The role of climateEcology unit 3 lecture 1

What is climate?

• Climate: average, year-round conditions in a region

• Weather: the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere

Greenhouse effect

• Heat from the sun warms the earth, then is reflected away at night.

• Gases in the atmosphere (CO2 , CH4, H2O vapor) maintain the earth’s temperature by reflecting heat back towards the surface

Latitude and climate

• The tilt of the earth causes uneven heating• Tropical , temperate, and arctic climate zones

radiate from the equator to the poles

Heat transport

• Heated air rises, then descends as it cools, creating winds

• Prevailing winds bring warm or cold air to a region

Ocean currents• Wind blowing over the

oceans and different water temps. within an ocean create oceanic currents.

Land masses

• Continents or mountain ranges can block air or water movement

• Rain shadows form on the downwind side of mountain ranges, creating deserts

• Why are there different climate zones on the earth?

• How do the atmosphere and the oceans transport heat from the equator to other regions?

• How do the gases in our atmosphere warm our planet?