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Ch.14 Climate
SES3. Students will explore the actions of water, wind, ice, and gravity that create landforms and systems of
landforms (landscapes).
d. Relate the past and present actions of ice, wind, and water to landform distribution and landscape evolution.
SES5. Students will investigate the interaction of insolation and Earth systems to produce weather and climate.
e. Describe the hazards associated with extreme weather events and climate change (e.g., hurricanes,
tornadoes, El Niño/La Niña, global warming).
SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.
b. Relate the distribution of biomes (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) to climate regions through time.
14.1 Defining Climate
Objectives
• Recognize limits associated with the use of normals.
• Explain why climates vary.
• Compare and contrast temperatures in different regions on Earth.
Main Idea
• Climate is affected by several factors including latitude and elevation.
Review Vocabulary
jet stream: a high-altitude, narrow, westerly wind band that occurs above large temperature changes
Annual Averages and Variations
• Climatology is the study of Earth’s __________ and the __________ that affect _______,
_________, and __________ climatic changes.
• Climate describes the _______-________ weather patterns of an area.
• Normals
• The data used to describe an area’s climate include __________ high and low
_______________, amounts of _______________, _______ ________ and
direction, _______________, and air pressure.
• The data are _______________ on a monthly or annual basis for a period of at least 30
years to determine the _______________, which are the standard values for a location.
• Normals apply only to the _______________ place where the meteorological data were
_______________.
• Changes in _______________ and other factors, such as proximity to large bodies of
________, can cause climates to vary.
Causes of Climate
• Latitude
• _______________ has a great effect on climate. The amount of solar radiation received
on Earth _______________ from the equator to the poles.
• The area between 23.5° S and 23.5° N of the equator is known as the _______________.
• Tropical areas receive the most solar radiation and are generally ________ year-round.
• The _______________ zones lie between 23.5° and 66.5° north and south of the equator.
• As their name implies, temperatures in these regions are _______________.
• The _________ zones are located from 66.5° north and south of the equator to the poles.
• Polar temperatures tend to be _______.
• Topographic effects
• Water heats up and cools down more __________ than land. Thus, large bodies of water
affect the climates of __________ areas.
•
•
Temperatures in the lower atmosphere generally _______________ with altitude. Thus,
mountain climates are usually _______________ than those at sea level.
• _______________ lifting leads to rain on the _______________ side of a mountain.
The _______________ side is usually dry and warm.
Air masses
• Air masses affect _______________ climates by transporting the _______________
and _______________ of their source regions.
14.1 Section Questions
1. The normal high temperature for a location is calculated by averaging high temperature data for that
location.
a. true
b. false
2. Which latitude region on Earth is called the tropics?
a. between 10° N and 10° S
b. between 23.5° N and 23.5° S
c. between 28.5° N and 28.5° S
d. between 30° N and 30° S
3. What happens as air rises on the windward side of a mountain range?
a. The air cools and water condenses.
b. The air cools and water resists condensation.
c. The air warms and water condenses.
d. The air warms and water resists condensation.
Ch.14 Climate
SES3. Students will explore the actions of water, wind, ice, and gravity that create landforms and systems of landforms (landscapes).
d. Relate the past and present actions of ice, wind, and water to landform distribution and landscape evolution.
SES5. Students will investigate the interaction of insolation and Earth systems to produce weather and climate.
e. Describe the hazards associated with extreme weather events and climate change (e.g., hurricanes,
tornadoes, El Niño/La Niña, global warming).
SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.
b. Relate the distribution of biomes (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) to climate regions through time.
14.3 Climatic Changes
Objectives
• Distinguish between long-term and short-term climatic changes.
• Identify natural causes of climate change.
• Recognize why climatic changes occur.
Main Idea
Earth’s climate is constantly changing on many different timescales.
Review Vocabulary
glacier: large, moving mass of ice that forms near Earth’s poles and in mountainous regions at high
elevations
Long-Term Climatic Changes
 Ice ages
o During the periods of extensive __________ coverage called ______ _______, average
global temperatures decreased by an estimated ____°C.
o The most recent ice age ended only about _________ years ago.
Short-Term Climatic Changes
 While an ice age may last for several __________ years, other ___________ changes occur
over much shorter time periods.
 Seasons are ________-_______ periods of climatic change caused by regular variations in
___________, _______________, and weather _______________.
 Seasons
o The variations that occur with __________ are the result of changes in the amount of
________ ____________ an area receives.
o When the north pole is pointed ________ from the Sun, the northern hemisphere
experiences _________ and the southern hemisphere experiences _________. During
spring and fall, __________ pole points toward the sun.
 El Niño
o Other short-term climatic changes include those caused by El Niño, a _______ ________
current that occasionally develops off the __________ coast of South America.
o Under normal conditions, _________ ________ and ________ ___________ move
warm water west across the Pacific Ocean.
o During El Niño, ________ ________ surges back toward South America, changing
__________ patterns.
Natural Causes of Climatic Changes
 Solar activity
o The __________ minimum is the term used to describe the period of low numbers of
___________, from 1645 to 1716.
o This period closely corresponds to an unusually cold climatic episode called the _________
Ice Age.




o Studies indicate that _____________ solar activity coincides with _________-thannormal sea surface temperatures, while periods of ______ solar activity, such as the
Maunder minimum, coincide with _________ sea surface temperatures.
Earth’s orbit
o Climatic changes might also be triggered by changes in Earth’s ________ and ________.
o The shape of Earth’s elliptical orbit appears to _________, becoming more
_____________, then more ___________, over the course of a _________-year cycle.
o Scientists hypothesize that a more _____________ orbit around the Sun could produce
significant changes in Earth’s __________.
Earth’s tilt
o At present, the angle of the tilt of Earth’s axis is _______°. However, the angle of tilt varies
from a minimum of 22.1° to a maximum of 24.5° every 41,000 years.
o Scientists theorize that these changes in _________ affect the differences in __________.
o If the angle of the tilt of Earth’s axis ____________, there would be less temperature
contrast between _________ and _________.
Earth’s wobble
o Over a period of about ________ years, Earth __________ as it spins around on its axis.
o Currently, the axis points toward the ________ _______, Polaris.
o Earth’s wobble determines the timing of the __________. When the axis points toward the
star Vega in ________ years, the northern hemisphere will experience _________ during
the time now associated with _________.
Volcanic activity
o Climatic ___________ can also be triggered by the immense quantities of _______________ particles, called aerosols, that are released into the atmosphere during major
___________ eruptions.
o Volcanic dust can remain suspended in the atmosphere for several ________, blocking
incoming ________ ____________ and thus lowering global _______________.
14.3 Review Questions
Volcanic eruptions can affect global climate.
a.
true
b.
false
What was low during the Maunder minimum?
a.
the amount of precipitation
b.
the number of sunspots
c.
the number of full moons
d.
the amount of cloud cover
How would an increase in the tilt of Earth’s axis probably affect summer and winter temperatures
at high latitudes?
a.
cooler summers and warmer winters
b.
cooler summers and cooler winters
c.
warmer summers and cooler winters
d.
warmer summers and warmer winters
Ch.14 Climate
SES3. Students will explore the actions of water, wind, ice, and gravity that create landforms and systems of landforms (landscapes).
d. Relate the past and present actions of ice, wind, and water to landform distribution and landscape evolution.
SES5. Students will investigate the interaction of insolation and Earth systems to produce weather and climate.
e. Describe the hazards associated with extreme weather events and climate change (e.g., hurricanes,
tornadoes, El Niño/La Niña, global warming).
SES6. Students will explain how life on Earth responds to and shapes Earth systems.
b. Relate the distribution of biomes (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) to climate regions through time.
14.4 Impact of Human Activities
Objectives
 Explain the greenhouse effect.
 Describe global warming.
 Describe how humans impact climate.
Main Idea
Over time, human activities can alter atmospheric conditions enough to influence changes in weather and
climate.
Review Vocabulary
_______________: transfer of thermal energy by electromagnetic waves
Influence on the Atmosphere
 The greenhouse effect
o The process of absorption and radiation of energy in the atmosphere results in the
__________________ ___________—the natural heating of Earth’s surface caused by
certain atmospheric gases called ____________________ __________.
o An increase in the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases, particularly ___________
_______________ and ______________, would theoretically result in increased absorption
of energy in the atmosphere. This can lead to a rise in global temperatures, known as
_____________ __________________.
Global Warming
 Temperatures worldwide have shown an ____________ trend over the past _______ years, with
several of the _______________ years on record having occurred within the last ______ decades.
 Burning fossil fuels
o One of the main sources of atmospheric ____________ ______________ from humans is
from the burning of __________ ________ including ________, ______, and
_____________ _______. Burning fossil fuels also releases other greenhouse gases, such as
_____________ and _____________ ___________, into the atmosphere.
 Deforestation
o _____________________—the mass removal of trees—also plays a role in ______________
levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
o When trees are cut down, _______________________ is reduced, and more ____________
________________ remains in the atmosphere.
 Environmental efforts
o Individuals can ____________ the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere by
___________________ energy, which reduces fossil fuel _____________________.
14.4 Summary
• The greenhouse effect influences Earth’s climate.
• Worldwide temperatures have shown an upward trend over the past 200 years.
• Human activities can influence changes in weather & climate.
• Individuals can reduce their environmental impact on climate change.
14.4 Review Questions
Which gas is a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels are burned?
a.
oxygen
b.
helium
c.
carbon dioxide
d.
nitrogen
Which type of electromagnetic radiation is partly captured and reradiated by greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere?
a.
visible light
b.
ultraviolet radiation
c.
infrared radiation
d.
gamma rays
How can people reduce the amounts of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere?