Download Unit 9 - Climate

CLIMATE VARIABLES
WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO DIFFERENT CLIMATES?
1
CLIMATE VARIABLES
•
CLIMATE - THE OVERALL VIEW OF A REGIONS
WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER A LONG TIME SPAN
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
LATITUDE AND TEMPERATURE
•
TEMPERATURE IS AFFECTED BY LATITUDE BY
ANGLE OF INSOLATION, INTENSITY, AND DURATION
OF SUNLIGHT
•
LOW LATITUDES: HIGH ANGLE OF INSOLATION
•
HIGH LATITUDES: LOW ANGLE OF INSOLATION
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OCEAN TEMPERATURES
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
PLANETARY WINDS
•
PREVAILING WINDS - MOVEMENT OF AIR OVER THE
EARTH’S SURFACE THAT BLOWS FROM THE SAME
DIRECTION
•
WINDS ARE CAUSED BY PRESSURE DIFFERENCES
•
UNITED STATES HAS THE PREVAILING
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
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Tropopause
Polar front jet stream
DRY
Polar front
N.E.
WET
60° N
S.W.
Winds
30° N
DRY
N.E.
Winds
0°
WET
Subtropical
jet streams
S.E.
Winds
30° S
DRY
N.W.
Winds
WET
60° S
S.E.
DRY
Polar front jet stream
PLANETARY WIND BELTS
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
LATITUDE AND MOISTURE
•
MOISTURE CONTENT VARIES WITH LATITUDE
BECAUSE OF THE PLANETARY WINDS
•
LOW PRESSURE AT THE EQUATOR CAUSES
AIR TO RISE, EXPAND, COOL, AND CONDENSE
TO FORM CLOUDS AND RAIN
•
HIGH PRESSURE CAUSES AIR TO SINK AND
FORM ARID REGIONS
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LATITUDE AND MOISTURE
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
LARGE BODIES OF WATER
•
OCEANS, SEAS, LAKES, AND BAYS SERVE TO
MODIFY CLIMATE REGIONS
•
LAND MASSES CLOSE TO A BODY OF WATER WILL
BE REGULATED BY THE SLOW RATE OF HEATING
AND COOLING OF WATER
•
EXAMPLE: LONG ISLAND
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
OCEAN CURRENTS
•
COASTAL CLIMATES ARE MODIFIED BY OCEAN
CURRENTS
•
WARM WATERS FLOW FROM THE EQUATOR
TOWARDS COLDER REGIONS
•
COLD WATERS FLOW FROM THE POLES
TOWARDS WARMER REGION
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20°
40°
80°
60°
100°
120°
160°
140°
180°
160°
120°
140°
100°
80°
40°
60°
0°
20°
20°
80°
f
South
Pacific
Ocean
Br a z
il C
.
st
West Au
South
Atlantic
Ocean
nC
.
Equator
C
Tropic of Capricorn
(23.5° S)
Antarctic Circumpo
Falkla
nd
C.
40°
S o ut
h Equatorial
South
America
C.
Per u
C.
Australia
we
g ia
Equatorial Guin
ea C
Countercurrent
.
Equatorial C.
outh
East Australi
a
ra
lia C
.
Ag
ulh
as
C.
Indian
Ocean
l C.
Tropic of Cancer
(23.5° N)
Africa
.
20°
S
Equatoria
Europe
.
Nor
th Eq torial C
ua
Equatorial Countercurrent
th
Sou
C.
d
an
North
Atlantic
Ocean
Arctic Circle
(66.5° N)
r
No
Be
ngu
ela C.
Kam
c
North
Atlantic C.
Equatorial Countercurrent
C.
l
en
C.
Florida C.
Equatorial C.
North
Ku
S
am
tre
G
ul
Oyash
io
C
North
America
E
re
tG
as
Canary C.
roshio
C.
nd
C.
nl a
or
ad
br
La
North
Pacific
Ocean
.
C.
North Equatorial
C
a
rni
Africa
0°
North Pacific C.
ifo
India
20°
a s ka C
Al
al
40°
C.
.
.
Asia
C
tka
ha
re e
tG
60°
Greenland
es
W
Arctic Ocean
lar Current
60°
Anta
rctic
polar Current
Circum
Antarctic Circle
(66.5° S)
Southern Ocean
Antarctica
80°
20°
40°
60°
80°
Antarctica
100°
120°
140°
160°
180°
160°
140°
120°
100°
80°
60°
40°
20°
0°
20°
OCEAN CURRENTS
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OCEAN CURRENTS
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
ELEVATION
•
HIGHER ELEVATIONS ARE COOLER DUE TO
TEMPERATURES DECREASING IN THE
TROPOSPHERE
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ELEVATION
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
MOUNTAINS
•
MOUNTAINS INTERSECT PLANETARY WINDS AND
MODIFY CLIMATE REGIONS
•
AS THE WINDS RISE UP THE MOUNTAIN, THE AIR
RISES, EXPANDS, COOLS, AND CONDENSES,
CREATING A COOLER MORE MOIST REGION
•
AS THE WINDS DESCEND THE MOUNTAIN THE
MOISTURE IS LOST CREATING A WARM AND DRY
REGION
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MOUNTAINS
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MOUNTAINS
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
DAYTIME CLOUD COVER
•
CLOUDS: SUNLIGHT IS BLOCKED FROM WARMING
UP EARTH SURFACE AND HEAT ENERGY IS
RADIATED BACK INTO SPACE
•
NO CLOUDS: SUNLIGHT REACHES EARTHS
SURFACE AND HEAT ENERGY WARMS THE
SURFACE
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DAYTIME CLOUD COVER
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CLIMATE VARIABLES
NIGHTTIME CLOUD COVER
•
CLOUDS: HEAT ENERGY IS TRAPPED AND NOT
ALLOWED TO RERADIATE BACK INTO SPACE
•
NO CLOUDS: HEAT ENERGY IS ALLOWED TO ESCAPE
AND RERADIATE BACK INTO SPACE
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NIGHTTIME CLOUD COVER
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
HOW DOES GEOGRAPHY EFFECT RAINFALL PATTERNS?
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HAWAIIAN RAINFALL PATTERNS
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THE “BIG ISLAND” OF HAWAII
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THE “BIG ISLAND” TOPOGRAPHY
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
•
THE BIG ISLAND IS
LOCATED BETWEEN 0°
AND 30° N WITH THE
PREVAILING WINDS
FROM THE NORTHEAST
Tropopause
Polar front jet stream
DRY
Polar front
N.E.
WET
60° N
S.W.
Winds
30° N
DRY
N.E.
Winds
0°
WET
Subtropical
jet streams
S.E.
Winds
30° S
DRY
N.W.
Winds
WET
60° S
S.E.
DRY
Polar front jet stream
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PREVAILING WINDS
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
•
MOUNTAINS THAT
INTERSECT PREVAILING
WINDS CAN MODIFY
CLIMATE PATTERNS
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
•
WINDWARD - THE SIDE
THE WIND STRIKES FIRST
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
•
LEEWARD - ON OR
TOWARDS THE SIDE THE
WIND IS BLOWING
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
WINDWARD
LEEWARD
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
WINDWARD SIDE
LEEWARD SIDE
•
AIR RISES
•
AIR SINKS
•
AIR EXPANDS AND
COOLS
•
AIR COMPRESSES
AND WARMS
•
AIR CONDENSES TO
FORM RAIN
•
CLOUDS AND RAIN
STOP
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
WINDWARD SIDE
•
LOTS OF VEGETATION
•
PLENTY OF RAIN
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RAINFALL PATTERNS
LEEWARD SIDE
•
MINIMAL VEGETATION
•
MINIMAL RAIN
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RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF THE “BIG ISLAND”
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