Climates and Ecosystems Weather and Climate Coach Parrish Oxford Middle School

Weather  Weather – condition of the bottom layer of Earth’s atmosphere in one place over a short period of time.  Weather descriptions usually include temperature, moisture and precipitation. Example – “warm, dry, and calm”

Climate  Climate – weather patterns that an area typically experiences over a long period of time.  Climate depends on a number of factors. 1.Elevation 2.Latitude 3.Location to nearby landforms

The Sun and the Earth  The ultimate source of the Earth’s climate is the sun. The sun is approximately 93 million miles from the earth.

Rotation  Rotation – spinning of the earth, like a top on its axis, as it spins through space.  One rotation occurs every 24 hours, making one complete day. The side that faces the sun is daytime. The side that faces away from the sun is night time.

Earth’s Rotation

Revolution  Revolution – the earth’s circular movement around the sun, called an orbit.  One orbit around the sun takes place every 365 ¼ days, marking one year.

When do the seasons change?  Solstice – when the sun appears over the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Signals the start of summer or winter.  Equinox – when the sun appears directly over the equator. Signals the start of the spring or fall.

Earth’s Revolution and the Seasons

Precipitation  Precipitation – forms of water that fall from the atmosphere onto Earth’s surface.  The water cycle is a continuous pattern that moves water from the groundwater to the clouds and back to Earth in the form of precipitation.

The Water Cycle

Types of Precipitation 1.Convectional precipitation – occurs near the equator. 2.Orographic precipitation – occurs near seacoasts. 3.Frontal precipitation – most common type. Occurs when two air masses of different temperature meet.