Download Climatic Changes

Today’s Agenda
Bellringer: Identify the energy transformations
that take place in the following examples
– Turning on a flashlight
– A ball rolling down a hill
– Photosynthesis
Review
Notes on Climatic Change
Exit Slip/Homework
Target
I can investigate a variety of Earth’s
systems that are powered by solar
energy.
– Climate
Review
On a summer day, why would a Florida
beach be cooler than an orange grove
that is 2 km inland?
Explain how heat energy carried by
ocean currents influences climate.
See page 149…which has a warmer
climate, Dallas or San Francisco? Why?
Review
See page 150…According to the
chart…What effect do cities have on
climate?
Why might plants found at different
elevations on a mountain differ?
How can two cities located at the same
latitude have different climates?
Review
How is fur on mammals an adaptation?
What is the difference between a
structural and behavioral adaptation?
Compare estivation and hibernation.
What adaptations help dogs keep cool
during hot weather?
Review
Some scientists have suggested that
Earth’s climate is getting warmer. What
effects might this have on vegetation
and animal life in various parts of the
US?
Today’s Target…
I understand that while some changes
in Earth’s surface or atmosphere occur
without warning, many can be predicted
from available data/evidence.
– Changes in Climate
Climatic Changes
Study Pack #5
Page 156
Earth’s Seasons
Short periods of climate change
Caused by the Earth’s tilt and revolution
around the sun
See figure 8
Earth’s Seasons
The tropics have fairly constant solar
radiation
– Do not have much seasonal temperature
change
Earth’s Seasons
Temperate zones have cold winters and
warm summers
– Spring and fall are mild
The season depends on which
hemisphere is tilted toward the sun
Earth’s Seasons
The poles have changes in
temperature, but still very cold
The poles have six months of sunlight
and six without
El Nino and La Nina
Pages 158 – 159
How does El Nino affect climate in the
US?
What about La Nina?
Climatic Changes
Page 160
What causes climate change?
– Catastrophic events
– Short or long-term changes in the sun’s
output
– Changes in Earth’s movement in space
– Movement of Earth’s plates
Catastrophic Events
Solids and liquids can enter the atmosphere
naturally or by humans through pollution
Natural ways particles can enter the
atmosphere include:
–
–
–
–
Meteorite collisions
Volcanic eruptions
Soot from fires
Wind erosion of soil particles
Catastrophic Events
The particles can block solar radiation
and cause a cooling of the planet
Page 170
Energy from the Sun
If the output of radiation from the sun
changes, so would the Earth’s climate
Related to sunspots – dark spots on the
surface of the sun
The more sunspots, the warmer the
weather
Page 161
Earth Movements
Earth’s axis is currently tilted 23.5
degrees
Earth’s axis is sometimes tilted more or
less than normal
– When the axis is titled more there is a
greater difference between summer and
winter
Crustal Plate Movement
The movement of continents and
oceans affects the transfer of heat on
Earth
Affects wind and precipitation patterns
These patterns can change climates
Page 162 – growth of the Himalayas
Exit Slip
Complete the exit slip using your notes!