Chapter Three Notes Climate Environment Resources What is

Chapter Three Notes Climate Environment Resources

What is the difference between weather and climate? • Weather – the short-term changes in the air for a given place and time. • Climate – The region’s average weather conditions over a long period.

Sun and Location • Different locations receive different amounts of sunlight. – The more sunlight a place receives, the warmer it will be.

Earth’s shape • The Earth is wider in the middle because it is a sphere (a circular shape) – For this reason, the lower latitudes (areas close to the equator) get more sun. • The lower latitudes are warm year round. – The areas near the poles (higher latitudes) get less sun. • They are cool year round

Wind and water • Wind and water are constantly on the move and can change temperatures as they move. – Prevailing winds are winds that blow in the same direction over large areas of Earth. – Current Wind Map • http: //hint. fm/wind/

Air and weight and wind • Even though you can’t feel it, air has weight. – Cool air is heavy. Warm air is lighter. – When air gets warmer, it gets lighter and rises. Cooler air moves in to take its place. This creates wind.

Wind Video • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=u. Bqoh Ru 2 RRk

Ocean Currents • Large streams of surface seawater

Large bodies of water • Water heats and cools more slowly than land does. • This creates areas with a milder climate. – Milder climates do not get very hot or very cold.

Wind, Water Storms • An air mass is a large body of air. • Most storms occur when two air masses of different temperature or moisture content collide. – This is called a front.

Fronts • Can produce – Rain. – Snow. – Thunderstorms. – Blizzards. – Tornados – small, rapidly twisting funnel of air that touches the ground