220 likes | 357 Views
Weather and Climate. Chapter 3. Four factors or elements that affect climate are: Latitude Wind Currents Proximity to Water Elevation. Latitude. Climate Zones. Low Latitudes - Tropical Wet and Tropical Wet and Dry.
E N D
Weather and Climate Chapter 3
Four factors or elements that affect climate are: • Latitude • Wind Currents • Proximity to Water • Elevation
Climate Zones • Low Latitudes - Tropical Wet and Tropical Wet and Dry. • Middle Latitudes - Mediterranean, Humid Subtropical, Humid Continental, Marine West Coast. • High Latitudes - Subarctic, Tundra, Icecap • Varies - Semiarid, Arid, Highland
Wind Currents • Wind and ocean currents distribute the sun’s heat through convection, the transfer of heat in the atmosphere through upward motion of the air.
Air pressure and winds • Air is a fluid • Warmer air is less dense • Air moves from dense to less dense conditions • Ex.: Land-sea breezes
Warmer air “holds” more water • Low pressure=warm air=precipitation • High pressure=cold air=dry air
Weather Fronts • Front: the boundary that separates two air masses of different temperatures. • Precipitation often occurs along these fronts
Proximity to Water • Areas near the ocean have a milder winter and a cooler summer. • Ocean currents are like rivers in the ocean. Warm water flows away from the equator and cold water flows toward the equator.
Ocean currents Follow same circular pattern (driven by wind) Warm currents flow away from equator, pile up on eastern shores ex. Gulf Stream Cold currents flow towards equator, cause upwelling
Proximity to Water One important ocean current is: • The North Atlantic Drift - This ocean current warms Western Europe.
Elevation • Elevation influences temperature. As you go up in elevation the temperature becomes colder because the atmosphere is thinner. Areas with very high elevations can have vegetation similar to the arctic.
Orogaphic Effect and the Rain Shadow Ms. Frizzle explains…
On the windward side of a mountain the orographic effect leads to more precipitation • On the leeward side of a mountain, the rain shadow effect leads to less precipitation and warmer temperatures. They are often deserts.
How does this map represent the orographic effect and the rain shadow?