1 / 45

Climatology

Climatology . Sections. 1. Climate Classification 2. Natural Climate Changes 3. Global Warming 4. Human Impact On The Atmosphere. Climate Classification. Climate. Climatology is the study of Earth’s climate and factors affecting it

csilla
Download Presentation

Climatology

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

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

  6. 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

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

  8. Climate Classification • Koppel classification system • Based on vegetation and average monthly precipitation and temperature

  9. 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

  11. Mild Climates • Mild climates are divided into 3 types: • Humid subtropical-Warm, muggy summer. Cool, dry winters. • Southeastern United States • Marine west coast-Mild winters, cool summers • Western United States • Mediterranean-Relatively warm • Italy

  12. Continental Climates • Continental climates are divided into 3 types: • Warm summer climates • Cool summer climates • Subarctic climates • Continental climates are influenced by the polar fronts from the poles. • Results in clashing warm and cold air masses

  13. 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

  14. Natural Climate Changes

  15. Earth is constantly changing, including the climate. There are two causes of climate change: Natural processes Human impacts Climate changes

  16. 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)

  17. 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)

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. La Niña • La Niña –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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. Global Warming

  25. 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

  26. 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

  27. 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 • Could possibly Increases in number and intensity of hurricanes, more intense heat waves and droughts

  28. 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

  29. Causes of Global Warming

  30. Measuring Global Warming • Arguments that skeptics of global warming put forth: • The Earth has naturally gone through climate shifts before humans existed • There is not enough evidence to stop the production of fossil fuels which would destroy the economy • 2009-Global warming activists knowingly submitted false data to forward their agenda

  31. Human Impact On The Atmosphere

  32. Air Pollution • Air includes mostly Nitrogen and Oxygen • Human activities can disrupt the balance of these gases

  33. 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

  34. Ozone • Ozone in the Troposphere however is a pollutant • Caused by the reaction of sunlight with other air pollutants(CO, NO etc.) • Smog

  35. 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

  36. Urban Air Pollution • Pollution such as smog occurs when pollutants are ejected at a faster rate than they are extracted • Atmospheric inversion may occur • Layer of warm air keeps pollutants from being transported

  37. 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

  38. 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

More Related