Download Weather and Causes of Climate

Chapter 3
Physical Geography: Climate
and Vegetation
Overview/ generalization
about Chapter 3…
What is the difference
between weather and
climate?
Weather is…
Climate is…
• 2. Daily
weather is the
result of many
factors,
including…
solar energy, cloud cover,
landforms, bodies of water
and air movement
Types of
precipitation
Orographic
•Orographic rain occurs
when Air moves from low
altitude to higher altitude
creating humidity, clouds
and eventually precipitation.
(mountainous areas)
Orographic Cloud
Convection
•Rising heated water
vapor that forms clouds
and causes heated air to
rise even higher.
RAIN SHADOW
•A rain shadow is a dry area
on the leeward side of a
mountainous area. The
mountains block the rain
from the windward side of
the mountain. Creates a
“shadow” of dryness.
RAIN SHADOW
WINDWARD
LEEWARD
El Niño is an abnormal warming of surface
ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacific
Causes increased rain in the
Southern United States and Peru
as well as droughts in western
Pacific countries like Indonesia
El Niño
• Abnormal Cooling of the
Pacific
• During a La Niña year, winter
temperatures are warmer
than normal in the Southeast
Asia and cooler than normal in
the Northwest United States
• Causes summer droughts in the
southern United States
La Niña
Normal
Types of extreme weather
include…
hurricanes
•tornadoes
Tornado Alley
blizzards
droughts
floods
Section 2: Climate
• 1. Four major factors
influence the climate of a
region. They are…
wind and ocean currents
latitude
altitude/ elevation
and topography
• 2. Climates
change…
• 3. Some climate changes
are… natural while others
result from human
activities