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World Geography and Cultures
Ch. 3: Climates of the Earth
Yorkville High School
2014
Ch. 3 Section Break-Down
• Section 1: Earth-Sun Relationships
• Section 2: Factors Affecting Climate
• Section 3: World Climate Patterns
Think About It…
– Where is it nighttime right now?
– What time is it in California, Hawaii, Japan,
Afghanistan?
3.1 Earth-Sun Relationships
• Essential Question:
Explain how the
Earth’s position (in
space) in relation to
the Sun affect life on
Earth?
Climate and Weather
Weather v. Climate
Weather = short term – Think: I should
bring my umbrella, it might rain today.
Climate = long term – Think consistently
rainy in Seattle, I always need my
umbrella.
…cold snowy winters in Chicago
Earth’s Tilt and Rotation
• Axis – determines how much direct sunlight the
Earth receives at a given point
– Temperature
• Fahrenheit v. Celsius
– Rotation – 1 every 24 hours
Earth’s Revolution
• Revolution – One trip around the sun
– 365 ¼ days
– Seasons - reversed north and south of the Equator
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•
•
•
Spring Equinox – March 21
Summer Solstice – June 21
Fall Equinox – September 23
Winter Solstice – December 22
– The Poles
• North – Midnight sun
• Rotation – one 24 hour period (day)
24 hour sunlight in Alaska
The Greenhouse Effect
• Earth’s atmosphere traps the sun’s heat and
energy and keeps it from escaping back into
space.
– w/o = too cold to live for most
– 50% of Sun’s radiation
• Global Warming
– Rise in temps
– Cause- burning of coal, oil, natural gas
• Releases CO2
– Potential problems???
Greenhouse effect with Global
Warming
3.2 Factors Affecting Climate
• Essential Question: What factors can affect how
climates are distributed on Earth’s surface?
• Think about…
– Why are Chicago Winters usually so cold and snowy
but summers extremely hot?
– Antarctica…would you go there?
…→
He’s there
Latitude, Elevation and Climate
• Low Latitudes
– Between 30°South and 30°North
– Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, Tropic of
Cancer are in this zone
…sun all year = Warm to hot
• High Latitudes
– Between 60°North and 90°North and between
60°South and 90°South
– Arctic/Antarctic circle- direct sunlight 180 days
Latitudes, Elevation and Climate
• Midlatitudes
– Between 30° North and 60° North and 30°
South and 60° South
– Varying weather
– Temperate Climate – dramatic seasonal
changes
Latitudes, Elevation and Climate
• Elevation
– Influence Temp regardless of latitude
– Thinner air retains less heat
SEE chart on page 55
Winds and Ocean Currents
• Wind Patterns
– Happen because of Temp differences
– Tropical winds towards poles and vice versa
– Prevailing winds
– Coriolis Effect
• Trade winds
• Westerlies
• Polar Easterlies
Winds and Ocean Currents
• Horse Latitudes
– At the Equator – little wind
• Doldrums
• Ocean Currents
– Warm and cold streams of water
• Causes – rotation, air pressure, water temps
Distributing the Sun’s Heat
Winds and Oceans Currents
• Weather and the water cycle
– How does the water cycle cool or change the
weather (think back to chapter 2)
• El Nino
– Periodic change in ocean currents, water
temps and weather in mid-pacific region
– Appears infrequently
– So what happens?
Landforms and Climate
• How do physical features affect climate?
– Water
– Coasts
– Mountains
• Windward
• Leeward
• Rain Shadow
World Climate Patterns
• Essential Question: How do Geographers
classify Earth’s climate and vegetation?
Climate Regions
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•
•
•
•
Tropical
Dry
Midlatitudes
High latitude
Highland
– Soils and Vegetation
Climate Regions
• Tropical Climates
– Low Latitudes – Tropical Areas
• Tropical wet
– Hot and Wet throughout the year (80 Degrees)
– Daily Rain (80 in)
» Ex. Amazon River Basin
• Tropical dry
– Dry winters, wet summers (Hot)
– Fewer trees (Not lush)
» Ex. Parts of Africa, central and south America,
Australia
Amazon River Basin
Savannah in Austraila
Climate Regions
• Dry Climates
– Desert
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•
•
•
Dry areas
Sparse plant life
Less than 10 in of rain
Scrub, cactus, plants…oasis?
– Ex. Sahara
– Steppe
• Border deserts
• Largely treeless grasslands
• 10-20in rain per year
– Ex. Eastern Europe and western and central Asia
Sahara Desert
Climate Regions
• Midlatitude Climates
– 4 regions
•
•
•
•
Marine West Coast
Mediterranean
Humid subtropical
Humid Continental
Climate Regions - Midlatitude
• Marine West Coast
– Cool summers
– Cool damp winters
– Lots of rain
• Coniferous - evergreens
• Deciduous – broad leaves, change colors, lose
leaves in winter
• Ex. Pacific coast of North America
Climate Regions - Midlat
• Mediterranean
– Mild rainy winters
– Hot sunny summers
– Woody bushes, short trees
Climate Regions – Mid lat
• Humid Subtropical
– Short mild winters
– Year round rain
– High humidity
– Prairies, inland grasslands, evergreens and
deciduous trees
• EX. Southeastern US
Climate Regions – Mid Lat
• Humid Continental
– Inland location (Ocean…little impact)
– North = long and severe snowy winters,
shorter cooler summers
– More evergreens
• Ex. Much of the Very north, Northern
Hemisphere.
Climate Regions
• High Latitude Climates
– Freezing Temperatures
• Lack of direct sunlight
• Vegetation limited
– Subarctic
• North of arctic circle – bitter winters, short cool summers
• Permafrost
– Tundra – near the poles
• Indirect sun, vegetation limited, snow and ice
• Highland Climates
– High elevation, mixed forests…
Climate Changes
• Ice ages – over 2 million years
• HEI –
– Fuels, acid rain, deforestation, smog, changes
in water flows
Up Next:
• The Human World
– World Population
– Global Cultures
– Political and Economic Systems
– Resources, trade and the environment