Download Weather Vs. Climate

Weather Vs. Climate
• Weather: atmospheric conditions
in a particular location over a
short period of time (a day to a
week)
• Weather occurs in the
troposphere (first 0-10 km of the
atmosphere)
Weather descriptions may include one
or more of the following:
• Temperature
• Type and amount of precipitation
• Wind speed
• Relative humidity (the amount of
water in the atmosphere)
• Atmospheric pressure (the force we
feel from the weight of air above us)
• Presence of fog, mist or cloud cover
The Weather Man!
• Meteorologists are
scientist that predict the
weather.
How do we predict weather?
• Environment Canada
• Methods:
– Weather stations
– Weather balloons
– Satellites
• Short term observations
• How accurate is the weatherperson?
Weather is created by the interaction
between the sun’s rays and water and
air on the Earth
• the sun heats the atmosphere and
creates winds
• water evaporates and condenses
forming clouds and precipitation
• ocean water moves from the equator to
the poles to move heat around the earth
Climate: the average weather in a
region over a long period of time,
usually 30 years
• climate gives a range of
temperatures for a region and
whether it is likely to snow, rain
etc.
• determines the types of plants
and animals that can live there
• During the course of Earth’s history the
climate has continually changed, and will
continue to change in the future
Climate vs. Weather
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUiwtVSk
UwQ
• How does weather affects us…
1)Economically
2)Socially
3)Environmentally
Economic Effects of Climate
-
Heating and cooling
Creates jobs snow removal, meteorologist
More likely to take car/bus if cold/wet
Snow storm=closed buildings (lose $)
More snow = more shovels, road salt, snow
blowers sold
- More travelers go to warmer places (winter
months)
Social Effects of Climate
- Luxury of ski resorts/skating rinks open in
winter
- Amusement parks, water parks open in
summer
- Wear certain clothes depending on the
weather
- Catch colds in winter, allergies in spring/fall
- Affect travel plans (cancellations due to
weather)
Environmental Effects of Climate
- Air conditioning in summer
pollution smog global warming
- Take car when cold/wet pollution
global warming
- Sunny outside skin cancer risk
- Extreme weather events (tornado,
hurricane) cause environmental
degradation
• The atmosphere is separated into layers based
on temperature
Layer
Distance above
Earths Surface
Average
Temperature
Description
Troposphere
0-16km
20 to 500C
-ALL weather
-water vapour
-Increase altitudes
causes drop in
temperature
Stratosphere
16-50 km
100C
-ozone rich
-dry layer
-increase altitude
causes increase in
temperature
Layer
Distance above
Earths Surface
Average
Temperature
Description
Mesosphere
50-80 km
-750C
-middle layer
-meteors burn up here
Thermosphere
80-500 km
300C
-Ionosphere (sun’s
energy electrically
charges particles)
-Aurora’s
-allows radio
transmission
(absorbs xrays 6000C
Exosphere
500 km ++
----------------
-”space”
-few particles/spread
out
-satellites orbit here
LOWER Near water …..
• You can remember the factors affecting climate using this simple
acronym:
– L – Latitude
– O – Ocean Currents
– W – Wind Patterns
– E – Elevation
– R – Relief
– Near Water – proximity to water
LATITUDE
Solar Radiation – radiant energy given off
by the sun
Thermal Energy – total kinetic energy of
the molecules or atoms in a substance
LATITUDE
• Latitude controls the amount of solar radiation that reaches the
earth
• GENERAL RULE .. Farther away from equator = less solar energy
WHY?!?!?
1. Angle of Incidence (angle at which solar rays strike the
surface)
2. Amount of atmosphere solar radiation must pass through
LATITUDE
Effects
– In areas farther from equator,
the same amount of solar energy
is spread out over a larger area
• Lower temperatures
• Lower evaporation rates
– It is this differential heating of
land surfaces that causes global
winds and ocean currents
OCEAN CURRENTS
• Driven by wind and
differences in temperature
and salinity (salt content)
• Redistribute heat around
the world
• Warm currents heat air
above water and cause a
milder, wetter climate
• Cold currents cool air above
water and cause a colder,
dryer climate
WIND PATTERNS (GLOBAL)
• Difference in heating
patterns lead to a
difference in pressure
• This creates global wind
patterns as air moves
from areas of high
pressure to areas of low
pressure
ELEVATION
• Elevation refers to level above or below sea
level
• Air temperature decreases as elevation
increases
– WHY?
• Solar radiation only turns to heat when
absorbed by matter
• The lower you go in the atmosphere, the more
the air contains (water vapour, dust, air
molecules, etc.) because of the force of gravity
• So more solar radiation can be absorbed and
turned into heat at lower elevations … i.e.
higher temperatures
RELIEF
• Mountains naturally
cause air masses to rise
– As air rises, it expands,
cools and condenses
– This causes a moist area
on one side of the
mountain and a RAIN
SHADOW (dry climate)
on the other side
NEAR WATER
• Bodies of water provide a source of moisture
to nearby land masses
– What cools down and heats up faster???
• Water or land?
Global Warming vs. Climate Change
• Global Warming:
– An increase in the average global (world-wide) temperature
– Although the average global temperature is increasing, there are
many places on Earth which are not getting warmer
• Climate Change
– Refers to long-term changes in weather conditions (not only
temperature):
•
•
•
•
Temperature
Precipitation (rain and snow)
Wind
Severity of storms
Homework Questions
1.
Classify each of the following as either a weather observation for a specific location and
day or an aspect of a locatin’s climate. Explain each choice with a short sentence.
[Knowledge]
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2.
3.
4.
Temperature highs and lows
Precipitation
Hours of sunshine
Wind speed
Humidity
Describe today’s weather in your area using as much information as you can (tip: in
addition to standing outside, check theweathernetwork.com and find your location)
[Application]
In recent weeks two weather terms have been on the news: polar vortex and frost quake.
Use the Internet to find out how each term relates to recent GTA weather. Also determine
if the term is an actual scientific term or a term used in the media to help the general
population understand the phenomenon. [Application]
Suppose you were marooned on an island. You started collecting weather data so that you
could come to a conclusion about the climate of the island. How long would you need to
keep weather records before you could make a definite conclusion about climate.
[Thinking]