Title: Elements of Climate
1Elements of Climate
- Created by Eleanor Joyce
- City of Salem Schools
- Salem, VA
2Factor Number 1
3The higher the elevation, the colder the
temperature. Thats why there are snow-capped
mountains on the Equator. For every 1000 feet
increase in altitude, the temperature is 3 ½
degrees colder.
4Factor Number 2
5Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
Antarctic Circle
Graphic created by EJoyce
690
COLD
HIGH
66 1/2
Four Seasons
MIDDLE
23 1/2
LOW
Hot- Wet and Dry
0
23 1/2
Four Seasons
MIDDLE
66 1/2
HIGH
COLD
90
Graphic created by EJoyce
7Graphic created by EJoyce
8Factor Number 3
9- High mountains located near large bodies of
water block the moisture that blows in from the
ocean and create a rain shadow on the leeward
side of the mountain.
10Vocabulary
- The windward side of the mountain is the side
of the mountain that faces the ocean. When the
winds blow the moisture in from the ocean, the
windward side of the mountains gets the rain. As
the air rises to go over the mountain, it cools
and loses moisture before it gets over the
mountain. The leeward side of the mountain is the
side of the mountain that does not face the
ocean. It is the arid side of the mountain. This
side of the mountain lies in the rain shadow or
an area that receives little rain.
11Windward side of the Mountain
Leeward side of the Mountain
Rain Shadow
Graphic created by EJoyce
12Winds blow in from west to east and are blocked
by the coastal mountains. The moisture never
makes it across the mountains
Mountains
Rain shadow Rain is blocked by the mountains
http//gis.binghamton.edu/GIS20Sites.htm
13- Winds impact climate around the world. The
Monsoons are winds that blow over Asia in the
summer and winter. The winter monsoons are dry
while the summer monsoons are wet. The people in
Asia depend on the arrival of these winds to
survive.
14Wind Patterns
http//www.mrdowling.com/612monsoons.gif
15Factor Number 4
16- Places located near large bodies of water have
a relatively mild climate. Water does not heat
up or cool down as quickly as the air
temperature. The warmer breezes blowing off the
water, create a mild climate.
17Countries located close to large bodies of warm
water have a milder climate. Notice the warm
ocean current off the coast of northwest Europe.
North Atlantic Drift
18Compare the climate of London England with a city
in Canada at the same latitude belt. Which region
has the mildest climate? Why?