Weather vs. Climate Weather pertains to occurrences from hour to hour, or day to day, in a specific location. Climate pertains to average weather over an extended period of time, in a specific region or on a larger scale. Climate can correspond to averages over a season, year, or century and over a county, state, country, or the globe.
Two Basic Climate Classifications Continental Climate The climate on the continent’s interior. Typically has temperature extremes and low precipitation. Ex. Kelowna Maritime Climate A coastal climate. Typically has mild temperatures and high precipitation. Ex. Vancouver
What Influences Climate? Latitude Altitude Distance from a large water body (ocean) Wind direction Ocean currents Precipitation
Latitude Latitude: the distance of any point north or south of the equator, measured up to 90 degrees. This determines the amount and intensity of sunlight it receives. The weather is warmer closer to the equator because the sun hits the Earth a greater angle. In the north the sun’s rays strike the Earth at a lower angle. ○ This causes greater seasonal variation in the length of day and night.
Altitude Altitude: vertical elevation. The higher the altitude is the cooler it is going to be. On average, for every 150 meter rise the temperature drops by 1 o C. Have you ever been camping in the mountains? It’s much colder than if you were to camp in Kelowna.
Distance from a large water body The surface of land heats and cools more quickly than water (Water takes longer to heat up and longer to cool off). Coastal areas tend to have more moderate variation in temperatures because they are moderated by the water. Interior areas will have more dramatic temperature variations. Can you think of an example of this in B.C.? Ex. Kelowna vs. Vancouver
Wind direction Wind can transport temperature. Winds coming from the ocean increase the moderating effect of the water on temperature. The reverse is true for winds blowing off the land. Prevailing winds are those winds that are blowing most regularly. Western Canada normally has westerly (from the west) or northerly (from the north) winds.
Ocean Currents Ocean currents are either warm or cold depending on their origin. Ocean currents affect the temperature of the land by either warming or heating the air blowing above them.
Ocean Currents Warm air absorbs more water than cold air. The West Coast enjoys a mild, wet climate because the prevailing westerlies blow over the warm Alaska current, which comes from warm southern climates. es1HO0k (Finding Nemo) es1HO0k
CpVkBuU (Plastiki Expedition) CpVkBuU xSTnI&feature=related (Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch) xSTnI&feature=related
Precipitation Precipitation is determined by distance from large bodies of water and the prevailing winds. There are three basic types that we will quickly look at. ○ Orographic, convectional, and frontal.
Water Resources of Canada Most of the rivers of western Canada begin in the cordillera. Why do you think this is true? The high level of precipitation and melting snow packs provide a constant flow of water. The rivers flow east or west from the Rockies and the Coastal Mountains until they reach major body of water like the Pacific Ocean or Hudson Bay. Along the way they meet up with other bodies of water, river, lakes, etc.
Water Resources of Canada The large amount of water in western Canada has made many Canadians complacent. What does this mean?
Population and developments have created threats to water quality. How? ex. The Lower Fraser River Basin has been a dump site for industrial and municipal sewage, and agricultural run-off.
Water Resources of Canada Sewage: municipal and industrial waste. Run-off: pesticides, herbicides, and other materials that drain from fields into rivers and lakes. For many Canadians, water quality, and not water quantity, will be the issue in the future.
Activity Read page of your textbook and sketch the three types of precipitation. Write a small blurb explaining how each type of precipitation occurs.