Climate and Climate Changes

Chapter 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3

Defining Climate Climatology: the study of Earth’s climate and

the factors that affect past, present and future climatic changes.

Climate describes the long-term weather patterns of an area.

Climates Describe Variations in…

1. Temperature

2. Precipitation

3. Wind

4. Other variables

Normals Normals are standard data values for a

location.

Data is used from at least 30 years and include…

1. Daily high and low temperatures

2. Amount of rainfall

3. Wind speed and direction

4. Humidity

5. Air pressure

Causes of Climate 1. Latitude: determines the

amount of solar radiation an area receives.

Latitude alone separates the Earth into three different Climate zones.

Causes of Climate1. Tropics: 23.5 degrees N – 23.5 degrees S.

This climate zone receives the most direct sunlight. Temperatures are generally warm year round.

Causes of Climate Temperate zone: 23.5 degrees – 66.5

degrees North and South.

Moderate temperatures, four seasons.

Causes of Climate Polar zones: 66.5 – 90 degrees North and

South.

Receives light at low angles. Very indirect sunlight causing temperatures to be cold.

Regions experience long periods of light and dark.

Causes of Climate

2. Large bodies of Water.

Water heats and cools slower than air.

Large bodies of water act like a buffer for coastal regions.

Causes of Climate 3. Altitude

High Altitude can decrease an areas temperature.

These regions are called highlands.

Causes of Climate 4. Mountain Barriers :

Warm moist air condenses when air is lifted up over a mountain causing precipitation. Resulting in the formation of a desert on the opposite side of the mountain.

Natural Climate Changes

Ice ages are times in Earth’s history when Average global temperature decreased. Extensive glaciers covered Earth’s surface. Ice ages alternate between periods of warm

and cold. The last ice age ended 10,000 ya

Natural Climate Changes

Seasons: are short-term periods of climatic change caused by regular variations in daylight, temperature, and weather patterns.

Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis.

The hemisphere that is tilted towards the sun is experiencing summer, away winter.

Natural Climate Changes

El Nino : a warm ocean current that occasionally develops off the western coast of South America.

El Nino Video

Natural Climate Changes

Volcanic Activity

Volcanic dust can remain suspended in the atmosphere for several years, reflecting incoming solar radiation and lower global temperatures.

The eruption at Mount Pinatubo

in 1991 lowered the global

temperature for a year!

Unnatural Climate Changes

Greenhouse effect: the natural heating of Earth’s surface caused by certain atmospheric gasses called greenhouse gasses.

Life on Earth would not be possible on Earth with out the greenhouse effect!!!! We would all freeze!

Greenhouse effect acts like a blanket around Earth preventing all heat from escaping back into space.

Unnatural Climate Changes

Global Warming: an unhealthy amount of greenhouse gasses causing the average global temperature to increase.

Basically causing the blanket to become to thick, trapping too much heat.

Unnatural Climate Changes

Causes of global warming

1. Burning fossil fuels

Major green house gasses CO2,

Methane, and Nitrous oxide.

2. Deforestation