Download Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Bodies of water influence climate and
species distribution
• Read pp. 80-83
Oceans and Climate
• Water has a high heat capacity
 Water heats up and cools down slowly, and can absorb large
amounts of thermal energy.
  Oceans can store and transport huge amounts of energy
 Oceans influence weather
through the water cycle
• Weather tracked over
many years = climate
 Climates vary greatly
around the world
 Climate measures temperature +
precipitation > 30 years
• Do questions 1-4, p. 83
• Read p. 85-86
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
How Oceans Affect Weather
• Through convection, heat energy transfers from the
ocean’s surface to the air, and this warm air rises
 The warm “bubble” of air is called a thermal
 The thermal rises until it loses its heat, and then drops back
down again. This process of heat transfer is called convection.
• El Niño is the warming ocean effect that occurs some
years in December off the Pacific coast of Ecuador.
 El Niño can change the weather around the world, including
warmer and wetter in BC, and droughts in Africa and Australia.
 Changing ocean temperatures also cause sea life to change
behaviours.
 La Niña is a cooling of similar waters, and produces
almost the opposite effects of El Niño.
The Moderating Effect of Oceans on Climate
• Oceans can make cold, northern locations warmer
 Locations like BC, Norway and England benefit
 Because of water’s high heat capacity, heat energy can be
carried from south to north by currents like the Gulf Stream (in
England and Norway) or the Pacific Drift (in BC).
 As the warm water evaporates, it carries energy over the
mainland of the province.
 Edmonton and Manchester, England are the same latitude
Edmonton, Alberta
Manchester, England
January average temperature = 7 C
January average temperature = +6 C
The Moderating Effect of Oceans on Climate
(continued)
• For these reasons, we can see considerable
differences between locations at the same
approximate latitude (distance from the equator) in BC
• Do questions 1-4, p. 87
• Do Activity 3-2, p. 87 (questions 1-5)
• Read Science Watch p. 88
• Check your understanding... P. 89, questions 1-10 and
the Pause and Reflect.