Climate and natural regions By the end of this chapter you will

understand why different parts of the world experience different climates

You will understand what NATURAL CLIMATES are be able to talk about the different types of natural climates such as: hot climates….the desert

temperate climates….ireland/Med cool climates…..North/South pole

What is the weather????What is climate ???? The weather is what we experience

every day…..today it is…..

Climate is the average condition of the weather over a 35 year period

So what influences climates??Factors of

climates include:

1. Latitude2. Distance from

the sea3. Prevailing

winds and ocean currents

1. LatitudeMeans the

distance north or south of the equator

The closer to the equator , the hotter the temperature

2. Distance from the sea Remember….. land heats and cools faster than the sea)

in summer it is colder by the sea and warmer inland

The sea is very deep so the suns rays have further to penetrate to warm it up.

In the winter this heat is released making the coast warmer than inland areas.

During the summer it is warmer inland because the ground is not transparent and it heats up quickly.

During winter it loses any heat it has left from the summer

summer at the beach and no its not me or jackie!!

summer inland

Prevailing winds

3. Prevailing winds Winds influence the temperature and

rain that an area receives. Easterly winds blow from the east

across land so in winter they are cold and warm in summer

Southerly winds blow from the south and they bring warm air because they come from the equator. They also bring cold air because they are moving away from the heat

Prevailing winds continued

Northerly winds are further from the equator so they bring cold air in summer and snow in the winter

South-westerly winds bring blow in from the south west and bring rain because they blow in from the ocean

They are cold in the summer (the sea is colder)

They bring warm air in winter as the sea is warmer in winter

Factors affecting local climates Today in dublins Northside it is lovely

and warm Today at the same time in dundrum it is

raining!!!!!!!!!! Whaaaattttt……..

Local climate is a variation in climate between 2 areas in the same climatic region

Factors affecting local climate= 1. Aspect and 2. Altitude

1. Aspect = is the direction of a slope. south facing slopes are sunnier and north facing slopes are colder north of equator

2. Altitude = the height above sea level The higher up you go the colder it gets. The air becomes thinner and cannot

hold any heat Upland areas are less sheltered and are

exposed to winds They get more rain

Natural regions and world climates A natural region is an area of the world

that has its own unique characterisics making it different to any other area.

This could be: Climate/vegetation/ wildlife/human activities

For example the desert…the poles…the tundra region….the rainforest

There are 3 main climatesHot climates…close to the equator

Temperate climates…mid latitudes

Cold climates…north and south poles

g

Hot climates are found between 30 degrees north and south equator

Equatorial climateSavanna climateHot Desert

climate

EQUATORIAL CLIMATES RAINFORESTS = 6% EARTHS SURFACE HOT ALL YEAR: 32

DEGREES ONE SEASON RAIN EVERY AFTERNOON VERY HUMID VEGETATION:

RAINFOREST/MAHOGANY/TEAK/CHERRY

EXOTIC BIRDS SNAKES, MONKEYS,

BUTTERFLIES

AMAZON/CONGO/BRAZIL/

Savanna climate Located just to the north

and south of the EQUATOR

wet summer and dry winter

Prevailing winds change with the seasons—this is known as the monsoon effect

Vegetation = trees/grass Herds of cattle/cheetahs,

giraffes (Tarangerie national park, tanzania)

Hot Desert ClimatesFound between 15 and 30 degrees north and south of the equator

Temps=daytime is 30-50 degrees….HOTNight = 5 degrees C (no cloud cover)Very little rain because the winds that blow can absorb all the moisture

Hot deserts of the world These are found in latitudes between 15

and 30 degree north and south of the equator

Temperature = during the day 30-50 degrees celcius. This is because there is no cloud cover

At night: 5 degrees celcius. No clouds mean that heat can escape

Rainfall: is very rare-less than 100mm year. The lack of rain is due to the dry warm winds that blow over the desert. They can easily absorb and hold the heat.

Hot deserts of the world: weather chart

Vegetation in the desert (plants) There are very little plants in the desert Cactus plants are the most common How do they survive They have thick fleshy bark to hold

moisture They have needles on them to prevent

animals eating them They have long roots to gather moisture They have thick leaves to store any

moisture

Saguaro cactus plant

Animals found in the desert Animals living in the desert have to

adapt to the difficult conditions in the desert

1. Desert fox: only comes out at night 2. Jack rabbit: long ears help to lose

heat 3. Rattlesnakes: get moisture from small

creatures that they eat

Desert animalsJack rabbit desert fox rattlesnake

Camels found in the desert How do they adapt to the climate1. Long eyelashes prevent sand getting in

their eyes2. They have leathery hooves-their feet

don’t burn3. They have thick lips to allow them eat

plants with needles on them (cactus)

Camels…some interesting facts They are pregnant for 1

year They bleat like a lamb or

goat They can move at

40km/hour They are used for milk,

food and transport They only eat grass

(herbivore) Their dung is used for

fires 1 hump= dromedary 2 humps = bactriam

(endangered species)

Desertification Deserts are growing! They are spreading into areas

that were once fertile Why: 1. Climate change;Hotter temperatures are a result of global warming. There is no rain and droughts occur. The rivers dry up and fertile soil turns into sand 2. Human factors;High birth rate = need for more food. More herds of cattle leads to overgrazing. Farmers switch back to growing crops without fertilisers. The crops fail Farmers cut down trees for cooking/heating: soil erosion is speeded up

Results of desertification 1. Hundreds of thousands of people

have died because of the famine (no food)

2. Millions of people had to migrate (locate to a different part of the country) to refugee camps

3. Some moved to the city and slums were developed

4. Millions of animals died as a result of the famine

5. When deserts grew beyond their boundaries, towns and villages were swallowed up

Slums India

Question on page 113 of your New Geo Book

Solutions to desertification

1. Plant grass (like marram grass) to help bind the soil together.

2. Plant lines of trees to prevent the wind causing soil erosion

3. Introduce new breeds of cattle to produce milk but smaller herds (less over grazing)

4. Dig deeper wells to find water for irrigation

Temperate climates of the world

These are found in the mid-latitude ranges-30-40 degrees north/south of equator.

2 types are: cool temperate climate and warm temperate climate

This is Ireland, England and ScotlandWe are going to study about the warm

temperate oceanic climate: better known as the Mediterranean Climate

Mediterranean Climate Summers are hot 30 degrees because they

are close to the equator and skies are cloudless

Summer is dry due to trade winds which are dry

Winters are mild 4-6 degrees celcius. This is due to S.W warm winds blowing from the equator

Rainfall between 400-700mm because winds blow in from Atlantic ocean bringing moisture

Map showing the location of warm oceanic climates: look at page 199-map

Chart for precipitation/temperatures

Vegetation in med climates Evergreen woodlands are the main

vegetation in the Med Oak, cypress, cedar and olive trees

How they adapt: 1. they absorb and store moisture 2. thick bark prevents loss of moisture 3. they are wide spaced so there is no

competition for moisture

The Mediterranean landscape Most of the trees have been cut down Sheep and goats are the most common Overgrazing has led to very little

vegetation and soil erosion Fruit and vegetable farming takes place

throughout-citrus fruits, wheat, maize and sunflowers

Attractions in the Med

Homework page 50 – workbook LETS CORRECT IT 1. desertification means that the deserts are growing.

It means the turning of land into desert Climate change has led to droughts – crops fail/people

starve Populations growth means that the demand for food

has increased. The over-grazing of cattle has resulted in soil erosion.

2 results of desertification= people are forced to migrate as towns/villages are swallowed up.

People/animals starve to death Reduce desertification?? 1. Plant more trees to prevent soil erosion 2. Dig deeper wells for more water 3. Introduce new breeds of cattle-smaller herds

Question 1 page 50 2 temperate climates= cool temperate

oceanic climate and warm temperate oceanic climate

Ireland experiences a COOL TEMPERATE OCEANIC

Natural vegetation of Ireland = deciduous trees = oak, ash, elm

It was removed to make way for farming, transport and settlement

NOW LOOK AT PAGE 51 PLEASENow look at page 51

pleeze

Lets look at page 52 of our workbooks 1. list 2 ways the natural vegetation in a

Mediterranean area has adapted to its environment

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. How has agriculture damaged the vegetation and soil in Mediterranean regions?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3. Name 3 citrus fruits grown in Mediterranean regions_________________________________________________________4. Explain the term “Irrigation”___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

why is irrigation important for agriculture?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________(c)Name 2 crops grown with the aid of irrigation________________________________________________________8. A_______________B_____________c______________________ D_______________E______________F_____________________ G_______________H______________9. Select any one of the resorts and say why you would like to holiday there___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 types of cold/Polar Climates

Tundra climate

Boreal climate

Tundra Climate means “ without trees”

Winter: long dark days temp = -35 degrees Summer = 6 weeks with only 5 degrees Water below the surface is frozen year round and is

called permafrost No trees or forests only small animals and little plants

Animals: squirrells, snow leopards, ladybirds, mountain sheep (called dolls) and blue sheet

Plants: Heather and moss

BOREAL CLIMATE THE WORD BOREAL MEANS

“NORTHERN” AND INCLUDES LATITUDES OF 55 DEGREES NORTH OF THE EQUATOR

SUMMERS 10 – 15 DEGREES CELCIUS. LONG DAYS

WINTER -25 DEGREES LONG DARK DAYS BECAUSE THE SUN IS TILTED AWAY FROM THE SUN

RAINFALL : LESS THAN 400MM BECAUSE THE WINDS ARE DRY AND ITS TOO COLD TO HOLD MOISTURE