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2. Climate

3. Weather
Climate
Climatology
Condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time
Average, year after year conditions of temperature, precipitation, rainfall, winds, clouds, etc. in an area
Two main factors – temperature & precipitation
Study of the world’s climates & long term weather

4. Climate Controls
Conditions that influence the climate of an area

5. Climate Controls Factors affecting Temperature Latitude
Altitude/elevation
Distance from large bodies of water
Ocean currents

6. Latitude
3 main zones
Distance from the equator measured in degrees
Closer to the equator – receive more solar radiation
Global winds move hot air away from the equator
Tropical – located from equator to 23.5O north or south of the equator
Temperate – located 23.5O to 66.5O north and 23.5O to 66.5O south latitudes
Polar – located 66.5O to 90O north and 66.5O to 90O south latitudes.

7. Tropical zone
Temperate Zone
Polar Zone

8. Altitude
Temperature decreases 6.5o C/km in the troposphere
Ex. Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa is ~6km tall, so ~39oC (102oF) colder air than at sea level

9. Distance from H2O
Ocean and large lakes affect temperatures
H2O greatly moderates temperature of nearby land
Land near coastal areas has mild marine climates results in warm winters and cools summers
Interior lands has harsher continental climates results in hot summers and cold winters

10. Ocean Currents
Patterns of ocean waters that move in regular patterns
Heavily influence weather along coastal communities
Ex. California current, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift

12. Seasons Cause Tilt of the earth as it rotates around the sun
Tilt is 23.5o toward the North Star or Polaris
Greater the tilt, the greater the differences between summer and winter climates

13. Classifying Climates Classification
Climates are classified based on Temperature and Precipitation

14. Classifying Climates Classification
Based on work by Koppen around 1900
Divided into 6 main climate categories
Tropical rainy
Dry
Temperate
Marine
Temperate Continental
Polar

16. Koppen Classifications
Tropical Rainy
Tropical Wet & Dry
Many days are rainy w/ afternoon thundershowers
Rain falls year round
Forest have tall trees with many hardwood species
Only Hawaii has a tropical wet climate >10M rain/yr
Slightly less rain than Tropical rainy
Typical of Savannas or grasslands of Africa
Only southern tip of Florida is Tropical Wet & Dry

17. Koppen Classifications
Dry
Arid
Semiarid
Amount of water is less than what amount that could potentially evaporate
Two classification - Arid & Semi-Arid
Areas that get less than 25cm rain/year
Include most deserts
Areas located along the regions of deserts – called Steppes
Have sufficient water for small brush and grasses to grow
Ex. Great Plains

18. Koppen Classifications
Marine West Coast
Coolest marine temps found north and south of 40o latitude
Large amounts rain & snow
Thick forest of fir, redwoods, & cedar

19. Koppen Classifications
Mediterranean
Drier & warmer then west coast climate
Southern California coast is Mediterranean climate
Two main vegetation types – dense shrubs and small trees
Agriculture is highly important in this climate

20. Koppen Classifications
Humid Subtropical
Wet & warm, but not as hot as tropics
Ex. Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta
Summers are hot, but winters can bring freezing temperatures from polar air masses
Mixed forests of oak, hickory, ash along with cotton and other farm commodities

21. Koppen Classifications
Polar
Coldest region
Includes the ice cap and tundra regions
Characterized by permafrost – permanently frozen soil

22. Long-Term Climate Changes
Why study climate?
How?
Document plant & animal changes
Understand cultural moves
Pollen – tells the types of ancient plants
Tree rings – tells what changes have happened short term (3,000-4,000) in the climate
Thin indicate short water years, thick indicate good water years
Ice Ages – good for 100,000 years
Scientist know that warm interglacial period exist between ice ages
Last ice age ended ~10,500 years ago

23. Causes of Climate Change
Position of earth relative to sun
Changes in the amount of energy from the sun – sun spot activity
Movement of the continents – plate tectonics
Global warming – greenhouse effect
Ozone depletion by CFCs

24. Climate Video