LACEMOPS

Factors that affect climate

Notebook Setup

• On page 19, glue the “Weather is…Climate is…” worksheet down

• On page 20 – 21, glue down the LACEMOPS worksheets

• On page 22, glue down the “World Climate Zones” worksheet

Warmup

Explain in two sentences why we have seasons.

Weather vs Climate

• Weather: the daily condition of the atmosphere. Includes temperature and precipitation

http://www.katrina-hurricane.biz/images/katrina-hurricane-pic3.jpg

Copywrite: Gwen Brunet, 1995

Climate

• Climate: Average weather conditions measured over an extended period of time (30+ years)

Copywrite: Gwen Brunet, 1995

More Weather Precipitation: Moisture that falls from the sky.

4 Forms = rain, snow, sleet and hail

Types of Precipitation

Frontal Precipitation: Frontal precipitation results when the leading edge (front) of a warm air mass meets a cool air mass. The warmer air mass is forced up over the cool air. As it rises the warm air cools, moisture in the air condenses, clouds and precipitation result.

Types of Precipitation Convectional Precipitation:

Moist, surface-heated air masses rise, cool and condense.

http://www.grc.k12.nf.ca/climatecanada/precipfactors.htm

Types of Precipitation

Orographic Precipitation:

Mountains block moisture. The windward side receives the precipitation, while the leeward side receives very little.

http://www.grc.k12.nf.ca/climatecanada/precipfactors.htm

World Climate Regions

http://www.theodora.com/maps/new9/world_climate_map-large.jpg

To what climate region does Austin belong?

LACEMOPS

• L-atitude • A-ir Masses • C-ontinentality • E-levation • M-ountain Barriers • O-cean Currents • P-ressure and

Prevailing winds • S-torms

Copywrite: Gwen Brunet, 1995

Latitude

• Most important factor • The farther away from the Equator, the

colder and drier it becomes. • Direct rays of the sun are always between

the Tropics. • Areas outside the Tropics receive indirect

sun rays.

Latitude: Earth Sun Relations On what date does the sun’s rays hit directly on the Tropic of Cancer?

What is this day called?

Air Masses

• In the northern hemisphere, cold air from the polar regions comes from the north.

• Hot air from the Tropics comes from the south.

• The opposite occurs in the southern hemisphere.

Continentality

• Water moderates climate because water takes longer to heat and cool than land.

• Areas inland from the coast will be hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than areas with the same latitude on the coast.

Mongolia…continental climate

Elevation • Temperature drops

as you rise in elevation. It decreases 3.5o F for every 1,000 feet increase in elevation.

• If a mount peak is

10,000 ft, and the base is 75o F. What is the temperature at the peak?

• Hint = 3.5 x 10

Mountain Barriers Mountains can stop storms and air masses. Wind containing moisture hits the windward side of a mountain, and precipitation occurs. Windward sides of mountains have lush vegetation.

After the precipitation occurs, the clouds have no moisture and are able to rise over the mountain.

The Leeward side is then arid and receives the rain shadow effect. Deserts are often found on the leeward side of mountains.

http://www.grc.k12.nf.ca/climatecanada/precipfactors.htm

Ocean Currents

• Cold currents help create dry conditions. Warm currents help create warm conditions.

• The Atacama Desert on the western South American coast was formed partially because of a cold ocean current.

• Warm currents, like the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift, help keep Europe’s temperatures moderate even though they are located at very high latitudes.

Ocean Currents

Pressure and Prevailing Winds

• High Pressure is heavy, cold air. Low pressure is warm, light air.

• Heated air rises. • There are some fairly

constant air pressure systems.

Storms

• Where polar winds meet Westerlies there are storms. When hot air masses and cold air masses collide - there are storms.

• Cyclonic storms in the northern Hemisphere spin counter-clockwise.

• Clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Greenhouse Effect vs Global Warming

Greenhouse Effect: Energy radiated by the sun converts to heat

when it reaches Earth. Some heat is reflected back through the atmosphere, while some is absorbed by atmospheric gases and radiated back to Earth. The greenhouse effect makes the planet comfortable and livable. Without it Earth would be a cold, lifeless planet.

Global Warming

• Global warming is the gradual increase in global temperatures caused by the emission of gases that trap the sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere.

• Gases that contribute to global warming include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and halocarbons (the replacements for CFCs).

• The carbon dioxide emissions are primarily caused by the use of fossil fuels for energy.

Meet the Spheres

Climate Zones Color-by-Numbers

• Using colored pencils/crayons and your Climate Zones Color-by-Numbers map, you will color all of the continents – You may color the oceans if you wish, but that is not

necessary • Helpful hint = the cold (polar regions and

mountains) should be blues, the deserts (arid) should be browns/reds, and the tropical, temperate, and Mediterranean zones should be greens