8.1/8.2 Climate ChangeWeather and Climate

Weather Atmospheric conditions in a particular location over a

short period of time

Includes: temperature, precipitation, wind and humidity

Ex: “A high of 28oC today, sunny with cloudy periods, probability of precipitation is 30%, wind from the west at 20km/hr, and relative humidity of 40%.”

Is Weather always the same?

Some parts of the world, weather stays the same from day to day. ex. Sahara desert is usually hot and dry during the day

Other parts, the weather can change dramatically from one day to the next. ex. Canada: warm and sunny today; cool and rainy

tomorrow- however, patterns exit with seasons

Meteorologists Gather information on weather around the world and use

it to forecast weather for specific areas

What Causes Weather?

Interactions between water and air on Earth and energy from the Sun

Sun heats the atmosphere, creating wind and air movement

Bodies of water evaporate, cool and condense to produce rain or snow

Ocean waters move in currents

Climate The usual pattern of weather in a region over a long period of

time

weather measurements collected over 30 years and results are averaged

climate gives a range of temperatures one might expect at a certain time of year

Ex. Southern Ontario climate: warm and humid during summer and cold with snow during the winter

Determines the type of plants and animals that live in a region

Determines how houses/buildings are designed

Weather or Climate? The temperature high today will be 5oC

We can expect high humidity in July

There will be 11.3 hours of sunshine today

The skies will be partly cloudy

“Climate is what you expect, but weather is what you get.”

Classifying Climate: Climate Zones

determined by temperature , precipitation and plant communities

Tropical, Dry, Moderate, Continental, Polar

Classifying Climate:Climate Zones

Classifying Climate: Ecoregions

New method of classifying climate which focuses on the ecology of the region

Based on landforms, soil, plants, animals and climate

Classifying Climate: Ecoregions

Climate Change Climate change

A change in climate over a long period of time

Global Warming A change in temperature over a long period of

time

Factors Affecting Climate

Distance from the equator (latitude)

Presence of large bodies of water

Presence of ocean or air currents

Land formations

Height above sea level ( altitude)

Homework: Pg 321 # 1-6