1. Climate and the Ocean

2. What is the difference between weather and climate?

3. Weather vs Climate Weather The current Climate
Temperature
Pressure
Humidity
Precipitation
at any given moment on earth
Climate
A region’s general pattern of weather or atmospheric conditions over a long period
Average Temperature
Average Precipitation

4. Warm and Cold Fronts
The most dramatic changes in weather occur along a front (the boundary between two air masses).
Warm Front: advancing mass of warm air
-less dense
-will rise over
cool air

5. Warm and Cold Fronts Cold Front: advancing mass of cold air
- more dense
-stays close to ground and wedges underneath warm air
-warm air
pushed
upwards,
cool and
rain forms

7. Highs and Lows High High pressure and density Contains cool, dense air
Descends toward earth becomes warmer
Low
Low pressure and density
Produces cloudy, stormy weather
Warm air expands and cools

8. Extreme Weather Tornado Forms over land
Forms when cool downdraft and warm updraft of air meet and interact
U.S. is most tornado prone country followed by Canada
Tropical Cyclone
Form over warm water oceans partially due to the Coriolis Effect
“Hurricane” in Atlantic and Eastern Pacific
“Typhoon” in Western Pacific
“Cyclone” in the Indian ocean

9. Tornado

10. Hurricane

11. Factors Affecting Regional Climates

12. 1. Distribution of Solar Radiation
Sun’s rays are more concentrated at the equator (90°), therefore air is heated more
Sun’s rays are more spread out at the poles

13. 2. Seasonal Changes
The tilt of the earth’s axis means that various regions are tilted toward or away from the sun.
This creates opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Note: the earth does
NOT change its tilt EVER!
The earth rotates around
the sun

14. 3. Ocean Currents moderate climates
Redistribute heat received by the sun

15. 4. The Greenhouse Effect
The heating of the earth’s surface due to the atmosphere containing gases that absorb and emit infrared radiation
Greenhouse gases trap heat within the surface-troposphere system
The main greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

17. 5. El Niño and La Niña What is it?
Climate Shift that you will research
Research Project (worth ½ test grade)
Your group will be assigned El Nino or La Nina.
You will:
Create a poster describing the phenomenon assigned using the following directions to guide you.
Present your phenomenon to another group.

18. El Niño and La Niña Project
You will be graded on:
neatness and creativity of poster (10 points)
diagram or drawing (10 pts)
correct information (70 pts)
presentation (10 pts)
Do NOT just read your poster to the other group, actually present the material (your poster should help you present, not be your presentation).
The group you present to will assess your presentation on a scale of 1-5 with an explanation as to why.

19. Your poster should include the following:
1) What does ENSO stand for in terms of El Nino/La Nina? Where does it occur? What happens to ocean water temperatures (how do they change)? How often does El Nino/ La Nina occur? (10 pts) 2) Explain what causes or creates El Nino/ La Nina? Be sure to include these vocab words: prevailing winds, upwelling, and thermocline. (20 pts) 3) How does El Nino/La Nina specifically affect weather in Central Texas? (10 points) 4) How does it affect weather in the US? Discuss precipitation and temperatures. (5 pts) 5) Determine how it normally affects seasonal weather globally? Include a few different countries/continents (not the US). (5 pts) 6) How does it affect severe weather such as tropical cyclones: hurricanes and typhoons? (5 pts) 7) What are we currently in: La Nina or El Nino?(5 pts) 8) What effect does El Nino/ La Nina have on ocean life and fishing. (10 pts) 9) Diagram illustrating el nino/la nina. (10 pts)