level
Temperature decreases at 6.5°C for every
kilometer above sea level
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Example: Mount Kilimanjaro is located at 3° S latitude
yet its peaks are covered in snow
Factors Affecting Temperature

Distance from Large Bodies of Water
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Marine Climates
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Mild winters and cool summers
Continental Climates
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Extreme fluxes in temperature
Lesson 2
Ocean Currents
Ocean Currents
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Ocean Currents- streams of water within the
oceans that move in regular patterns
Warm currents carry warm water from the
tropics to the poles
Cold currents bring cold water from the poles
toward the equator
Currents affect the land because the surface of
the water warms or cools the air above it then
the air moves to nearby land
Lesson 3
Climate Regions
Types of Climate Regions
Six main types of climate regions:
 Tropical
 Arid (Dry)
 Temperate marine (Mediterranean)
 Temperate Continental
 Polar
 Mountain
Tropical
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Characterized by

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Precipitation—large amounts
Temperature—warm all year
Arid
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Characterized by
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Precipitation—very little
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Usually due to a prevailing wind that carries little
moisture.
Temperate Marine
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Characterized by
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Temperature—mild in summer and winter
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Due to proximity of a large body of water.
Temperate Continental
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Characterized by
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Temperature—cold winters, hot summers
Polar
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Characterized by
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Temperature—very cold winters, cool summers
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Due to latitude
Lesson 4
Solar Energy
Solar Energy
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The Sun emits energy in the form of
electromagnetic waves, including light and
heat.
The heat from the Sun:
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Determines climate
Creates weather patterns
Is transferred in 3 ways: by conduction,
convection, and radiation.
Conduction
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The transfer of energy from one particle to
another through collisions of atoms. Touch
Convection
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Heat is transferred by the movement of
currents in a fluid, like water or air.
Convection currents in liquids and gases only.
Radiation
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Heat is transferred by electromagnetic waves.
Solar Energy and the Atmosphere
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The heat from the sun heats the Earth’s surface
unevenly.
The heat from the sun heats the particles in
the atmosphere through radiation.
The particles pass energy through conduction.
Warm air rises and cool air sinks. This causes
convection currents.
The movement of air creates weather.
Lesson 5
Specific Heat
Specific Heat

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Specific heat tells how much energy is needed
to raise a substance’s temperature one degree
kelvin.
The amount of energy needed to change the
temperature depends on the substance.
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Water requires more energy to raise its temperature
than sand does.
Specific Heat and Climate
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An area’s climate can be determined by
specific heat.
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An area near water will not have drastic
temperature changes.
An area that is only land will have drastic
temperature changes.
Sea Breeze
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A sea breeze develops
during the day.
The sand has a lower
specific heat so the air over
the sand heats up quickly.
Water has a high specific
heat so the air stays cooler.
Since hot air rises, cool air
comes from over the water
and blows onto land.
Land Breeze
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A land breeze occurs at
night.
Sand has a lower specific
heat so the air over it cools
quickly.
Water has a high specific
heat so the air over it stays
warmer.
A convection current occurs.
The warm air over the water
rises and the cool air from
the land takes its place.