1. Climate & Climate Regions
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2. Weather v. Climate
Climate: The average temperature and precipitation in an area over a long period of time.
Weather: Current temperature & precipitation in an area (Short period of time)
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3. Terms to Know Low Latitude, Mid Latitude, High Latitude
Seasons, Solstice, Equinox
Revolution, Rotation, Tilt
Climate, Weather
Greenhouse
Vegetation: Coniferous, Deciduous, Mixed Forest, Chaparral
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4. Greenhouse Effect
Natural way for Earth to retain its warmth and for plants and animals to survive.
The planet Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System and is covered in a dense atmosphere that retains the heat
Teachers should add a graphic to show the Greenhouse Effect.
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5. Important Lines of Latitude
0 °
23 1/2 ° S
66 ½ ° S
Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
Antarctic Circle
Note that latitude plays a huge part in determining the climate of a place.
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6. Earth’s Tilt
Tilt: the angle of the Earth’s axis affects the temperature of a place.
Revolution: the Earth’s trip around the sun (one year)
Rotation: the Earth completely rotates on its axis every 24 hours.
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7. Earth’s Tilt
Equinox: when the Sun’s rays fall directly on the equator, day and night time hours are almost equal (Spring and Fall)
Solstice: One of two days (June 21 and December 22) on which the Sun’s rays strike directly on the Tropic of Cancer or Capricorn, the beginning of summer and winter.
Direct rays: When a hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, the direct rays of the sun hit that hemisphere and it is summer.
Indirect rays: When a hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, the indirect rays of the sun hit that hemisphere and it is winter
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8. Solstice & Equinox Rotation Revolution Tilt: Spin of Earth on its Axis
1 Rotation = 1 Day
Revolution
Movement of Earth around the sun
1 Revolution = 365 ¼ Days
Seasons
Marked by Solstice & Equinox
N & S Hemisphere Difference
23 ½ °
Distribution of heat
Longer growing seasons
Tilt:
Teachers may wish to find another graphic from the Internet that displays the revolution of the Earth with arrows and includes a more colorful display.
Due to the angle of the Earth to the Sun, Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience opposite seasons (Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is summertime in the Southern Hemisphere.)
Tilt of the Earth makes for the better distribution of the Sun’s heat, allowing sustained life, better growing seasons, etc.
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9. Solistice
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10. Equinox
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11. What Affects Climate? Wind and Currents –
Latitude, Latitude, Latitude. Latitude!!!
Landforms (location, size, orographic effect)
Elevation
Proximity to large bodies of water
Closer to water, little change in climate
Further from water, more extreme change in climate
Wind and Currents –
North Atlantic Drift
Coriolis Effect
With landforms teachers should discuss orographic effect. Students should understand this is not the only way that landforms affect climate, however. (Example: Valleys (better climate for growing, temperature inversion, etc.) Wind and currents discussions should include use of the term “Coriolis Effect.”
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12. Water Currents
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13. Coriolis Effect
The rotation of the Earth causes a phenomena on free moving objects on the Earth.
Objects in N. Hemisphere are deflected to the right, while objects in S. Hemisphere are deflected to the left.
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14. Latitude, latitude, latitude
Latitude: The most influential factor that affects climate type.
There are three latitude zones:
Low Latitude- between 23 ½° N and 23 ½ ° S
Mid Latitude- between 23 ½ °N and 66 ° N AND
23 ½ ° S and 66 ° S
High Latitude- Poles; above 66 ° N AND
below 66 ° S
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15. Climate Zones Based on Latitude
High Latitudes
Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
Antarctic Circle
66 ½° N
Middle Latitudes
23 ½ ° N
Low Latitudes
0 °
Teachers may want to add a slide with a climate map that also illustrates water currents.
Note: Online the Equator (Latitude) and the Prime Meridian (Longitude) are shown with solid lines. The Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Antarctic Circle, and Arctic Circle are shown with dashed lines. The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn are shown at 23 ½° N and S of the Equator (respectively) because that is the degree tilt of the Earth. The Antarctic Circle 66 ½° S and Arctic Circle 66 ½° N –the ½° is due to the tilt of the Earth. Latitude is mathematical measures of the distance from the Equator. So… if something is 30 degrees N of the Equator –you can actually measure the angled distance from the Equator to find it at 30 degrees. Longitude is measured in time and the distance between lines becomes closer together the closer you are to the poles –whereas latitude lines are parallel to one another.
Low Latitude refers to the low latitudinal numbers –anything between 23 ½° N and 23 ½° S
Middle Latitude refers to the middle range of lines of latitude. –anything between 23 ½° N and 66 ½° N AND 23 ½° N and 66 ½° S
High Latitude refers to the higher range of lines of latitude. This is anything between 66 ½°N and 90°N AND 66 ½°S and 90°S
23 ½ ° S
66 ½° S
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16. Low Latitude Climates Latitude Range World Location Vegetation Seasons
Tropical
Rainforest
10° S to 25 ° N
Amazon basin, equatorial Africa, East Indies, from Sumatra to New Guinea
A canopy of tall trees with layers of shorter trees and plants underneath
Heavy rainfall in all months, no difference in seasons
Tropical Grasslands
15° to 25° N and S
India, Southeast Asia, West Africa, southern Africa, South America, north coast of Australia
Grasses, short trees
(Ex. Savanna in Africa)
Warm year round, wet and dry seasons
Desert
18° to 28° N and S, centered on Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
Western North America (southwest U.S.) southwest South America (Chili) north central Mexico, north Africa, southwest Africa, central Australia, north Asia (China, Mongolia)
Scattered vegetation; short grasses and shrubs, cacti
Warm or cold,
little to no
precipitation year
round
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17. Mid-Latitude Climates
Range
World Location
Vegetation
Seasons/
Rainfall
Grasslands
Central areas of
continents
between 35° and 50° N
Western North America (Great Plains); Central South America, Central Africa (Sahel) (Patagonia) Eurasian interior (Kazakhstan)
Grassland, few trees
Steppe: Central Asia
Llanos: Central South America
Prairie: (North America)
Savanna (Africa)
Low precipitation year round, hot summers, cold winters
Humid
subtropical
Southeast coast of continents between 20° and 40° N and S
Southeastern North America, Southeastern Asia, Southeastern Australia
Coniferous/Deciduous (mixed) Forests and grassland
Warm, humid summer, and mild winters precipitation year round
Mediterranean
30° to 50° N and S
The Mediterranean basin, west coasts of California, central Chile, South Africa, western/southern Australia
Shrubs, grasses, and mixed trees (Chaparral)
Long, hot, dry summers, and mild, rainy winters
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18. Mid-Latitude Climates
Range
World Location
Vegetation
Seasons/
Rainfall
Humid
Continental
30 to 55 N and
S, to 60 N in
Europe
North central North America; north central Asia (China); Korea; Japan; central and eastern Europe
Mixed coniferous and deciduous forest
Warm summer cold winters, moderate rainfall throughout the year
Marine-West
Coast
30 to 60 N and S
West coast of N. America, west coast of southern Chile, and northwestern Europe
Mixed coniferous and deciduous forests
Cool summers, mild winters, high rainfall year round
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19. High Latitude Climates
Latitude Range
World Location
Vegetation
Seasons/
Rainfall
Subarctic
50° to 60° N
Northern North America and Eurasia
Coniferous forests - taiga
Extremely cold winter, short, cool summer
Arctic
60° to 70° N
Short grasses, mosses, lichens, tundra
Extremely cold and dry all year
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20. Other Climates Highland Latitude Range World Location Vegetation
Seasons/Rainfall
Highland
Found all over the world
Mountain Ranges: Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alps, etc.
Varies with elevation and location on mountain. Leeward side is drier with less vegetation.
Windward side receives the most rainfall while leeward side remains dry.
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