Post on 14-Jan-2016
Climate• Climate is the average weather over a long period of time– Weather is the current condition
of the atmosphere– Factors affecting weather/climate
• Latitude … amount of insolation• Global wind patterns• Altitude• Precipitation patterns• Proximity to large bodies of water
Greenhouse Effect• The greenhouse effect is a
process where Earth traps heat within its atmosphere.– Natural process that is essential
for life on Earth!– Greenhouse gasses: CO2, CH4
(methane), & H2O– The energy budget refers to
Earth’s to the amount of energy entering and leaving Earth’s atmosphere• Currently Earth has a +budget
– Earth is heating!!!
Latitude and Climate
• 3 Cell system– Polar Zone
• 90o – 66.5o
• Cold dry air sinks and moves toward the temperate zone
– Temperate Zone• 66.5o – 23.5o
• Wide variations in temperatures• Cold moist air rises at the polar interface
and sinks at the tropics
– Tropical Zone• From 23.5o to the equator• Warm moist air rises at the equator
completing cell
Heat Transport• Air masses– Dense cold air masses sink
while warm moist air masses rise• Creates weather and wind• Global wind patterns driven by
latitude and air mass density
Heat Transport
• Ocean currents– Driven by the Coriolis effect
• Turns water clockwise in the northern hemisphere
• Brings cold water down the western US and warm water from the equator up the eastern coast of the US
– Deep ocean currents are driven by density• Brings nutrients to the surface
Land Masses• Coastal mountains create
different climates on the windward (ocean side) and leeward sides (land side)– Windward is marked by
cloud formation and precipitation
– Leeward is dry creating a “rain shadow” desert