intro to geography: climate
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Climate
![Page 2: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Weather vs. Climate
• Weather- The day to day changes in atmospheric conditions for a location– Its snowing in Charlotte or it is hot and dry in Seattle– Studied by a meteorologist
• Climate- The long term (average) weather for a region – The climate in the Caribbean is generally warm/sunny.– Studied by a climatologist
![Page 3: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Classifying Climate
• Koppen System– Most widely used– Based on temperature and precipitation patterns– Correspond with vegetation regions– Includes 6 major climate categories
![Page 4: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Koppen System
Based on temperature characteristics(A)humid tropical climates(C) humid mesothermal climates
-mild winter(D) humid microthermal climates
- severe winter(E) polar climates
![Page 5: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Koppen System
Characteristically dry regions(B) Arid climates
desert climates- extremely aridsteppe climates- semiarid
Temperatures range from very hot to very cold.
![Page 6: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Koppen System
(H) Highland climates– worlds mountainous regions– vegetation and climate vary rapidly with
elevation
![Page 7: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
World Climate Regions (Koppen)
![Page 8: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
World Vegetation Regions (biomes)
![Page 9: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Humid Tropical Climates(A)
• Tropical Rainforest and Tropical Monsoon– High temperature and humidity– Frequent heavy rain– Massive vegetation growth
• Tropical Savanna Climate– High temperature– Less rain, transition zone
![Page 10: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Humid Tropical Climates (A)
![Page 11: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Arid Climates (B)
• Steppe Climate– Transitional between humid and deserts– “dry savanna”
• Desert Climate– Very dry– Amount of precipitation is less than half of potential ET– Greatest temperature ranges in the world!
– Result of precipitation effectiveness
![Page 12: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Arid Climates (B)
![Page 13: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Humid Mesothermal Climate (C)(mild winter)
• Mediterranean Climate– Warm/dry in summer and mild/wet in winter– Dry season in summer
• Humid Subtropical Climate– Mild winters and hot summers– No dry season (high humidity/ showers)
• Marine West Coast Climate– Temperate oceanic climate– Westerlies – Cloudy foggy and rainy
![Page 14: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Humid Mesothermal Climate (C)
![Page 15: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Humid Microthermal Climates (D)(severe winter)
• Humid Continental (hot summer)– Productive agriculturally– Climate classification for New Jersey!
• Humid Continental (mild summer)– Poleward of the hot summer regions (like New England)
• Subarctic climate– Short/cool summers and long/very cold winters– Permafrost- permanently frozen layer of subsoil
![Page 16: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Humid Microthermal Climates (D)(severe winter)
![Page 17: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Polar Climates (E)
• Tundra Climate– Close to the poles, avg. temp around 40 F– Treeless, low growing vegetation
• Ice-sheet climate– All average monthly temperatures below freezing– Precipitation limited to fine/dry snow
![Page 18: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Polar Climates (E)
![Page 19: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Highlands Climate (H)
• Based on elevation • High variability from hour to hour and place to
place
![Page 20: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Highlands Climate (H)
• Tree Line- altitude above which low temperatures and severe wind limit growth of vegetation
• Snow Line- Where warmth of summer is not enough to melt snow from the previous year
![Page 21: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Highlands Climate (H)
![Page 22: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Climograph
• Plots average monthly temperature and rainfall
![Page 23: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Climographs
![Page 24: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Climate Factors
![Page 25: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Climate Controls
• Latitude • Air circulation and pressure belts• Ocean currents • Altitude • Landform barriers • Human activity– Deforestation, increase of heat trapping gases
![Page 26: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Latitude
• Less direct sunlight = cooler climate
![Page 27: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Air Circulation
Three important things to remember!
• Warm air rises and cool air falls– result of density differences
• Wind always blows from high to low– result of pressure differences
• Warm air holds more moisture– When air cools moisture condenses to form rain
![Page 28: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
High and Low Pressure
• Cyclone- warm air converges and rises• Anticyclone- cool air sinks and diverges
![Page 29: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Pressure Belts
![Page 30: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Atmospheric Circulation
![Page 31: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
World Precipitation
![Page 32: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Ocean Currents
• Oceans take longer to change temperature than air– It takes water longer to
warm up in the summer and longer to cool off in the winter
– Keeps the coast cool in the summer and warm in the winter
![Page 33: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Ocean Currents
![Page 34: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
AltitudeTemperatures fall by 6 °C with every 1000 m gained in elevation
![Page 35: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
Landform Barriers
• Windward- facing the direction the wind is coming from
• Leeward- facing the direction the wind is blowing away from (sheltered)
![Page 36: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
Future Climate
![Page 37: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
Climate Change
• Global Warming- recent rise in atmospheric temperatures• 11 of 12 hottest years in recorded history have occurred since
1995
– What are the causes?– Natural or human related?
• Remember, correlation does not imply causation!
![Page 38: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
Hockey Stick Graph
![Page 39: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Bigger Picture
![Page 40: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
Climate Change
![Page 41: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
Climate Change
![Page 42: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Bigger Picture
![Page 43: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
Possible Causes
• Orbital variations– Milankovitch Cycles– variations in eccentricity, obliquity, and precession– Happens over thousands of years
![Page 44: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
Possible Causes
• Atmospheric changes– Change in composition of atmosphere– Increase in “greenhouse gases”– Volcanic activity
![Page 45: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
Possible Causes• Solar Activity• Sunspot cycle is 11 years from solar maximum
to solar minimum
![Page 46: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
Possible Causes
• Landmass changes– Plate tectonics/movement of land masses• continents in polar latitudes
• Impact events– Asteroids/comets– largest known-15 km diameter – “Impact winter”
![Page 47: Intro to Geography: Climate](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022042615/55cad853bb61eb0a0d8b45eb/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
Future Climates
• Hard to predict because of high variability• We know climate will change based on studies
of the past• We will most likely go through periods of
warming and cooling, just as in the past• Changes in human population and activity will
change our predictions.