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Factors Affecting Climate• Divide your paper into 4 squares.• Label them the following (4 front, 4 back):
1. Low Latitudes 5. Wind Patterns2. High Latitudes 6. Ocean Currents3. Mid-Latitudes 7. El Niño4. Elevation 8. Landforms
• Use Ch. 3 Sec. 2• You will write at least 3 main points for each IN
YOUR OWN WORDS!• Draw a colored Illustration for each! • Leave room for extra notes I may have!
LACEMOPLACEMOPFactors that shape
Weather and Climate
LatitudeLatitudeEarth-Sun Relationships — seasons and atmospheric scattering and energy spreading.
Low LatitudesLow Latitudes Between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of
Capricorn (includes Equator); the “Tropics” Low numbers in latitude value
Receive direct rays from Sun Equator: 6 mos. a yr. Each Tropic: 3 mos. a yr.
Receive indirect rays from Sun Equator: 6 mos. a yr. Each Tropic: 6 mos. a yr.
Warm to hot climates year round
Mid LatitudesMid Latitudes Most variable weather on Earth Between Tropic of Cancer & Arctic Circle;
between Tropic of Capricorn & Antarctic Circle
Ranges from fairly hot to fairly cold (temperate), dramatic changes, but moderate
Summer gets warm air from tropics, winter gets cold air from high-latitudes
High Latitudes
Polar areas= N of Arctic Circle and S of Antarctic Circle (high numbers in latitude value)
Receives constant sunlight for 6 months when pole faces Sun March-Sept: North has constant daylight,
South is in dark (switches for next 6 mos.) Arctic & Antarctic Circles are last point
to receive indirect rays (during summer or winter)
Air MassesAir MassesAir masses take on the “weather” of the place from which they came.
The meeting of two air masses is a front.
Air MassesAir Masses
Convectional Precipitation:Typical of hot climates; convection occurs after morning sunshine heats warm moist air. Clouds form in the afternoon and the rain falls.
Near Equator
Convectional PrecipitationConvectional Precipitation
Frontal Precipitation — when 2 fronts of different temperatures meet.
Warm air forced upward by heavier, cool air.
Rising warm air cools = precipitation--Most common type
Mid-Latitudes
a) summer—warm masses of air from the Tropics
b) winter– cold masses of air from the high latitudes
ElevationElevation
a)Height above sea level
b) Temperature decreases as elevation increases
ElevationElevation At any latitude, anywhere on Earth,
elevation influences climate If high enough in elevation, can have
snow on the Equator As altitude increases, the air thins which
absorbs less heat As elevation increases, temperature
decreases
MMountain Barriersountain Barriers•Blocks air masses and causes precipitation.
• Orographic Precipitation: warm moist air forced upward when passing over a mountain. Warm winds cool as they rise over the mountains and clouds form
• Air is warm and dry on the other side
• Windward: mountain side which faces the ocean
• Leeward: mountain side which is in a “rain shadow” (no precipitation received)
Ganges Plain in India Himalaya Arid Tibetan Plateau
OOcean Currentscean Currents• Help to distribute heat
• Carry warm water from tropics to poles and return cold water to the Equator
• Winds affect current movement
• Air masses take on water temperature
PPressure & Windressure & Wind•Rising warm air = low pressure
•Falling cool air = high pressure
•Wind moves high to low
•Movement from equator to poles and back
•Coriolis Effect: rotation of the earth bends the patterns of the wind
Winds blow in constant patterns and are called prevailing winds.
Historical Fact:Historical Fact: Many were named for the direction they blew…some were even given names because they were used by trading ships through the region…
Trade winds -- blow from the northeast toward the Equator and from the southeast toward the equator
Westerlies – prevailing winds in the mid-latitudes blow diagonally west to east
Polar Easterlies – blow diagonally in the high latitudes east to west—pushing the cold air toward the mid latitudes
Doldrums: windless area near the equator
Horse Latitudes: Historically, ships would lighten their loads in order to take advantage of the slightest wind such as cargo, excess supplies and livestock…this also included horses.
Move clockwise in N. Hem. and counterclockwise in S. Hem. (Coriolis Effect)
Cool air flows in to replace rising warm air (Polar front), distributing Sun’s heat
Switches direction in each latitude zone Low latitudes have trade winds (northeasterly/southeasterly) Mid-latitudes have westerlies High latitudes have polar easterlies
*(named for direction they come FROM) Windless bands
Doldrums @ Equator Horse Latitudes @ Tropics
LandformsLandforms Landforms affect climates of places at the same latitude Bodies of water moderate temps. b/c they take a long time
to change temp. Gulf of MX is warm water keeps Houston warmer
Continentality– absence of lg. body of water means more drastic weather changes Nebraska can have hot summers and receive snow in the
winters (4 seasons instead of 2 ) Rainshadow effect
Cool air releases moisture on windward side of mountain; then hot, dry air moves to leeward side creating deserts
El Nino
Periodic change in currents & water temps. in mid-Pacific region No known cause
Reversal of atmospheric pressures reduce or reverse wind patterns brings warm water from Asia to South America
Domino effect: Precipitation increases, flooding in S.
America Or droughts and fires in SE Asia/Australia
•http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ess05.sci.ess.watcyc.eselnino/