1. Climate

2. Agree or Disagree?
 1.
____ Climate is the average weather
pattern of an area.
 2. ____ There are three latitude zones:
tropical, temperate and polar.

3. What is CLIMATE
 Climate
is a
yearlong average
of weather
patterns over an
area.

4. Factors That Affect Climate
Latitude
Elevation
Topography
Water
bodies
Global Winds
Vegetation

5. Latitude
 As
latitude increases,
the intensity of solar
energy decreases.
 Three zones
 Tropical
 Temperate
 Polar

6. The Zones
Tropical Zone
 The region
between the
Tropic of Cancer
(23.5ºN) and the
Tropic of
Capricorn
(23.5ºS)
 WARM YEAR
ROUND

7. The Zones
Temperate Zone
 The region
between 23.5º and
66.5º North or
South of the
equator.
 HOT summers
 COLD winters

8. The Zones
Polar Zone
 The region from
66.5º north and
south of the equator
to the poles.
 Very cold
temperature year
round.

9. Factors That Affect Climate
Elevation
 The
higher the
elevation is, the
colder the climate.
 The elevation of an
area also
determines the
amount of
precipitation it
receives.

10. Factors that Affect Climate
Topography
 Topography
features
such as mountains
play an important role
in the amount of
precipitation that falls
over an areas.

Mountain can cause a
rain shadow event

11. Factors—Water Bodies
 Large
bodies of water such as lakes and
oceans have an important effect on the
temperature of an area because the
temperature of the water body influences
the temperature of the air above.

12. Factors
Atmospheric Circulation
 Global winds distribute heat
and moisture around Earth.
 Warm air moves to the
poles and cold air moves to
the equator
Vegetation
 Affect both
temperature and the
precipitation patterns
in an area.

13. Agree or Disagree?
 3.
____ Climate is the average weather
pattern of an area.
 4. ____ There are three latitude zones:
tropical, temperate and polar.

14. Climatographs

15. Climatographs

16. Climatographs

17. Climatographs

18. Climatographs

19. Climatographs

20. Agree or Disagree?
 5.
____ There are no processes that
can change climate.
 6. ____The Greenhouse effect is the
natural warming of Earth’s lower
atmosphere and surface.
 7. ____ Global warming is the result of
increased greenhouse gases, like CO2,
being released by humans.

21. Worlds Climates

Most commonly used system for classification of
climates



Uses mean monthly and annual values of temperature
and precipitation to classify climates.
Five principal groups






Köppen Climate Classification Systems
Humid Tropical
Dry
Humid mid-latitude
Polar
Highland
Climates 101

22. Humid Tropical Climates
 Climates
without winters.
 Every month there is a mean
temperature above 18ºC.
 Amount of Precipitation can exceed 200
cm.
 Two Types
 Wet
Tropical
 Tropical Wet and Dry

23. Humid Tropical Climates
Wet Tropical
 High
temperatures
 High annual
precipitation
Tropical Wet and Dry
 High Temperatures
 High annual
precipitation
 Experience distinct
periods of low
precipitation.
 Ex:
Savannas

24. Humid Mid-Latitude Climates
 Mild
winters with an average temperature in
the coldest month that is below 18ºC but
above -3ºC
 Severe winters have an average temperature
in the coldest month that is below -3ºC.
 Types
Humid Mid-latitude With Mild Winters (3 types)
 Humid Mid-latitude With Severe Winters (2 types)


25. Humid Mid-Latitude With Mild Winters
 Humid
Subtropical
Climates
 Between
25º and 40º
latitude on the eastern
side of the continent.
 Summer= hot, sultry
 Winter= mild
 Marine
West Coast
Climates
 Between
40º and 65º N
or S on the coastal area
 Summer= cool
 Winter= mild
 Northern California to
southern Alaska

26. Humid Mid-Latitude With Mild Winters
 Dry-Summer
 Between
Subtropical Climates
30º and 45º latitude
 Strong winter rainfall
 Only found in California

27. Humid Mid-Latitude With Severe Winters
 Humid
Continental
Climates
 Absent
in Southern
Hemisphere
 Between 40º and 50º N
latitude
 Winters: severe
 Summers: warm and
greater precipitation
 Subarctic
 Winters
Climates
are long
and bitterly cold
 Summers are warm
and very short.
 The highest annual
temperature range
on Earth

28. Dry Climates
A
dry climate is one in which the
yearly precipitation is not as
great as the potential loss of
water by evaporation.
 Two Types
Arid or desert
 Semi arid or steppe—transition
zone that surrounds the desert and
separates if from humid climates


29. Polar Climate
 Polar
climates are those in which the mean
temperature of the warmest month is below
10ºC
 Little precipitation falls
 Winters=extremely cold
 Summer=cool
 Two types
Tundra
 Ice Cap


30. Polar Climates
 Tundra
Treeless region found almost
exclusively in the Northern
Hemisphere.
 Plant life of mosses, shrubs and
flowering herbs grow.

 Ice
Cap
Monthly mean temps. below 0ºC
 Covered with permanent ice and
snow


31. Highland Climate
 Highland
climates are cooler and wetter
than nearby areas at lower elevations

32. Coastal Area Climates
 The
oceans heat up slowly but retain the
heat for a longer period of time.
 Sea Breezes blow inland bringing rain
and cools the land in the summer.
 In the winter, the coastal climates are
warmer and generally wet and mild.

33. Agree or Disagree?
 8.
____ There are no processes that
can change climate.
 9. ____The Greenhouse effect is the
natural warming of Earth’s lower
atmosphere and surface.
 10. ____ Global warming is the result of
increased greenhouse gases, like CO2,
being released by humans.

34. Natural Processes that Change Climate
 Volcanic
Eruption
 Ocean Circulation
 Solar Activity
 Earth Motions
 CO2 fluctuations
 Ocean
acidification

35. Natural Processes that Change Climate

Volcanic Eruptions
The presence of volcanic
ash, dust, and aerosols in
the air increase the amount
of solar radiation that is
reflected back into space.

This causes Earth’s lower
atmosphere to cool.

Ocean Circulations
Changes in ocean
circulation also can
result in short-term
climate fluctuation

EX: El Niño

36. Natural Processes that Change Climate
Solar Activity
 The formation of
sunspots appears to
correspond with
warm periods in
Europe and North
America
 Sunspot link
Earth Motions
 Geographic changes
in Earth’s land and
water bodies cause
changes in climate
 Changes in the
shape of Earth’s
orbit and the tilt of
Earth’s axis affect
global climates.

37. Natural Processes that Change Climate
 CO2
Fluctuations
 Changes
in plant
growth rates
 CO levels fall
2
during the growing
season and rise in
the winter

38. Natural Processes that Change Climate
 Ocean
Acidification
 Decrease
in the ocean’s pH levels in the
ocean. CO2 is absorbed by the ocean and
forms carbonic acid.
 Coral Reefs: High levels of CO negatively
2
affects corals making their shells.
 50% of coral reefs have been destroyed
 Ocean Acidification

39. Human Impact on Climate Changes
 The
Greenhouse Effect
Is a natural warming of both Earth’s lower
atmosphere and Earth’s Surface.
 Major Gases: Water vapor and Carbon
dioxide
 Makes life as we know it possible on Earth
 Humans have added more greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere in the past 200
years.
 Greenhouse Effect clip
 NASA's link


40. Human Impact on Climate Changes
 Global
Warming
 As
a result of increases in
CO2 as well as other
greenhouse gases, global
temperatures have
increased.
 Affects multiple natural
events like the weather and
melting the polar ice caps.
Global Warming clip
 NASA Global Warming Facts


41. El Nino verses La Nina
El Niño
 Trade winds weaken
 Warm ocean water
replaces offshore cold
water near South
America
 Irregular intervals of
three to seven years
 Wetter than average
winters in NC


Explanation of El Nino
Another look at El Nino
La Niña
Normal conditions
between El Nino events
When surface
temperatures in the
eastern Pacific are
colder than average
The southern US is
usually warmer and
dryer in climate

42. El Nino Southern Oscillation: ENSO
Occurs: three to seven years

43. World Climate Poster
• Each group will need a
– Researcher, Presenter, Artist
•
Your group will need to research about the characteristics of
your assigned climate region.
–
–
–
–
Average temperature and precipitation
Location on the Earth, latitude range and countries
If possible describe the seasons in this climate region
Examples of your region
• Information should be organized on a poster, in the following
format:
– Large title (name of climate region)
– Pictures of the environment (scenes, animals, plants, maps, drawings, etc.)
– Everything in color