Download Factors that affect climate

Factors that Affect Climate
that are out of our control…
Latitude
The distance from the equator is a key factor that
determines whether a region has a hot climate or a
cold one
Latitude affects how much sun there is in a certain
spot which determines temperature
Wind systems
In Canada, the prevailing winds blow
from west to east
Wind speeds in Canada
Mountain barriers
When moisture-bearing winds meet mountains,
they move up the windward sides of these
barriers.
As air rises, it cools, and condensation produces
rain – this is why BC gets so much rain! 
Himalayan mountains
(seen from space)
Air masses
Huge volumes of air moving because of unequal
heating of the Earth by the sun
Hurricanes and tornadoes can be a result
Ocean currents
Currents in the water are caused by
strong winds (prevailing winds)
Ocean currents around Canada
Altitude
The higher you are, the colder it is –
less air pressure means the air
expands and loses its heat
Bodies of water
Large bodies of water (lakes/oceans) take a long
time to heat up & cool down, so areas around large
bodies of water experience less extreme
temperatures and more precipitation (air mass
picks up moisture)
The region around Lake Ontario stays warmer in the
fall because it is influenced by the high temp. of the
lake from the summer months.
What is precipitation?
Precipitation is any form of moisture
which falls to the Earth – this
includes: rain, snow, hail, and sleet
Silent reading pages
145-half of 150
What are the 3 types of
precipitation?
(In each case, something happens to
a mass of moist air)
1) Frontal (cyclonic) precipitation
2) Relief (orographic) precipitation
3) Convectional precipitation
Precipitation