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Factors Affecting Climate
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Divide your paper into 4 squares.
Label them the following (4 front, 4 back):
1. Low Latitudes
5. Wind Patterns
2. High Latitudes
6. Ocean Currents
3. Mid-Latitudes
7. El Niño
4. Elevation
8. Landforms
Use Ch. 3 Sec. 2
You will write at least 3 main points for each IN
YOUR OWN WORDS!
Draw a colored Illustration for each!
Leave room for extra notes I may have! 
LACEMOP
Factors that shape
Weather and Climate
Latitude
Earth-Sun Relationships — seasons and
atmospheric scattering and energy
spreading.
Low Latitudes
 Between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of
Capricorn (includes Equator); the “Tropics”
 Low numbers in latitude value
 Receive direct rays from Sun
 Equator: 6 mos. a yr.
 Each Tropic: 3 mos. a yr.
 Receive indirect rays from Sun
 Equator: 6 mos. a yr.
 Each Tropic: 6 mos. a yr.
 Warm to hot climates year round
Mid Latitudes
 Most variable weather on Earth
 Between Tropic of Cancer & Arctic Circle;
between Tropic of Capricorn & Antarctic
Circle
 Ranges from fairly hot to fairly cold
(temperate), dramatic changes, but
moderate
 Summer gets warm air from tropics, winter
gets cold air from high-latitudes
High Latitudes
 Polar areas= N of Arctic Circle and S of
Antarctic Circle (high numbers in latitude
value)
 Receives constant sunlight for 6 months
when pole faces Sun
 March-Sept: North has constant daylight,
South is in dark (switches for next 6 mos.)
 Arctic & Antarctic Circles are last point
to receive indirect rays (during summer
or winter)
Air Masses
Air masses take on the “weather”
of the place from which they came.
The meeting of two air masses is a
front.
Air Masses
Convectional Precipitation:Typical
of hot climates; convection occurs
after morning sunshine heats warm
moist air. Clouds form in the
afternoon and the rain falls.
Convectional Precipitation
Near Equator
Frontal Precipitation — when 2 fronts of
different temperatures meet.
Warm air forced upward by heavier, cool air.
Rising warm air cools = precipitation--Most
common type
Mid-Latitudes
a) summer—warm masses
of air from the Tropics
b) winter– cold masses of
air from the high latitudes
Elevation
a)Height above sea level
b) Temperature
decreases as elevation
increases
Elevation
 At any latitude, anywhere on Earth,
elevation influences climate
 If high enough in elevation, can have
snow on the Equator
 As altitude increases, the air thins which
absorbs less heat
 As elevation increases, temperature
decreases
Mountain Barriers
•Blocks air masses and causes
precipitation.
• Orographic Precipitation: warm
moist air forced upward when
passing over a mountain. Warm
winds cool as they rise over the
mountains and clouds form
• Air is warm and dry on the
other side
• Windward: mountain side
which faces the ocean
• Leeward: mountain side
which is in a “rain shadow”
(no precipitation received)
Ganges Plain in India
Himalaya
Arid Tibetan
Plateau
Ocean Currents
• Help to distribute heat
• Carry warm water from tropics to poles and
return cold water to the Equator
• Winds affect
current
movement
• Air masses take
on water
temperature
Pressure & Wind
•Rising warm air = low pressure
•Falling cool air = high pressure
•Wind moves high to low
•Movement from equator to poles and back
•Coriolis Effect: rotation of
the earth bends the patterns
of the wind
Winds blow in constant patterns
and are called prevailing winds.
Historical Fact: Many were named
for the direction they blew…some
were even given names because
they were used by trading ships
through the region…
Trade winds -- blow from the
northeast toward the Equator and
from the southeast toward the
equator
Westerlies – prevailing winds in
the mid-latitudes blow diagonally
west to east
Polar Easterlies – blow diagonally
in the high latitudes east to west—
pushing the cold air toward the mid
latitudes
Doldrums: windless
area near the equator
Horse Latitudes: Historically, ships would lighten
their loads in order to take advantage of the
slightest wind such as cargo, excess supplies and
livestock…this also included horses.
 Move clockwise in N. Hem. and counterclockwise in
S. Hem. (Coriolis Effect)
 Cool air flows in to replace rising warm air (Polar
front), distributing Sun’s heat
 Switches direction in each latitude zone
 Low latitudes have trade winds (northeasterly/southeasterly)
 Mid-latitudes have westerlies
 High latitudes have polar easterlies
*(named for direction they come FROM)
 Windless bands
 Doldrums @ Equator
 Horse Latitudes @ Tropics
Landforms
 Landforms affect climates of places at the same latitude
 Bodies of water moderate temps. b/c they take a long time
to change temp.
 Gulf of MX is warm water keeps Houston warmer
 Continentality– absence of lg. body of water means more
drastic weather changes
 Nebraska can have hot summers and receive snow in the
winters (4 seasons instead of 2  )
 Rainshadow effect
 Cool air releases moisture on windward side of
mountain; then hot, dry air moves to leeward side
creating deserts
El Nino
 Periodic change in currents & water
temps. in mid-Pacific region
 No known cause
 Reversal of atmospheric pressures 
reduce or reverse wind patterns brings
warm water from Asia to South America
 Domino effect:
 Precipitation increases, flooding in S.
America
 Or droughts and fires in SE Asia/Australia
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