1. Climate Climate is the average weather over a long period of time – Weather is the current condition of the atmosphere – Factors affecting weather/climate Latitude … amount of insolation Global wind patterns Altitude Precipitation patterns Proximity to large bodies of water

2. Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect is a process where Earth traps heat within its atmosphere. – Natural process that is essential for life on Earth! – Greenhouse gasses: CO 2, CH 4 (methane), & H 2 O – The energy budget refers to Earth’s to the amount of energy entering and leaving Earth’s atmosphere Currently Earth has a +budget – Earth is heating!!!

3. Latitude and Climate 3 Cell system – Polar Zone 90 o – 66.5 o Cold dry air sinks and moves toward the temperate zone – Temperate Zone 66.5 o – 23.5 o Wide variations in temperatures Cold moist air rises at the polar interface and sinks at the tropics – Tropical Zone From 23.5 o to the equator Warm moist air rises at the equator completing cell

4. Heat Transport Air masses – Dense cold air masses sink while warm moist air masses rise Creates weather and wind Global wind patterns driven by latitude and air mass density

5. Heat Transport Ocean currents – Driven by the Coriolis effect Turns water clockwise in the northern hemisphere Brings cold water down the western US and warm water from the equator up the eastern coast of the US – Deep ocean currents are driven by density Brings nutrients to the surface

6. Land Masses Coastal mountains create different climates on the windward (ocean side) and leeward sides (land side) – Windward is marked by cloud formation and precipitation – Leeward is dry creating a “rain shadow” desert