Climatology

1. Climatology

2. Sections • 1. Climate Classification • 2. Natural Climate Changes • 3. Global Warming • 4. Human Impact On The Atmosphere

3. Climate Classification

4. Climate • Climatology is the study of Earth’s climate and factors affecting it • Climate describes long term variations in weather (30+ years)

5. Latitude • Areas near the equator get more direct heating • Results in some areas being colder and some being warmer • Climate zones based on temperature and precipitation

6. Climatograph • A climatograph shows the monthly average temperature and precipitation for a particular area

7. Climate Classification • Koppen classification system • Based on vegetation and average monthly precipitation and temperature

8. Tropical Climates • Tropical climates have constant high temperatures • Some has up to 600 cm of rain each year • Tropical rain forests  vegetation • mT air masses • South America, Indonesia

10. Dry Climates • Dry climates cover 30% of Earth’s land • Influenced by cT air masses • Scarce vegetation • High temperatures, low moisture • Sahara Desert

12. Mild Climates • Mild climates generally do not have a huge temperature difference between their cold months and warm months • Winters are generally warmer • Summers are generally cooler • Southeastern United States • Italy

14. Continental Climates • Continental climates are relatively dry with hot summers and cold winters • Away from bodies of water • Central parts of Asia • Canada

16. Polar Climates • Polar climates lie north of the continental climates • Known for constant cold temperatures • Has low precipitation • Found near the poles and at high elevations • North/South Pole • Andes Mountains

18. Natural Climate Changes

19. Earth is constantly changing, including the climate. Natural processes Human impacts Climate changes

20. Climate Change • Climate has changed throughout Earth’s History • Climate has been lower and higher than it is today • Ice Ages-Periods of extensive glacial cover • The last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago (Pleistocene)

21. Volcanic eruptions • Volcanoes release large amounts of gas and ashes • Clouds can block out the sun’s radiation and cause a cooling of Earth (Year With No Summer)

22. El Niño • El Niño ( Southern Oscillation) – unusual warming of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. • High- and low-pressure systems flip-flop between the eastern tropical Pacific and the western tropical Pacific.

23. El Niño • Indonesia and Australia – normally have large amounts of rain, go into a drought during El Niño. • North and South Americas –normally dry, have a lot of rain- and snowfall. • El Niño can also cause severe and extreme weather events, such as typhoons and tornadoes in unusual locations. S.E United State can have wet summers

25. La Niña • La Niña : the opposite of El Nino-cooler than normal temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. • In the United States – winters tend to be warmer, summers tend to be cooler than normal

26. Solar Activity • When the sun is most active – contains sunspots (dark spots) on the sun (more solar radiation) • Increase in number of sun spots – temperatures in North America and Europe increase

27. Short Term Changes In Climate • Seasons are short term periods of climate change • Exist because Earth is tilted on its axis • Some areas of the world get more direct heat

28. Causes of Climate Change • Changes in Earth’s Orbit • Every 100,000 years Earth’s orbit becomes more elliptical • Changes in Earth’s Axis-Every 41,000 years Earth’s tilt changes from 22.1 degrees to 24.5 degrees

29. Sea Level • Sea level has fluctuated through Earth’s History. • Global Warming activists often point rises in sea level as evidence • However shifts in tectonic plates can cause a rise in sea level

30. Global Warming

31. Greenhouse Effect • Water vapor and carbon dioxide – major greenhouse gases • Trap heat in our atmosphere • Without the greenhouse gases, Earth would be too cold to live on

32. Greenhouse Effect • Humans can impact the greenhouse effect • Burning of fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere • Increasing the amount of carbon dioxide which causes temperatures to increase beyond the normal amounts

33. Global Warming • Global warming – increase in global temperatures from an increase in carbon dioxide • Might lead to the melting of the glaciers • Would raise sea level 60 meters and would flood coastal towns

34. Global Warming • Global Warming could potentially have an affect on the biosphere • Glaciers melt Destroys polar bears habitats • Sea level rises

37. Measuring Global Warming • Temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere from 200 A.D. – 2000 A.D. • At the start of the Industrial Revolution – temperatures began to rise and have continued

38. Measuring Global Warming • Arguments that skeptics of global warming put forth: • Before humans the Earth went through climate shifts • There is not enough evidence • 2009-Global warming activists knowingly submitted false data to forward their agenda

39. Human Impact On The Atmosphere

40. Human Impact • Unlike all other points in Earth’s History, many scientists today believe that humans have the potential to alter the overall composition of the atmosphere • Anthropogenic

41. Deforestation • Deforestation-when trees are removed and not replanted • When they burn carbon is converted to carbon dioxide • Leads to an increase in greenhouse gases

42. Ozone • Ozone is a gas(O3) that exists in the Stratosphere • Protects us from ultraviolet radiation • Is beginning to thin out due to chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere

43. Smog • Smog is an atmospheric pollutant composed of an unhealthy mixture of gases • Caused by the reaction of sunlight with other air pollutants(CO, NO etc.)

44. Acid Rain • Acid Precipitation= Precipitation with a pH less than 7 • Caused by reaction of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides with water vapor • Forms Sulfuric and Nitric Acid

45. Ocean Acidification • Ocean acidification is the process where carbon dioxide given off by humans becomes dissolved in oceans • This causes the pH to drop and become more acidic • Can have a devastating effect on marine ecosystems

46. Microclimates • Microclimates are localized climates that differ from the regional climate in which it is found • Asphalt in cities storing heat • Heat Island-Temperatures in cities that are warmer than its surround rural area

47. Los Angeles • Los Angeles, CA is considered to be the smoggiest and most polluted city in the United States • Also suffers from ground level ozone  Can cause respiratory illness

48. Clean Air Act • Clean Air Act-Federal legislation designed to control air pollution on a federal level • Hybrid Vehicles-Cars that use both a combustion engine and an electric motor for energy • Give off less emissions

49. Warm upMonday December 2nd • Complete Climate Word Search in 12 min for a ticket.

50. Warm upTuesday December 3rd • Using your notes and the climatograph activity from yesterday, complete the “Create your own Climatograph worksheet. • Using the map on pgs. 744-745 see if you can find the location of each using the coordinates above the graph. • What type of climate would you find at each location?