1. BR: T3D9
As mentioned last time, what are some factors that can affect climate? Explain:

2. World Geography Ch. 2.3 Climate Regions, Part II
Landforms, especially mountains, can affect winds, temperature, and rainfall.

3. Other Effects on Climate
As mentioned before climate is the prolonged pattern for weather in an area. Some additional things, besides the sun, wind, etc can affect it too. Landforms do, for instance. Local winds are unique wind patterns that only happen in a specific, small area. For example, near the sea, there are sea and land breezes that occur because of the differences in how water and land cool. VID Mountains are involved in this too. Slopes that are often in the sun (EX: south facing here in the N. Hemisphere) often heat up quicker than the surrounding land, leading to breezes and air exchange. Thinner air higher up doesn’t hold heat well though, hence the fact that even in the Tropics, high mountains have snow on them.

4. The Rain Shadow Effect
One of these local landform effects is known as the Rain Shadow Effect. Warm, moist air, coming off of the ocean or a large body of water, goes up, and towards land. It condenses into clouds, and as those clouds reach nearby mountains, they are forced upwards (this is the windward side of the mountain). This cools the air, and cooler air doesn’t hold moisture as well, so that moisture falls / precipitates, getting squeezed out of the clouds. As the clouds go over the other side, it doesn’t have much moisture left to drop, so this cool, dry wind blows on past the leeward side of the mountains, leaving little moisture. VID
Cool moist air
drops moisture
Leeward Side
Dry Air is all
that’s left
Warm Air
Windward Side

5. Climate Zones
The effects of wind, water, latitude, and landforms combine to create different climate zones.

6. Climate Zones
Despite being VERY far apart, scientists have found that different areas have similar climates.
Southern California, for example, with its warm, dry climate, is very similar to many areas around the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, these areas have the same climate zones, or patterns of weather, often with similar vegetation.
Climate zones also include biomes, or areas like forest, desert, grassland, etc., where specific animals and plants have adapted to that particular climate & each other. These can often be very sensitive, hence the importance of understanding and working to protect them.

7. Urban Climates
One interesting phenomena is that of Urban Climates. Larger cities have been proven to have higher temperatures and other differences from the surrounding climates.
This is in part because of the paved streets, stone buildings, etc., that absorb the sun’s heat very well during the day, and then they radiate that heat at night. This can increase temperatures by as much as ° F! This is often called the Urban Heat Island Effect. VID
What other effects do cities have on climate? We are only beginning to study this, but it appears that wind patterns are different, and precipitation may be higher in cities than undeveloped surrounding areas.
Note: sometimes very small areas are different in their climates; these are called microclimates. VID

8. Major Climates
The system that most scientists use for identifying climate (proposed by Wladimir Köppen in 1900, and updated several times since) usually identifies 5 major climate zones. It is called the Köppen Climate Classification system, and the 5 major zones are: (ex: major – subcategory)
Tropical – Tropical Rain Forest; Tropical Savannah
Arid / Dry – Steppe; Desert
Midlatitude – Marine West Coast; Mediterranean; Humid Subtopical; Humid Continental
High Latitude – Subarctic; Tundra; Ice Cap
Highlands – Highlands (same)
Note that this system has been modified over the years, but the subclimate types are almost all the same. Now, grab a chromebook / ipad, and complete the interactive activity found here: