Questions for Today:

1
Questions for Today

• What is Weather and Climate?
• What are four major factors that determine Global
  Air Circulation?
• How do Ocean Currents affect Climate?

2
Weather and Climate

• Weather is an areas temperature, precipitation,
  humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and other
  physical conditions of the lower atmosphere over
  hours or day.
• Climate is what we expect, weather is what we
  get.
• Mark Twain

3
Weather and Climate

• Climate is a regions general pattern of
  atmospheric or weather conditions over years or
  decades or centuries.
• Two main factors determine climate
• Average Temperature
• Average Precipitation
• Two Minor factors
• Latitude (Distance from the equator)
• Elevation (Height above sea level)

4
Major Climates

• 8 Major Climate Zones
• Polar (ice)
• Subarctic (snow)
• Cool Temperate
• Highland
• Warm Temperate
• Dry
• Tropical
• Major Upwelling Zones

5
Major Climate Zones
6
Solar Energy and Global Air Circulation

• The amount of solar energy reaching an area can
  affect a local climate.
• The amount of solar energy and the way the earth
  rotates caused a cyclical heating and cooling of
  the earths atmosphere and air.
• Warm air rises, cool air falls.
• Global Air Circulation

7
Global Air Circulation

• 4 major factors determine Global Air Circulation
• The Uneven heating of the earths surface
• Seasonal Changes in temperature and precipitation
• Rotation of the earth on its axis
• Properties of air, water, and land.

8
4 major factors explained

• Uneven heating of the earths Surface
• The energy and heat at the equator is more
  concentrated than at the poles.
• Tropical Zones exist closer to the equator than
  the Poles.
• Seasonal changes in temperature and
  precipitation
• Due to earths tilt on its axis, seasons are
  created dependent on the distance an area is from
  the equator
• Also creates opposite seasons in the northern and
  southern hemispheres.

9
4 major factors explained

• Rotation of the earth on its axis
• Since earth rotates on its axis, the equator
  spins faster than the polar regions.
• The Coriolis effect is created
• Creates cells and prevailing winds
• Major surface winds that blow almost continuously
  and distribute air, moisture, and dust over the
  earths surface.

10
4 major factors explained

• Properties of air, water, and land
• Heat from the sun evaporates ocean water and
  transfers heat from the ocean to the atmosphere.
• Creates cyclical convection cells that circulate
  air, heat and mositure.

11
Coriolis Effect
12
Ocean Currents

• The major Ocean Currents also affect the climates
  of regions.
• Ocean water absorb heat from the air circulation.
• Ocean currents flow clockwise in the Northern
  hemisphere, and clockwise in the Southern
  Hemisphere.

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Major Ocean Currents