1. The Factors
that Affect
Climate
Grade Nine Socials

2. What Affects Weather and Climate?
There are Global Factors:
1. Ocean Currents
2. Air Masses and Wind
3. Latitude
4. Clouds and Precipitation
There are Regional Factors:
Altitude (Elevation)
Bodies of Water
Mountain Barriers

4. Ocean Currents

5. #1 Ocean Currents
The world’s oceans are constantly in motion. Tides move the water up and down while currents move the water from place to place.
Four ocean currents affect Canadian climate:
Two East Coast Currents
Two West Coast Currents

6. East Coast Currents They are: A. Labrador Current (cold)
B. Gulf Stream Current (warm)

7. West Coast Currents They are: A. Alaska Current (warm)
B. North Pacific Current (warm)

8. Current Summary
Canada’s west coast has warmer climate because of the 2 warm currents there.
North Pacific (Warm)

12. Warm Currents: warmer climate Cold Currents: cooler climate
How do ocean currents
affect climate?
Warm Currents: warmer climate
Cold Currents: cooler climate

13. The Gulf Stream

14. #2 Air Masses
Large volumes of air with similar temperatures and moisture conditions.
They move toward Canada and influence our weather and climate.
They are formed in certain places on Earth.
Where they form enables us to predict what they will bring.
They move as a result of changing pressure conditions. It’s leading edge is called a Front.

15. Canada’s Four Air Masses
Canada is affected by 4 air masses:
1. Maritime Tropical
2. Maritime Polar
3. Continental Arctic
4. Continental Tropical 3 2 2 4 1 1

19. Air Masses and Wind
They generally blow eastward across Canada (from B.C. to N.L)
Canadian winds follow the direction of the high altitude wind called the jet stream.

20. Jet Stream
The jet stream always flows eastward but changes its position and speed from summer to winter.
It moves slower and is found further north in the summer.
After air masses arrive in
Canada, they move eastward
following the path of the jet
stream.

21. #3 Latitude
One of the most important influences on climate is latitude.
How far north or south of the equator a region is influences how warm or cold it will be.
Higher latitude locations get less direct sunlight.
Sunlight strikes these high altitudes at an angle.
Ex. Canada is, on average, colder than the USA.

22. Latitude

24. As latitude ________, the average annual temperature _________.
How does latitude
affect climate?
As latitude ________, the average
annual temperature _________.
increases
decreases
Temperature
0° Latitude °

25. #4 Precipitation Precipitation is a component of climate.
When warm air, carrying water vapour, rises, cools, and releases the vapour as precipitation.
Warm air is lighter than cold air and holds the most water vapour
Depending on the air temperature precipitation could be solid (ex. snow) or liquid (ex. rain).

26. Precipitation (Cont’d)
There are THREE general things that can force warm air to rise.
They are:
A. Fronts of air masses
B. Convection
C. Mountains

27. Air Masses
Front
Front
When air masses meet at a front, the collision often results in changeable weather, or rainfall.

29. B. Convectional Precipitation
Sunlight heats a point on the earth surface.
Warm air, over this hot spot, rises.
The warm air cools and the vapour in it is released as precipitation.

30. B. Convectional Precipitation

31. C. Orographic Precipitation
Wind forces warm air to rise up over a mountain.
This air cools, clouds form, and precipitation begins.

32. Orographic Effect

33. Windward Side: ___________ Leeward Side: _____________
How does the
Orographic Effect
affect climate?
Windward Side: ___________
Leeward Side: _____________
cool, moist
warm, dry

34. Canada’s Climate Regions
Canada is big enough to have several climate regions or zones.
They experience similar weather conditions.
Canada has 4 climate zones:
Zone B, C, D, and E

35. Canada’s Climate RegionsB

36. Zone B It is located in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Here the climate is dry.

37. Zone C
This zone is found along the coast of British Columbia (including Vancouver Island).
The climate is warm and moist.
Vancouver Island has climate like that in southern Europe (Mediterrean)

38. Zone D This is the largest climate zone in Canada – over 70%.
The climate is cool and moist.
Most of this zone has precipitation throughout the year.
The northern part of this zone has very short summers.

39. Zone E It is the second largest climate zone in Canada – about 25%.
It’s located in the far north of Canada.
Here the climate very cold and dry.

40. Regional Factors
Climate regions may have features which make their weather unique.
These features include:
A. Altitude (elevation)
B. Bodies of Water
C. Mountain Barriers

41. A. Altitude As altitude increases the air temperature decreases.
Places with
higher elevation
are colder.

42. Elevation

43. As elevation _________, the average temperature __________.
How does elevation
affect climate?
As elevation _________, the average
temperature __________.
increases
decreases
Temperature
Elevation

44. B. Bodies of Water
Summer sunshine heats up land quickly and heats up water slowly..
In winter, land cools off quickly but water cools off slowly.
Areas close to large bodies of water do not have big differences in climate (ie. moderate climate).
Places far away from large bodies of water have much bigger changes in their climate throughout the year.

45. Bodies of Water In Summer Land is warm Water is cold
Summer is cool, not hot.
In Winter
Land is cold
Water is warm
Winter is mild, not cold.

46. Closeness to Large Bodies of Water

48. During summer, temperature is strongly controlled by elevation -- cold at the higher reaches of the Alaska and Brooks Ranges, and warmer in the lowlands.

49. Water __________ the temperature. _______ summers. _______ winters.
How does closeness to a large
body of water affect climate?
Water __________ the temperature.
_______ summers. _______ winters.
moderates
Cooler
Warmer
Cities A & B are located
at the same latitude.
City B is closer to a large body of water.
Its temperature line is flatter (moderated).

50. C. Mountain Barriers
In Canada, almost all precipitation falls on the western slopes of large mountain chains.
West Side
East Side

51. C. Mountain Barriers
Prevailing winds, traveling eastward, strike the western slopes first and drop their precipitation there.
By the time the winds reach the other side of the mountain (eastern side) they are dry.
The eastern side gets little or no precipitation.
This effect is called rain shadow.

52. Climographs This graph has one horizontal axis and two vertical axes.
Winterland
Temperature( o C)
Precipitation (mm)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Months of the Year

53. Climograph: WhitehorseJ F M A S O N D
Temp
( o C)
-18
-14 -7 7 12 14 11 8
-10 -5
Precip
(mm) 18 15 30 37 40 35 23

54. Climograph Data: ReginaJ F M A S O N D
Temp
( o C)
-20
-15 -7 10 15 20 18 13 5 -5
-13
Precip
(mm) 30 40 75 50

55. Climograph Data: St. John’sF M A S O N D
Temp
( o C) -4 -5 -2 2 6 11 16 18 13 8 4
Precip
(mm)
150
130
120
110
100 95 80
125
145

56. Climograph: Iqaluit Mo J F M A S O N D -25 -26 -23 -14 -3 3 8 7 2 -4
Temp
( o C)
-25
-26
-23
-14 -3 3 8 7 2 -4
-12
-21
Precip
(mm) 18 12 15 30 37 40 35 23

57. Climograph Data: VictoriaJ F M A S O N D
Temp
( o C) 3 5 6 8 11 14 16 10 7 4
Precip
(mm)
140
100 75 45 35 30 20 25 40
150