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Aim: What are the factors that
affect climate?
Do Now:
In your notebooks, describe what
factors affect the weather of an
area. Discuss the variables
involved as well as the processes.
I. Factors that affect climate
1. Latitude
(incoming solar
radiation = sunlight)
- As latitude increases,
insolation decreases,
which lowers the
average temp.
- This occurs because
the higher latitudes
receive lower angles of
light.
- lower angles
produce weaker suns
rays.
2. Land vs. Water (bodies of water)
- bodies of water moderate (even out) the
temperature of the land
- areas that receive sea-breezes have cooler summers
and warmer winters.
- land- locked areas tend
to be hotter during the
day and cooler during
the night
Sea Breeze
3. Elevation (altitude)
- the higher the
Elevation, the
colder the climate.
(snow-capped
mountain)
4. Topography
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa
- mountains play an important role in
the amount of precipitation that falls and
the type of air that occurs in the area.
(orographic lifting)
5. Atmospheric
Circulation
- Global winds
distribute warm
moist air and cool
dry air around
Earth.
- Winds move
warm air towards
the poles and cool
air towards the
equator.
6. Atmospheric Transparency (Clouds)
- An Albedo effect is created when a surface
reflects radiation from the sun or radiating body.
- Clouds in the atmosphere and ice/snow on the
ground cause an Albedo effect.
7. Vegetation
- affects both temperature and the precipitation
patterns in an area.
- Vegetation influences how much of the sun’s
energy is absorbed by the ground.
- More transpiration leads to more precipitation.
Closure:
Using your notes,
complete the worksheet
by writing in important
facts and drawing
diagrams fro each of the
terms.