The Earth

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The Earths Revolution and the Seasons
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• Rotation
• The earth spinning on its axis
• Each cycle is 24 hours
• Produces day and night

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• Revolution
• The earths orbit around the sun
• One year- 365 1/4 days
• Revolution and tilt cause the seasons

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• Weather
• The condition of the atmosphere in one place
  during a short period of time.
• Climate
• Weather patterns that an area typically
  experiences during a long period of time.

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• Greenhouse Effect
• The atmosphere of the earth prevent the suns
  radiation from escaping too quickly. If this did
  not occur, the earth would be too cold for most
  living things.

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• Axis
• an imaginary line that runs through the earths
  center from North Pole to South Pole.
• Earths Tilt
• 23 1/2 degrees

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• Tropic of Cancer
• Latitude 23 1/2 degrees North

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• Tropic of Capricorn
• Latitude 23 1/2 degrees South

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• Solstice
• The day when the direct rays of the sun are on
  the tropics.

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• Summer Solstice
• Direct rays of the sun on the Tropic of Cancer
• June 21
• Beginning of summer
• Longest day of the year

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• Winter Solstice
• The direct rays of the sun on the Tropic of
  Capricorn
• December 21
• First day of winter
• Shortest day of the year

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• Equinox
• The sun is directly over the equator
• Day and night are equal in length

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• March 21
• Vernal Equinox
• First day of spring

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• September 23
• Autumnal Equinox
• First day of fall

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Factors Effecting Climate

• Latitude
• Elevation
• Landforms
• Currents
• 1. Wind
• 2. Ocean

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• Elevation
• Earths atmosphere gets thinner with increase in
  elevation
• Temperature drops 3.5 degrees for every 1,000 ft.
  in altitude.

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• Wind
• Air moving across the surface of the earth.
• Convection- the transfer of heat from one place
  to another.

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• Prevailing Winds
• Winds that blow in fairly constant patterns.

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• 1. Trade winds- blow from 30 degrees towards the
  equator generally from east to west

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• 2. Westerlies- blow from 30 degrees towards 60
  degrees generally from west to east
• 3. Polar easterlies- blows from the poles to 60
  degrees generally from east to west

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• Doldrums
• The frequently windless areas at the Equator

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• Current
• Cold or warm river of seawater that flows in
  the oceans, generally in a circular pattern.
• Northern Hemisphere- current moves clock-wise
• Southern Hemisphere- current moves counter
  clock-wise

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• Warm water
• Moves from the equator to the poles
• Cold water
• Moves from the poles to the equator
• The water helps to heat or cool the land.
• The North Atlantic Drift

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• Precipitation
• All forms of water that fall from the atmosphere
  onto the earths surface

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• Three types of precipitation
• Convectional
• Orographic
• Frontal

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• Convectional
• Occurs when hot, humid air rises from the earths
  surface and cools, thereby losing its ability to
  hold much water.
• Common near the Equator and in the tropics

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• Orographic
• Occurs when warm moist air is pushed over high
  landforms and cools producing precipitation.
• Windward
• The side of the mountain that is facing the wind.

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• Leeward
• The side of the mountain away from the wind

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• Rain Shadow
• The leeward side of the mountain that has a dry
  climate

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• Frontal Precipitation
• Most common
• Two fronts meet, warm air is forced upward by the
  heavier, cool air. The rising warm air cools and
  causes precipitation