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Earth’s Climate

Explore the study of Earth's climate and the factors that influence it, including temperature, precipitation, wind, seasonality, latitude, topographical effects, air masses, ocean currents, proximity to oceans, high altitudes, and climate classification.

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Earth’s Climate

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  1. Earth’s Climate

  2. What is Climate?

  3. Climate Basics… What is climatology? the study of Earth’s climate and the factors that affect it What is climate? long-term weather patterns of an area What are four main factors that climate describes about an area? Temperature Precipitation Wind Seasonality

  4. Factors That Affect Climate… Latitude http://www.brockmann-consult.de/iavisa-info-web/data-set-generation.html

  5. Factors That Affect Climate… Topographical Effects http://www.sonoma.edu/users/f/freidel/global/figure%2002-20.jpg

  6. Factors That Affect Climate… Air Masses A tropical island in the Atlantic Ocean has a maritime tropical climate (warm and humid) because it’s climate is controlled by the mT air mass. http://www.atmos.illinois.edu/earths_atmosphere/images/airmasses_fronts/air_masses.gif http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/bahamas-guide/

  7. Ocean Currents Determine Climate… Write notes on Lesson! Currents affect climate… East coasts have warm currents. (The Gulf Stream… causes our climate to be humid subtropical.) West coasts have cold currents. (The California current from the Bering Sea… causes it to have a Mediterranean climate that is cool and dry.) See next slide…

  8. Proximity to Oceans Determine Climate Coastal climates are more temperate than continental (interior) climates… Differential heating of water and land means that … oceans take longer than continents to cool down or warm up (Remember how long hurricane season lasts? Until Nov 30th!) Oceans take longer to cool down after summer. Oceans act as heaters in the winter. Oceans take longer to warm up after winter. Oceans act as air conditioning in summer. Our coastal communities – such as the Outer Banks or Wilmington - are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

  9. High Altitudes Determine Climate… a. Boone is over 3000 ft above sea level so it is almost always 10° F cooler than Winston-Salem. A mountain top is cooler b/c… it is farther from the conduction of heat from Earth’s surface. http://www.appstate.edu/about/

  10. Climate Classification

  11. Climate Classification… The Koeppen Classification Scale

  12. Climate Classification… TROPICAL – found along the equator (23.5º S to 23.5º N) Constant high temperatures A lot of rain (up to 600 cm of rain) high biodiversity http://theweatherchannelkids.com/climate-code/be-eco-friendly-for-the-animals/tropical-climate/ http://accessscience.com/search.aspx?rootID=798501

  13. Climate Classification… DRY (arid or semi-arid) – western USA, central Asia & Australia, N. Africa cT air (warm & dry) Low rainfall (precipitation) Scarce vegetation http://accessscience.com/search.aspx?rootID=798501

  14. Climate Classification… MILD – NC is in humid subtropical a. The North Atlantic Current (Gulf Stream) is responsible for N.C.’s climate b. The other two… Marine West Coast (WA, OR) Mediterranean (CA) http://www.solcomhouse.com/gulfstream.htm

  15. Climate Classification… CONTINENTAL… found in the Northern Hemisphere Weather… Rapid, violent changes Extreme seasonal temps Clashing air masses (tornado alley) b. These locations have more seasonal extremes b/c …they are far away from moderating effect of the ocean which warms and cools slower than land. http://accessscience.com/search.aspx?rootID=798501

  16. Climate Classification… POLAR (& Subarctic and Tundra) are found near or at the poles. Subarctic is a subclass of continental climates Tundra is a subclass of polar climates http://accessscience.com/search.aspx?rootID=798501

  17. Microclimates… 1. What is a microclimate? localized climate that differs from main regional climate These microclimates are colder than the surrounding climate. The microclimate of a very high mountain is classified as “high elevation” which is pink/purple on map. http://www.squidoo.com/machupicchuruins?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster A Llama in at Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains

  18. Heat Islands… What is a heat island? localized place - climate is warmer than the area around it – lots of buildings & little vegetation. Where would you expect to find heat islands in the Piedmont? Greensboro, Winston- Salem, Raleigh http://www.weatherquestions.com/What_is_the_urban_heat_island.htm

  19. Biomes

  20. Biomes… Biomes… large geographic regions with similar climate and plants & animals with similar adaptations.

  21. Tundra (Polar Zone) Climate… precipitation - low (cold air) Average temps - constantly low seasons - very long winters! Plants… grasses (shallow roots stay alive under snow) Animals… Polar bears (big and fat!) Air Masses – cP and cA Soil – permanently frozen (permafrost) http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/polar/images/polar_bear_sm.jpg http://sasd.k12.pa.us/uploadedImages/ShalerAreaMS/Staff/GuidishD/tundra.jpg The Tundra

  22. Biomes…Taiga Climate… Avg precipitation – little – mostly snow! Avg temperatures -low most of the year seasons - long winters Plants… evergreen trees (needle like leaves conserve water) Animals… grizzly bears, elk, moose (hibernate/migrate) Air Masses – cP and A Soil – supports trees Taiga, Grand Teton NP, WY

  23. Deciduous Forests Climate… Average precipitation – moderate Average temperatures- warm, humid summers/ dry, cool winters 4 equal seasons Plants… seasonal forests – drop leaves to conserve water Animals… black bears, foxes, deer – give birth in the spring Air Masses – mT & cP Soil – rich and thick US! http://www.solcomhouse.com/gulfstream.htm

  24. Climate … Average precipitation - extremely low (dry) Average temps - usually high/ can be cold at night Semi-arid have rainy seasons Plants… cactus - stores water Animals… coyote, javelina, mountain lions – active at night Air Mass – cT Soil – light-colored, salty, thin due to lack of water Deserts Monument Valley, Utah

  25. Biomes…Grasslands Climate… Average precipitation…low to moderate Average temperatures Extreme summer / winter temps! 4 seasons (temperate) Plants… grasses dominate – thrive on fire Animals… bison, wolves, prairie dogs (grazers) Air Masses – mT and cP Soil – temperate grasslands can be very rich (grainbelts) High Plains of Wyoming

  26. Biomes…Rainforests Climate … Average precipitation - high (600 cm/yr) Average temperatures - constantly high Plants… large leaves to capture sunlight Animals… jaguar, tapirs, primates – many live in trees Air Mass – mT Soil – intensely weathered

  27. Climate Changes

  28. Ice Ages… What was the ice age? periods of extensive glacial coverage An interglacial interval is a warm period. We are currently in an interglacial period.

  29. Seasons… What causes the seasons? the tilt of the Earth as it orbits the sun (We are tilted towards the sun during our summer and away from the sun during our winter.) http://kennedy-outerspace.wikispaces.com/file/view/seasons.gif/168395377/seasons.gif

  30. El Niño What is El Niño? Warm ocean current that develops off W. coast of S. America & can cause short-term, worldwide climatic changes http://www.galapagosonline.com/Galapagos_Natural_History/Oceanography/Currents.html Recent Major El Niño Years – 1982 and 1998

  31. Change Can Be Natural… What type of studies provide evidence of past climatic changes? (Before thermometers, that is!) tree rings ice-core samples fossils & pollen samples radio-carbon samples Dendrochronology is the study of tree rings. http://titlemn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/tree-rings1.jpg

  32. Earth’s Orbit… When Earth’s orbit elongates to become more elliptical… it passes closer to Sun & temps rise or farther from Sun and temps fall http://grendelreport.posterous.com/ipcc-corruption-included-ignoring-facts-and-s

  33. Earth’s Tilt… If the angle of the tilt of Earth’s axis increased (nutation)… there would be more (or less) temp contrast b/tw summer & winter. http://www.cgrer.uiowa.edu/people/carmichael/atmos_course/ATMOS_PROJ_99/bilskemp/natural_variability.html

  34. Earth’s Wobble (precession)… When Earth wobbles towards the star Vega winters will be colder in the N. hemisphere. http://www.shiftoftheage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/precession-earth-spintop.jpg

  35. Volcanoes Large volcanic eruptions tend to… cool the Earth. b/c volcanic ash & dust block solar radiation. Tambora, 1815

  36. Spotlight on El Niño During El Niño pressure over… Western pacific increases Eastern pacific decreases Recent Major El Niño Years – 1982 and 1998

  37. Spotlight on El Niño Trade winds weaken. (which causes warm water to flow back to S. America) Recent Major El Niño Years – 1982 and 1998

  38. Spotlight on El Niño Warm equatorial current moves easttowards S. America. Peru becomes warm and rainy. Australia experiences drought. Recent Major El Niño Years – 1982 and 1998

  39. Spotlight on El Niño The jet streams experience a southern shift. California and the Gulf Coast… experience severe weather Fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic. (b/c of southern shift of the jet streams)

  40. Climate Change: Manmade or Natural?

  41. One Major Issue The issue of climate change is probably one of the most important of our day. No scientist questions that we have experienced warming and cooling lately. The question is the cause of the warming – is it caused by people releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or by natural forces such as the sun and water vapor? There are two main groups of scientists – those who believe that climate change is manmade and those who believe that climate change is natural.

  42. Manmade Climate Change …Who’s On This Side? United Nations IPCC(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Al Gore (Former Vice President) James Hansen (NASA)

  43. Manmade Climate Change…Basic Belief About Cause of Climate Change… People are causing climate change by burning fossil fuels & it will cause catastrophic changes An Inconvenient Truth?

  44. Manmade Climate Change …The Role of Carbon Dioxide… Carbon dioxide is warming the atmosphere. CO2 is often referred to as “carbon emissions”. It is released by burning fossil fuels,

  45. Manmade Climate Change…Evidence to Support View? Carbon dioxide studies showing that levels have gone up. Climate studies represented by the discredited “hockey-stick” graph Computer models showing extreme warming & results

  46. Manmade Climate Change…What to Do About Climate Change? Reduce our use of fossil fuels (or buy carbon credits to offset usage) 2. Use alternative energy sources

  47. Natural Climate Change…Basic Belief About Cause of Climate Change… Climate’s always changed, it’s natural, & caused mostly by changes in the Sun’s output.

  48. Natural Climate Change…The Role of Carbon Dioxide… Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a trace greenhouse gas & not a major cause of warming. vs. A trace greenhouse gas or the Sun? Which is more powerful? Hmmmm…

  49. Natural Climate ChangeEvidence to Support View? Climate studies showing Medieval Warming & Little Ice Age Sunspot data showing global temps go up & down with sun spot activity Ice core data showing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels go up AFTER temps go up.

  50. 5. What to Do About Climate Change? Natural Climate Change Adapt for future changes! Continue the research & the debate

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