Climate: (def.) The weather conditions at a particular location over a long period of time.

Weather: (def.) The condition of the atmosphere at a particular location at a specific time.

Introduction to

What defines a location’s climate?

• Temperature

• Precipitation

• Seasons

Factors affecting climate?

• Influence of latitude.

• Influence of winds.

• Influence of elevation.

• Proximity to water (oceans).

TROPICAL

ARCTIC/SUBARCTIC

TEMPERATE

TEMPERATE

ARCTIC/SUBARCTIC

0 - 30

0 - 30

30 - 60

30 - 60

60 - 90

60 - 90

LOW LATITUDES

HIGH LATITUDES

MID LATITUDES

MID LATITUDES

HIGH LATITUDES

0 - 30

0 - 30

30 - 60

30 - 60

60 - 90

60 - 90

THE EFFECT OF

LATITUDE

Higher latitudes have cooler temperatures.

• Winds carry moisture from the oceans over the land. Areas near the ocean get more precipitation than areas far from the sea.

• Mountain ranges create “rain shadows” on the leeward side.

Higher elevations have cooler climates at any latitude.

Seattle, Washington 46* N latitude

Avg. yearly temperature = 52.8*F

Duluth, Minnesota

46* N latitude

Avg. yearly temperature = 38.5*F

Oceans moderate temperatures. Locations near the ocean have more moderate climates than locations in the center of a continent.

Focus question: What characteristics define a place’s climate?

Focus question: Describe four ways that climate affects living.

•TROPICAL WETTROPICAL WET

•TROPICAL WET & DRYTROPICAL WET & DRY

•SEMIARIDSEMIARID

•DESERT (ARID)DESERT (ARID)

•MEDITERRANEANMEDITERRANEAN

•MARINE WEST COASTMARINE WEST COAST

• HUMID SUBTROPICALHUMID SUBTROPICAL

• HUMID CONTINENTALHUMID CONTINENTAL

• SUBARCTICSUBARCTIC

• TUNDRATUNDRA

• ICECAPICECAP

• HIGHLANDSHIGHLANDS

TROPICAL WETLittle variation in temperature over the year. It is always hot with a lot of precipitation.

Found South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Has a warm, rainy season in summer and cooler, dry season in winter. TROPICAL WET

AND DRY

Found in South America and Africa.

SEMIARID

Little precipitation. Summers are hot. Winters are mild to cold.

Found in the interiors of continents or around deserts.

DESERT

Receive very little precipitation. There are “hot” deserts (Sahara, Arabian) and “cold” deserts (Great Basin – Nevada, Utah).

Summers are dry and hot, winters are cool and rainy.

MEDITERRANEAN

Found on the Mediterranean Coast, California, Australia. (Mid-latitude, sub-tropical, west coast)

MARINE

WEST COAST

Often cloudy, foggy, damp. Ocean air moderates temperatures. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year.

Found on the west coast of U.S. & Canada and Northwestern Europe.

HUMID SUBTROPICAL

Long periods of summer heat and humidity. Often subject to hurricanes/typhoons in summer and autumn.

Southeastern U.S. and China.

Variety in temperature and precipitation. Arctic and tropical air masses collide causing changing weather conditions. Four distinct seasons.

HUMID CONTINENTAL

Found in central, eastern U.S. and central Europe

SUBARCTIC

Huge temperature variations occur between summer and winter. Summers – short and cool. Winters – long and very cold.

Found in Canada & Russia.

TUNDRA

Flat, treeless lands forming ring around Arctic Ocean. Very little precipitation. Subsoil is always frozen (permafrost). Summer is only a few weeks long with temperatures rarely above 40*F..

Found in Northern Canada & Russia.

Snow, ice, permanently freezing temperatures. Polar deserts with very little precipitation. ICECAP

Arctic icecap, Antarctica, Greenland.

HIGHLAND

Climate varies with latitude, elevation and proximity to water. Generally cooler than surrounding lowlands with precipitation on the windward slopes.

Found in the Rocky Mountains, China (Tibetan Plateau), Andes Mountains.

Select one of the twelve climate regions and create a radio advertisement that “sells” the climate to tourists. The ad should include:

• A description of the climate (temperature, precipitation, seasons)

• Where in the world the climate is found (latitudes, specific countries).

•Describe the type of vegetation you will find there.

• Activities that can be done in that climate that tourists would enjoy.

You don’t normally think of this climate when you hear the word “desert,” but it is one.

Icecap

The Amazon rainforest has this climate.

Tropical Wet

Rare in the Northern Hemisphere, but common in Africa.

Tropical Wet & Dry

Not quite a desert.

Semiarid

Frequent rain. Moderate temperatures throughout the year.

Marine West Coast

Almost all of Alaska has this climate.

Subarctic

Warm and humid for about half of the year. Tropical storms are frequent.

Humid subtropical

Winters are wet but not cold. Found along the Southern California coast.

Mediterranean

Only found in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s “our” climate.

Humid Continental

Most common region around the equator.

Tropical Wet

Coldest climate in which vegetation grows.

Tundra