Weather l Temporary behavior of atmosphere whats going

Weather l Temporary behavior of atmosphere (what’s going on at any certain time) l Small geographic area l Can change rapidly

Weather --The study of weather is meteorology --Someone who studies weather is called a meteorologist

Climate l Long-term behavior of atmosphere (100+ years) l Large geographic area l Very slow to change

Factors That Affect Climate Solar Energy and Greenhouse Effect Latitude and Solar Energy Heat Transport in the Biosphere

Solar Energy and Greenhouse Effect Main source of heat that affects our climate is solar energy that strikes earth’s surface. Some of that heat is radiated back into space. Our atmosphere is also made up of gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor that allow light to enter but trap heat; called the greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse Gas Clip

Latitude and Solar Energy Earth’s tilt causes a difference in heat distribution creates three different climate zones: tropical, temperate, and polar As Earth revolves around the sun, solar radiation strikes different regions at angles that vary from summer to winter.

POLAR 90 o -60 o latitude Cool summers, cold year-round Dry

TEMPERATE 60 o-30 o latitude True Seasons Variety of climate patterns Moderate precipitation (rain/snow)

TROPICAL 30 o - equator No winter, warm year-round High temp, rainfall, humidity

Global Winds Caused by the temperature difference in different regions Hot Tropical Regions—causes air to rise l Cold polar Regions—causes air to sink l

How does the Ocean affect weather? Ocean currents affect the temperature of the land they pass by Cold ocean currents = cooling effect Warm ocean currents = warming effect Temperature changes affect pressure – which then creates WINDS Winds blow this cooling or warming effect over the land http: //earth. rice. edu/MTPE/hydrosphere/topics/Ocean_Atm_Circ_El. Nino. mov