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CLIMATE
CONNECTIONS
Making
Connections
Chapter 12
Weather In Other Words
Combination of temperature,
precipitation, cloud cover, and winds
experienced daily
Climate
Weather conditions of a place
averaged
over a long period of time
CANADA & CLIMATE
a] Canada extends for a great distance, from
the far north to the southern most parts. It
covers many degrees of latitude.
CANADA & CLIMATE
b] Different elevations produce
different climate conditions.
c] Coastal regions have different climates
from inland regions.
d] Wind and pressure systems move
weather from one part of North America to
another.
THE
FACTORS
AFFECTING
CLIMATE
• Latitude
• Ocean Currents
• Relief & Elevation
• Wind and Pressure Systems
• Continental & Maritime
Locations
#1 LATITUDE
• Latitude affects climate depending
on how close you are to the
Equator.
• The climate is hottest on the Equator.
• The farther from the Equator you
travel (north or south) the colder it
will be.
• The reason for this is that the closer you are
to the Equator, the more directly the sun's rays
go through the Earth's atmosphere.
The Sun’s rays shine on the Earth.
The Sun’s rays are more
concentrated at the Equator.
In other words . . .
• Since the Earth is curved,
the Sun’s rays hitting our
planet at a higher latitude
are spread out over a
greater area.
• Over the Equator the rays are
concentrated in a smaller
area.
Elementary School Review
The Sun’s rays are stronger depending
on its position in the solar system.
and that is how we
get our seasons.
Pay close attention
to the Sun’s rays
on the Northern Hemisphere
in the summer and the winter.
WINTER
SUMMER
#2
OCEAN
CURRENTS
The temperature of an
ocean current affects
the temperature of air
that passes over it.
CANADA’S WEST
COAST
The warm North Pacific
Current heats the cool,
moist air which passes over
it.
CANADA’S EAST COAST
The cold Labrador
Current cools the air
of coastal locations in
Labrador and northern
Newfoundland...
...while the Gulf Stream,
warms the air of coastal
areas in Nova Scotia
and southern
Newfoundland.
When these two
currents meet on the
Grand Banks the
weather is often
damp and foggy.
THE
GLOBAL
OCEAN CURRENT
CONVEYOR BELT
#3 WINDS PRESSURE
SYSTEMS
Don’t Forget . . .
Air has weight.
The weight is called air
pressure.
Differences in air pressure are
created when the earth is heated
to different temperatures.
Warm air rising
above heated
ground creates
an area of low
pressure.
When the rising
air has cooled, it
falls toward the
earth and creates
an area of high
pressure.
Air moves along the
surface of the earth
from high-pressure
areas toward lowpressure areas.
Around the earth,
there are high and
low pressure belt
patterns called
Prevailing Winds.
Over North America air
masses move from west to
east.
Air masses that form over the
Arctic will be cold and dry,
while air masses coming from
the Gulf of Mexico will be
warm and moist.
#1 The boundary between
cold, dry polar air and warm, moist
tropical air is called the Polar Front.
#2 High in the atmosphere
above the polar front is a current of
fast-moving air called the Polar
Front Jet Stream.
In the winter, the JET
STREAM moves southward,
allowing cold arctic air to
flow in to the USA.
In the summer, it moves
northward, allowing warm
air from Mexico to flow into
Canada.
Important Fact
The warm air masses
and the cold air masses
that meet at the polar
front will result in storms.
#4 RELIEF
AND
ELEVATION
Relief refers to
differences in
elevation of the
earth’s surface.
a) Mountain ranges act as barriers to
the movement of air masses.
b) The higher the elevation the lower
the temperature.
c) As air rises, it expands because
there is less air pressure.
d) As the air expands, it loses heat.
Fig. 12-4 on page 130 in the
Making Connections textbook
will explain how to calculate
changes in temperature of a
rising air mass.
#5
CONTINENTAL
& MARITIME
ENVIRONMENTS
CONTINENTAL
CLIMATES
Are areas far from oceans and large
lakes.
The temperature range is great
because there is no large water body to
moderate the hot temperatures of
summer and the cold temperatures of
winter.
MARITIME CLIMATES
Coastal areas have a relatively small
temperature range.
The level of precipitation is higher.
THE MODERATING EFFECT OF
WATER
An explanation of why Maritime climates
are moderate compared to Continental
climates.
DID YOU KNOW?
Oceans and larger lakes
heat up and cool down
more slowly than land
masses.
IN THE SUMMER
A body of water remains
cooler than the land
surrounding it.
IN FACT
Winds blowing from over
water keep the surrounding
countryside cooler than it
would be if the water body
was not present.
IN THE WINTER
Bodies of water retain their
heat and are warmer than
the land.
IN FACT
Winds blowing off the
water warm the
surrounding countryside.
THAT IS WHY
Maritime locations have
cooler summers and milder
winters than continental
locations far from water
bodies.