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WEATHER & CLIMATE. WEATHER. The weather refers to the environmental conditions that occur at a particular place at a particular time. Factors involved in the weather for a region include: Temperature Precipitation Humidity Wind Direction & Speed
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WEATHER • The weather refers to the environmental conditions that occur at a particular place at a particular time. • Factors involved in the weather for a region include: • Temperature • Precipitation • Humidity • Wind Direction & Speed • The weather is studied by meteorologists.
CLIMATE • Climate is the average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time. (Usually a minimum of 30 years) • The climate of an area is affected by four main factors: • Latitude – How far north or south. • Elevation – How high up. • Air Masses for the Region – Cold or warm. • Closeness to Large Bodies of Water – Lakes & Oceans. • A climatologist studies the climate.
How does climate affect you and I on a daily basis? Food – all foods come from plants. Shelter – Pine trees dominate Canada pine wood used in home construction. Clothing – Materials clothes are made of as well as the style of clothes you wear. Energy Usage – Cooling in the Summer and warming in the Winter. How Climate Affects Us
BLAME IT ON THE SUN! • Both weather and climate depend on the amount of energy in the region. All energy comes to Earth from the Sun as solar radiation. • The areas near the Earth’s equator receive more solar radiation than those further north or south of it. • Some of the solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth’s surface and is converted into thermal energy (heat). (This is really a measure of how fast the particles are moving within the substance – faster means hotter!) • Less than 1% of the solar radiation is used by plants for photosynthesis.
EARTH’S BIOSPHERE • The biosphere is a relatively thin layer of the Earth where all living things live. • It has all of the conditions needed to support life. • The biosphere is impacted by three other spheres – each one contributing to the quality of life for living things. • Atmosphere - Air • Lithosphere – Earth/Soil • Hydrosphere - Water