Climate Lesson

Climate Lesson

What factors contribute to a region’s climate?

Weather vs Climate?

• Weather: Atmospheric conditions (temperature, rainfall, etc…) at a specific point in time

• Climate: Atmospheric conditions (temperature, rainfall, etc…) of a region over a long period of time

Houston, Texas

• Weather - Climate

Notes Template• Use this template to create your own notes from the Power point.

Factors that affect

climate

Zones of

Latitude

Zones of Latitude

- A region’s latitude (distance from the equator) can impact its climate.

- Sketch the diagram below.

Polar

Polar

Temperate

Tropical Tropical

Temperate

1. High Latitude = ______________ zone, _____ ° N _____ ° S, where is it?

2. Middle Latitude = _______________ zone, _____ ° N _____ ° S, where is it?

3. Low Latitude = _________________ zone, _____ ° N _____ ° S, where is it?

Zones of Latitude

• Tropical Zones: Warm weather year round. Area between the Tropic of Cancer (23 ½ º N) and the

Tropic of Capricorn (23 ½ º S).

• Temperate Zones: Warm summers and cold winters (four seasons). Areas between Tropic of Cancer (23 ½ º N) and Arctic Circle (66 ½ º N) and Tropic of Capricorn (23 ½ º S) and the Antarctic Circle (66 ½ º S).

• Polar Zones: Cold year round. Areas north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle.

30°N

30°S30°S

30°N

60°S

60°N

60°S

60°N

TROPICAL

TEMPERATE

TEMPERATE

POLAR

POLAR

1. Which cities will have a temperate climate?

2. Which cities are warm year-round? What is this zone of latitude called?

3. Which cities are in the polar zone?


Factors that affect

climate

Topography

Zones of

Latitude

Rain Shadows

Topography - Elevation• Elevation is the height above sea level

• The higher the elevation of a region the cooler the temperature becomes.

Warmer Temperatures

Cooler Temperatures

Topography – Rain Shadows• Mountains can create uneven rainfall.• The windward side of the mountain is rainy while the

leeward side is very dry.• Rain Shadows are desert regions created on the

leeward side of the mountain

Windward

Which side is the leeward side, the right or the left?

Which side is the windward side, the right or the left?

1. Which gets more more rain point A or point B.

2. What causes the difference in rainfall amounts between point A and point B?

Hint: Rain comes from here

1. Which gets more more rain point A or point B.

2. What causes the difference in rainfall amounts between point A and point B?

Hint: Rain comes from here

If you said Point A gets more rain because the Himalayas act as a

rain shadow you are correct.

Desert – arid region with very little rainfall

Humid Subtropical – warm temperatures, lots of rainfall


Factors that affect

climate

Topography

Zones of

LatitudeCities

Elevation

Rain Shadows

Cities• Buildings, parking lots, streets and other city structures

made of metal or asphalt absorb a lot of heat.• This heat is transferred to the air.• Increased smog and air pollution further trap this heat –

creating the:

heat island effect.


Factors that affect

climate

Topography

Zones of

LatitudeCities

Ocean Current

s

Elevation

Rain Shadows

Warm Currents

Cold Currents

Ocean Currents• Ocean current move in large circular systems• Ocean currents affect temperature and precipitation of

an area.• Warm ocean currents make surrounding areas warmer

and rainy.• Cool ocean currents make surrounding areas cooler and

drier

Warm Ocean Current

Cool Ocean Current

Cooler and Drier

Warmer and Rainy

Ocean Currents

Map Questions

• Use the map on p. 153 of your textbook to answer the questions below.

1. What is the climate of Madagascar? What is the climate of Japan?

2. Which types of climate are present in the tropical zone of latitude?

•http://www.mcwdn.org/MAPS&GLOBES/Climate.html

http://www.mcwdn.org/MAPS&GLOBES/Climate.html




Factors that affect

climate

Topography

Zones of

LatitudeCities

Ocean Current

s

Elevation

Rain Shadows

Climate Changes

Warm Currents

Cold Currents

Global Warmin

g

El Niño

Global Warming• Global Warming is the build up of carbon dioxide

(greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere trapping heat and causing increase temperature and shifting weather patterns.

• Global Warming is being caused by both the human release of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal) and a natural warming cycle the Earth is going through

• As the global temperature begins to rise many changes will occur to climates around the world

• Complete the global warming simulation on the class webpage. – What are the effects of global warming?

El Niño

• The natural warming of waters off the west coast of South America about every 2 – 7 years due to a reversal of wind direction.

• El Nino causes floods and mudslides in the Americas.

• El Nino causes droughts in Australia and Asia.

Climographs

• Climographs are a combination of a line graph, measuring average temperature, and a bar graph, measuring average rainfall, for each month.

Rainfall

Temperature


Factors that affect

climate

Topography

Zones of

LatitudeWind

Currents

Ocean Current

s

Elevation

Rain Shadows

Climate Changes

Warm Currents

Cold Currents

Global Warmin

g

El Niño

Major Climate Regions• Tropical Wet: Always hot and rain falls almost daily (Amazon

Rainforest)• Desert: Receives less than 10 inches of rain per year

(Phoenix, AZ)• Semiarid: Receives between 10 and 16 inches of rain per

year (West Texas)• Mediterranean: Dry and hot summers, cool and rainy winters

(Los Angeles, CA) • Humid Subtropical: Hot and humid summers, mild to cool

winters (Houston, Tx)• Marine West Coast: Located close to warm ocean currents.

Moderate temperatures and constant rainfall (Seattle, WA).• Humid Continental: Hot summers and Cold winters.

Located in the interior, far away from oceans. Have four distinct seasons (St. Louis, MO).

• Tundra: Always cold. Flat, treeless lands around the Arctic Ocean. Very little rain. Land has permafrost. (Greenland)

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Climate Lesson