1. 1.How many inches of rain does Manitou Springs receive in May? 2.What is the highest average temperature? 3.Is there more precipitation in the winter or summer months?

2. Factors that Affect Climate “LACEMOPS”

3. The Atmosphere Review: –Earth’s atmosphere is the envelope of gases that surround the Earth.

4. Weather and Climate Weather – condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place What is San Antonio’s weather like today? Climate – weather conditions in a geographic region over a long period of time What is the climate of San Antonio?

5. The most important factor Farther from the equator = the colder it gets Direct rays of the sun always between the tropics Factors that affect climate : Latitude

6. Cold air comes from the polar regions Hot air comes from the tropics Factors that affect climate : Air Masses

7. Factors that Affect Climate: Continentality

8. Continentality Water heats and cools more slowly than land, making coastal areas milder than inland areas

9. Kansas City has much colder winters and much warmer summers than San Francisco.

10. Continentality

11. Factors that affect climate: Elevation Elevation – height on Earth’s surface above sea level An increase in elevation causes a drop in temperature –Drops 3.5 degrees F per 1,000 ft

12. Can there be snow in places that are on the equator?

13. Snow on the Equator

14. Snow near the equator

15. Factors that Affect Climate: Mountains Orographic effect –Moist air pushes against a mountain –The air is forced to rise –This creates clouds and causes precipitation

16. Mountains: Orographic Effect

17. Windward side: side of mountain facing the wind

18. Mountains: Orographic Effect Leeward side: side of mountain facing away from the wind

19. Leeward side is called a rain shadow.

20. Factors that affect climate: Ocean Currents Ocean Currents – rivers of seawater that flow in a circular path –Created by Earth’s winds, rotation, and the temperatures of the water

22. Ocean Currents Help maintain Earth’s energy balance How? Moves heat back and forth between the tropics and the polar regions Warm currents carry heated water from the tropics toward the cooler middle latitudes

23. Gulf Stream Warm current off the coast of Florida flowing north to Europe

25. Gulf Stream What North American country is along the same latitudes as Western Europe? Without the Gulf Stream, temperatures in Western Europe would be lower

26. California Current Cool current Southward flowing off the west coast of the U.S. that cools the land nearby

27. California Current

28. Factors that affect climate : Pressure and Prevailing Winds the air in our atmosphere has weight air around you is pushing on you

29. Atmospheric Pressure High Pressure –Cold air; dense, therefore it sinks –As it sinks, the air heats and dries –Usually brings stable, clear and dry weather –can equal extreme heat and bitter cold (Think about a hot summer day here in San Antonio) H

30. Clear Day

31. Atmospheric Pressure Low Pressure when air is heated, it expands, becomes less dense, and rises The water vapor the air carries may become clouds Brings unstable weather

32. Effects on weather can vary in intensity: slight breezes and cloud cover to powerful storms w/ heavy rain and high winds L

34. Factors that affect climate : Prevailing winds Air pressure affects global wind patterns wind always flows from high to low pressure

35. Winds prevailing winds – winds that blow from the same direction most of the time doldrums – areas with no prevailing winds (area has little wind = problems for sailing ships)

37. Winds In the middle latitudes, the prevailing winds are called westerlies (flow from west to east) In the contiguous U.S., these winds carry most weather patterns and storms from the west to the east Contiguous – connecting or bordering

38. Pressure and Wind Systems

39. Earth’s Energy Balance: Winds Think of Earth as a living organism, always trying to reach a balance *winds move heat and cold across the earth’s surface

40. Factors that affect climate Latitude Air masses Continentality Elevation Mountains Ocean currents Pressure and prevailing winds Storms

42. Warm-up: 1.What is the name of the prevailing winds in the mid-latitudes? 2. Why do coastal areas have a milder climate than inland areas? 3. What kind of weather can you expect with high atmospheric pressure?

43. Pictionary Instructions Person who goes first = Birthday who’s closest to today Then take turns going clockwise Pick a card – don’t show it to anyone – draw it while the rest try to guess The person who guesses correctly keeps the card Winner = person w/ the most cards at the end!

44. Puzzle of 9/ Pictionary terms –Atmosphere –Weather –Climate –Solar energy –Global warming –Greenhouse effect –Low pressure –High pressure –Prevailing winds –Westerlies –doldrums –Gulf stream –Ocean currents –Elevation –Orographic effect –Leeward –Windward –rainshadow

45. 1. What is the name of the prevailing winds in the mid- latitudes? 2. How does the wind affect the Earth’s energy balance? 3. Why do coastal areas have a milder climate than inland areas? 4. What keeps Europe from being much colder than it is? 5. Which side of a mountain is the dry or desert side?

46. El Niño—Ocean and weather pattern in which the southeastern Pacific Ocean is warmer than usual, affecting regional climates La Niña—An ocean and weather pattern that causes the eastern Pacific Ocean to be colder than normal El Niño and La Niña

47. Normal

48. El Niño

49. El Niño: Cause and Effect Cause: –Change in the ocean’s surface temperature Effect: –Changes in weather patterns around the world

50. Cause and Effect Cause: –Atmospheric pressure north of Australia rises Effect: –Trade winds weaken

51. Cause and Effect Cause: –Trade winds weaken Effect: –Warm water flows eastward

52. Cause and Effect Cause: –Warm water flows eastward, over the cooler, nutrient-rich waters off the Peruvian coast. Effect: –Sea life suffers from lack of nutrients, fishermen cannot catch any fish.