Climate Notes Write the following questions on a

Climate Notes

Write the following questions on a separate sheet of paper: 1. What are three characteristics of climate? 2. As you get closer to the equator, the temperature gets ______. 3. As you get higher in elevation, the climate gets _______. 4. The closer you are to a body of water, the ______ the climate is.

Think – Pair - Share What is weather, by definition? 2. What is the difference between weather and climate? 1.

The characteristics of climate Temperature - how hot or cold is the region? Precipitation-how much rain falls Seasons: 2: Wet/Dry 4: Winter, Spring, Summer, & Autumn

Climate Characteristics Characteristic Definition Symbol how hot or cold is the region? how much rain/snow/sleet/hail falls? 4: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn (Hot or warm to cold or cool) 2: Wet/Dry Temperature Precipitation Seasons

Seasons Precipitation Temperature Climate Characteristics

Climate Elements

Think-Pair-Share List all of the factors that influence climate. Consider the following: Why is it warmer or colder from one place to another? Why does it rain/snow more in one place than in another? Why are there four seasons in some places and only two in others?

The elements of climate are: Influence of latitude Influence of winds Influence of elevation Proximity to water ( how close is the land to water? )

Factor Number 1 Latitude Belts

Arctic Circle Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn Antarctic Circle Graphic created by EJoyce

HIGH 90 Arctic Circle 66 1/2 MIDDLE Tropic of Cancer LOW 23 1/2 Equator 0 Tropic of Capricorn 23 1/2 MIDDLE Antarctic Circle 66 1/2 HIGH Graphic created by EJoyce 90

90 N North Pole HIGH Arctic Circle 66 ½ N MIDDLE 23 ½ N Tropic of Cancer LOW Equator 0 Tropic of Capricorn 23 ½ S MIDDLE Antarctic Circle Graphic created by EJoyce South Pole HIGH 90 S 66 ½ S

Where in the world do you think most people live?

Climate Elements Definition How far is the place from the equator? Influence of latitude Symbol The closer to the equator the warmer the place is. The farther from the equator the colder the place is. From which direction does the wind blow? How high above/below sea level is the place? How close is the land to water? Influence of winds Influence of elevation Proximity to water

Factor Number 2 Influence of Winds

High mountains located near large bodies of water block the moisture that blows in from the ocean and create a rain shadow on the leeward side of the mountain.

Vocabulary The windward side of the mountain is the side of the mountain that faces the ocean. When the winds blow the moisture in from the ocean, the windward side of the mountains gets the rain. As the air rises to go over the mountain, it cools and loses moisture before it gets over the mountain. The leeward side of the mountain is the side of the mountain that does not face the ocean. It is the arid side of the mountain. This side of the mountain lies in the rain shadow or an area that receives little rain.

Windward side of the Mountain Leeward side of the Mountain Rain Shadow Graphic created by EJoyce

Winds blow in from west to east and are blocked by the coastal mountains. The moisture never makes it across the mountains Mountains Rain shadow Rain is blocked by the mountains http: //gis. binghamton. edu/GIS%20 Sites. htm

Monsoons are winds that blow over Asia in the summer and winter. The winter monsoons are dry while the summer monsoons are wet. The people in Asia depend on the arrival of these winds to survive.

Monsoons

Winds Wind that comes from water tends to moderate (warm cool areas and cool hot areas) temperatures. Wind that comes from water also brings precipitation. Wind that comes from land tends to cool and dry out the climate. Rain Shadow Effect

Wind Patterns http: //www. mrdowling. com/612 monsoons. gif

Climate Elements Definition How far is the place from the equator? Influence of latitude Symbol The closer to the equator the warmer the place is. The farther from the equator the colder the place is. • Wind that comes from water brings precipitation and more moderate air. Influence of • Wind that comes from land tends to cool winds and dry the climate. • Rain Shadow Effect Influence of elevation Proximity to water

Factor Number 3 Elevation

The higher the elevation, the colder the temperature. That’s why there are snow-capped mountains on the Equator. For every 1000 feet increase in altitude, the temperature is 3 ½ degrees colder.

Climate Elements Definition How far is the place from the equator? Influence of latitude Symbol The closer to the equator the warmer the place is. The farther from the equator the colder the place is. From which direction does the wind blow? Influence of winds Does the wind blow from a body of water or from a desert? Does the wind change directions seasonally? How high above/below sea level is the place? Influence of elevation The higher in elevation the colder the temperature. How close is the land to water? Proximity to water

Factor Number 4 Proximity to Water

Climate: Proximity to Water 1. Places located near large bodies of warm water have a relatively mild climate (cools hot climates, warms cold climates). 2. Water does not heat up or cool down as quickly as the air temperature. The warmer breezes blowing off the water, create a mild climate.

Countries located close to large bodies of warm water have a milder climate. Notice the warm ocean current off the coast of northwest Europe. North Atlantic Drift

Compare the climate of London England with a city in Canada at the same latitude belt. Which region has the mildest climate? Why?

Climate Elements Definition How far is the place from the equator? Influence of latitude Symbol The closer to the equator the warmer the place is. The farther from the equator the colder the place is. From which direction does the wind blow? Influence of winds Does the wind blow from a body of water or from a desert? Does the wind change directions seasonally? How high above/below sea level is the place? Influence of elevation The higher in elevation the colder the temperature. How close is the land to water? Proximity to The closer you are to water the more water moderate the temperature.

Worksheet – First Example Roanoke, VA 1. Latitude: Temperate Zone 2. Elevation: Mountainous 3. Winds: From water, then land. 4. Water: Moderate distance from water. 5. Final Description: Roanoke has 4 seasons with a hot summer and cool to cold winter. The elevation makes it cooler than other areas on the same latitude. The winds bring precipitation, but it is not close enough to water to significantly warm or cool the climate.

Elements of Climate