The North Atlantic Drift The Dictator of European Climate and Weather

The North Atlantic Drift  Book definition: A current of Warm water from the tropics

If you flew DIRECTLY west from Paris what city would you run into?? A.Fargo, North Dakota B.Kansas City C.Orlando, Florida D.Des Moines, Iowa E.Sacramento, California

Turn to page 278 Look at the Climographs on 278

Which city would you say is cold in January? A.Paris B.Fargo

Which city has more consistent weather throughout the year?? A.Fargo B.Paris

The Point of all of this Paris and Fargo are at the SAME latitudinal location but have very different climates and weather.

WHY???? Answer: The North Atlantic Drift Definition: A current of Warm water from the tropics

What are the Prevailing Westerlies? Definition: Winds in between 30 and 60 degrees latitude which blow from the west.

Geographical Math North Atlantic Drift (Ocean Current) + Prevailing Westerlies (Wind Current) Warm, Moist Climate in Europe (Marine West Coast)

True Statement  The North Atlantic Drift greatly changes Europe’s climate

The North Atlantic Drift: The complete story Step 1: The North Atlantic Drift pushes warm water from the tropics towards Europe Step 2: That warm water evaporates into the air making it warm and moist Step 3: The Prevailing Westerlies blow the warm moist air over Europe Result: Much of Europe's climate becomes Marine West coast (mild, warm, moist) instead of cold and sometimes dry

RESULT  Result: Europe is a much more moist and farmable!!! This makes it easier to live and grow civilizations here. Think about it!!!! Europe’s history is FULL of grand civilizations, all made possible because of the North Atlantic Drift

Check for your understanding!

The North Atlantic Drift makes Europes climate cold and dry. A.True B.False

The North Atlantic Drift affects Europe’s climate alone without any help A. True B. False

Which of the following helps the North Atlantic Drift help Europe’s Climate? A.Prevailing Westerlies B.Evaporation C.Lack of Mountain Ranges in Western Europe D.All of the Above help the NAD change Europe’s climate.