2. Climate

3. What is Climate? average weather conditions over a period of many years

4. What are the four major factors that affect Climate?

5. 1. Latitude Determines the amount of solar energy received and the types of winds.

8. At the Equator, the Sun’s rays strike the Earth’s surface at an angle of about ________ degrees.

9. Why do certain places on Earth receive more solar energy than others?

11. Wind Patterns

12. 2. Elevation

13. 3. Proximity to large bodies of water Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land WHY? Because water has a high SPECIFIC HEAT… Water moderates temperatures Coastal regions: warmer winters, cooler summers (than inland regions)

16. 4. Topography

18. windward = wet and cool leeward = dry and warm

19. How would you describe the climate of Virginia?

21. “Goldilocks Climate” “not too hot; not too cold” humid, sub-tropical