What is Climate?What is Climate?

Tuesday, February 17, Tuesday, February 17, 20092009

““B” DayB” Day

WARM-UP/HYPOTHESISWARM-UP/HYPOTHESIS

One-paragraph extended One-paragraph extended response…response…

Make a hypothesis…Make a hypothesis… WHAT IS CLIMATE?WHAT IS CLIMATE?

ObjectiveObjective

Students will Students will begin to begin to investigate the investigate the make-up of make-up of climates, both climates, both locally and locally and globally.globally.

Essential QuestionEssential Question

““What is the What is the difference difference between weather between weather and climate?”and climate?”

Close Your Eyes…Close Your Eyes…

It is February in Delaware and we are It is February in Delaware and we are walking along the beach enjoying the walking along the beach enjoying the 70°F temperature. People are 70°F temperature. People are sunbathing, fishing, walking their dogs sunbathing, fishing, walking their dogs and playing in the surf. and playing in the surf.

Has the climate changed in Delaware? In Has the climate changed in Delaware? In other parts of the world, people are other parts of the world, people are experiencing very cold temperatures experiencing very cold temperatures where it is normally warm. What do you where it is normally warm. What do you think is happening?think is happening?

Questions to Answer…Questions to Answer…

What is the What is the difference difference between weather between weather and climate?and climate?

What factors What factors influence influence climate?climate?

How is climate How is climate influenced by El influenced by El Nino?Nino?

What is Weather?What is Weather?

Work quietly with your group to Work quietly with your group to arrive at a definition. Write it in arrive at a definition. Write it in your journals.your journals.

2 minutes…2 minutes…

Weather is the condition of the Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a given time and atmosphere at a given time and place.place.

www.wunderground.comwww.wunderground.com FIRST PART OF LAB… PART 1FIRST PART OF LAB… PART 1 Type in Middletown’s zip code. (19709)Type in Middletown’s zip code. (19709) Go to the detailed history and climate section, Go to the detailed history and climate section,

put in yesterday’s date and click the GO button. put in yesterday’s date and click the GO button. Record the actual minimum and maximum Record the actual minimum and maximum

temperatures and the precipitation from the temperatures and the precipitation from the daily summary chart. daily summary chart.

Go down the page and find and click on seasonal Go down the page and find and click on seasonal weather averages. weather averages.

Check the box “Show Normals/Averages” and Check the box “Show Normals/Averages” and click off everything else. click off everything else.

Look at the TODAY line and record on the chart Look at the TODAY line and record on the chart the average min and max temperatures and the average min and max temperatures and precipitation.precipitation.

Actual vs. AverageActual vs. Average

How does the day’s How does the day’s minimum and minimum and maximum temperatures maximum temperatures compare with the compare with the average? average?

Actual vs. AverageActual vs. Average

How does the day’s How does the day’s precipitation compare precipitation compare with the average? with the average?

Weather vs. ClimateWeather vs. Climate

Think about it…Think about it…Which of the temperature Which of the temperature and precipitation values do and precipitation values do you think represents you think represents weatherweather??

Which of the values do you Which of the values do you think represent think represent climateclimate??

Dover, DelawareDover, Delaware

Does the graph represent Does the graph represent Dover’s climate or weather? Dover’s climate or weather? Decide in Decide in

your groups. your groups. Write a Write a response response and and WHYWHY you think you think you’re you’re correct.correct.

Temperature VarianceTemperature Variance

How does the How does the temperature temperature vary throughout vary throughout the year?the year?

How does the How does the amount of amount of precipitation precipitation change change throughout the throughout the year?year?

Temperature and Temperature and Precipitation VariancePrecipitation Variance

How does the temperature vary How does the temperature vary throughout the year?throughout the year?

Temperature rises gradually from a Temperature rises gradually from a minimum in January to a maximum in July.minimum in January to a maximum in July.

How does the amount of How does the amount of precipitation change throughout the precipitation change throughout the year?year?

The amount of precipitation is fairly The amount of precipitation is fairly constant throughout the year with highs constant throughout the year with highs occurring in July and August.occurring in July and August.

Yuma, ArizonaYuma, Arizona

Arizona? Del-A-Where?Arizona? Del-A-Where?

Temperature and Temperature and Precipitation (Yuma, AZ)Precipitation (Yuma, AZ)

How does the How does the temperaturetemperature vary vary throughout the throughout the year?year?

How does the How does the amount of amount of precipitationprecipitation change change throughout the throughout the year?year?

Delaware vs. Yuma!Delaware vs. Yuma! How does the climate of How does the climate of

Dover and Yuma differ? Dover and Yuma differ? Average monthly Average monthly

precipitation in Yuma is precipitation in Yuma is much lower throughout much lower throughout the year while average the year while average monthly temperatures are monthly temperatures are higher. higher.

How is it possible that for How is it possible that for some days of the year some days of the year Dover would have the Dover would have the same temperature as same temperature as Yuma? Yuma?

The The weatherweather in both cities in both cities can vary from the daily can vary from the daily average so that Yuma’s average so that Yuma’s average temperature could average temperature could be matched by an air mass be matched by an air mass induced high temperature induced high temperature in Dover. in Dover.

Look at the Locations of the World Look at the Locations of the World BelowBelow

Angmagssalie, Greenland

Baghdad, Iraq

Manaus, Brazil

Berlin, Germany

Let’s Be GeographersLet’s Be Geographers

TemperatureTemperature

Based on what we have learned Based on what we have learned about uneven heating of the about uneven heating of the earth, what do you think is the earth, what do you think is the most important factor in most important factor in determining determining average average temperaturetemperature??

LATITUDE! LATITUDE! What is latitude?What is latitude?

Questions to Answer in Questions to Answer in GroupsGroups

What is the relationship between What is the relationship between altitude and temperature?altitude and temperature?

Why for the shown cities doesn't Why for the shown cities doesn't altitude seem to be related to altitude seem to be related to temperature?temperature?

Questions to Answer in Questions to Answer in GroupsGroups

What is the relationship between What is the relationship between altitude and temperature?altitude and temperature?

As altitude increases, temperature As altitude increases, temperature decreases.decreases.

Why for the shown cities doesn't Why for the shown cities doesn't altitude seem to be related to altitude seem to be related to temperature?temperature?

The altitudes are too close together. The altitudes are too close together. The temperature differences due to The temperature differences due to latitude override any altitude effect.latitude override any altitude effect.

Mexico City and CairoMexico City and Cairo

How would you explain the How would you explain the temperature differences between temperature differences between Mexico City and Cairo?Mexico City and Cairo?

Mexico City is located at a higher Mexico City is located at a higher elevation than Cairoelevation than Cairo..

So Now let’s Talk About So Now let’s Talk About It…It… ClimateClimate is a pattern of weather that occurs is a pattern of weather that occurs

over a long period of time. over a long period of time. WeatherWeather is the state of the atmosphere at a is the state of the atmosphere at a

certain time and place. certain time and place. Weather would include Weather would include datadata on air pressure, on air pressure,

temperature, dew point, relative humidity, temperature, dew point, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, amount of cloud wind speed, wind direction, amount of cloud coverage and precipitation. coverage and precipitation.

Climate is determined by scientists by taking Climate is determined by scientists by taking an an averageaverage of factors such as temperature, of factors such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation and air pressure, humidity, precipitation and number of days of sunlight over a period of number of days of sunlight over a period of time. time.

Some of the factors that influence the climate Some of the factors that influence the climate of a particular area are latitude, location near of a particular area are latitude, location near water, ocean currents, human influence and water, ocean currents, human influence and El NinoEl Nino..

LatitudeLatitude Latitude is a measurement Latitude is a measurement

of the degrees north and of the degrees north and south of the equator. south of the equator.

The equator is 0 degrees The equator is 0 degrees latitude. Regions closer to latitude. Regions closer to the equator receive more the equator receive more solar radiation than solar radiation than regions further away from regions further away from the equator. the equator.

The tropics (23.5 ° N to The tropics (23.5 ° N to 23.5 ° S latitude) receive 23.5 ° S latitude) receive the greatest amount of the greatest amount of solar radiation because the solar radiation because the Sun shines almost directly Sun shines almost directly over these areas for a great over these areas for a great portion of the year. portion of the year.

Water’s Effect on Water’s Effect on ClimateClimate If you live near large If you live near large

bodies of water, the bodies of water, the water can influence water can influence your climate by your climate by absorbing or giving absorbing or giving off heat. off heat.

Many coastal areas Many coastal areas are warmer in the are warmer in the winter and cooler in winter and cooler in the summer than the summer than inland areas at the inland areas at the same latitude. same latitude.

Ocean currents can Ocean currents can also affect coastal also affect coastal climates. Warm ocean climates. Warm ocean currents near the currents near the equator warm the equator warm the land they pass over. land they pass over. Cooler ocean currents Cooler ocean currents cool the land. cool the land.

El NinoEl Nino El Nino is a term that refers to large scale El Nino is a term that refers to large scale

ocean atmosphere climate events linked to ocean atmosphere climate events linked to the periodic warming in sea surface the periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east temperatures across the central and east central equatorial Pacific. central equatorial Pacific.

La Nina refers to the periodic cooling of La Nina refers to the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central ocean surface temperatures in the central and east central equatorial Pacific and it and east central equatorial Pacific and it occurs every 3 to 5 years. occurs every 3 to 5 years.

La Nina represents the cool phase of El La Nina represents the cool phase of El Nino. During both the El Nino and La Nina, Nino. During both the El Nino and La Nina, changes in the Pacific Ocean temperatures changes in the Pacific Ocean temperatures affect rainfall from Indonesia to the west affect rainfall from Indonesia to the west coast of South America and these changes coast of South America and these changes affect weather patterns throughout the affect weather patterns throughout the world.world.

LINKSLINKS http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2

753.htm753.htm

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/prelude_to_ensofaq.shtmlprelude_to_ensofaq.shtml

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/severeweather/extremes.html extreme severeweather/extremes.html extreme weather conditions and climate changesweather conditions and climate changes

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wetnino/wetnino.htmwetnino/wetnino.htm

http://www.cpo.noaa.gov/cpo/news/http://www.cpo.noaa.gov/cpo/news/story_092006-story_092006-hurricanesclimatechange.pdf great web hurricanesclimatechange.pdf great web site on the influence of climates on site on the influence of climates on hurricaneshurricanes

TIME FOR JOURNALTIME FOR JOURNAL

HOMEWORK: In your journal or HOMEWORK: In your journal or notebook, write a concise summary notebook, write a concise summary of this activity. Be sure to address of this activity. Be sure to address the following questions and use your the following questions and use your data to support your responses.data to support your responses. What factors influence climate?What factors influence climate? How is climate influenced by El How is climate influenced by El

Nino?Nino? What is the difference between What is the difference between

weather and climate?weather and climate?