Seasons, Weather, Climate, Extreme WeatherSeasons, Weather, Climate, Extreme Weather

How does the location of the How does the location of the suns rays impact our everyday suns rays impact our everyday

life?life?•Temperature

•Crop growth

•Location of cities

Why does it affect these things?

Earth / Sun RelationshipsEarth / Sun RelationshipsWhat is the difference between rotation and What is the difference between rotation and

revolution?revolution?

RotationRotation

1 spin around the axis = 1 spin around the axis =

24 hours/1 day24 hours/1 day

RevolutionRevolution

1 time around the sun = 1 time around the sun =

365.25 days/1 year365.25 days/1 year

Why do we have Why do we have SeasonsSeasons?? Earth’s Earth’s revolutionrevolution and and axial tiltaxial tilt change the amount of sunlight that parts of the Earth get change the amount of sunlight that parts of the Earth get

from the sun. from the sun. Axial tiltAxial tilt – 23.5* tilt – 23.5* tilt

When do the Seasons Begin?When do the Seasons Begin?EQUINOX EQUINOX –– Sun overhead at noon at Equator. Days and nights are same length. Sun overhead at noon at Equator. Days and nights are same length.

Spring Equinox - March 21, Fall Equinox - September 23Spring Equinox - March 21, Fall Equinox - September 23

SOLSTICESOLSTICE – – Sun overhead at noon at Tropics. Longest day in summer, shortest Sun overhead at noon at Tropics. Longest day in summer, shortest day in winter.day in winter.

Summer Solstice - June 20 or 21, Winter Solstice - December 22 or Summer Solstice - June 20 or 21, Winter Solstice - December 22 or 2323

How do these pieces fit together?How do these pieces fit together?

What is What is meteorologymeteorology??

study of “day to study of “day to day atmospheric day atmospheric conditions”conditions”

Weather!Weather!

What are the What are the four elements of four elements of weatherweather??

TemperatureTemperature Cloud coverCloud cover WindWind PrecipitationPrecipitation

El Niño and La Niña

A periodic change in the pattern of mid-Pacific ocean currents and water temperatures can cause trade winds to diminish or even change direction, leading to worldwide climate alterations.

The El Niño phenomenon generally occurs during December or January, around the Christmas season, so Peruvian sailors nicknamed the event after the Christ Child–el niño santo, “the holy little boy” in Spanish.

El Nino & La NinaEl Nino & La NinaEl NinoEl Nino

Warming of the water in the Warming of the water in the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean

High PressureHigh Pressure Every 3-7 YearsEvery 3-7 Years

Affect on U.S.?Affect on U.S.? Heavy Rain or DroughtHeavy Rain or Drought

La NinaLa Nina

Cooling of the water in the Cooling of the water in the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean

Low PressureLow Pressure Every 3-7 YearsEvery 3-7 Years

What kinds of effects do El Niño phenomena have on the earth’s people?

El Niño phenomena causes increased precipitation and warmer winters along the coasts of North and South America. This may cause flooding in some areas, increase storm damage, lead to crop failures from drought, and make desert areas bloom with wildflowers. Droughts in Southeast Asia and Australia cause massive forest fires, and their smoke spawns additional weather phenomena and adversely affects human health.

Farmers depend on the weather and have learned to adapt to normal climate variations.They choose certain crops and plant at certain seasons, according to their knowledge of local weather patterns. In an El Niño year, the weather may be dramatically different, causing crop failures and therefore food shortages. El Niño years also may cause damaging storms or severe droughts.

Common Weather SymbolsCommon Weather Symbols

Difference between Weather Difference between Weather and Climate?and Climate?

Weather Weather = Day to = Day to day conditions of day conditions of the atmospherethe atmosphere

ClimateClimate = = Conditions of the Conditions of the atmosphere over atmosphere over long termlong term

What is What is ClimateClimate??• average condition of weather based on minimum 30 years of statisticsaverage condition of weather based on minimum 30 years of statistics

ClimatologyClimatology-- is the study of climate is the study of climate

   

Climate affects everything!!!Climate affects everything!!!• vegetation, soils, landforms, and water resources, and many human activitiesvegetation, soils, landforms, and water resources, and many human activities

   

What areWhat are climate regionsclimate regions??• climate characteristics are similarclimate characteristics are similar

• Boundaries are gradual instead of sharp lines Boundaries are gradual instead of sharp lines

You cant just take one step and be out of a desert!You cant just take one step and be out of a desert!

Thematic MapThematic Map : World Climate : World Climate RegionsRegions

Precipitation around the WorldPrecipitation around the World

What factors affect climate?What factors affect climate?

WindWind Ocean CurrentsOcean Currents LatitudeLatitude ElevationElevation TopographyTopography

Review: Global Wind CurrentsReview: Global Wind Currents

Review: Global Ocean CurrentsReview: Global Ocean Currents

Gulf StreamGulf Stream

How does latitude affect climate?How does latitude affect climate? Further from equator is colder!!!Further from equator is colder!!!

3 latitude zones of climate3 latitude zones of climate??– Low or tropical (0* - 23.5* N/S)Low or tropical (0* - 23.5* N/S)– Middle or temperate (24* - 66.5* N/S)Middle or temperate (24* - 66.5* N/S)– High or polar (66.5* - 90* N/S)High or polar (66.5* - 90* N/S)

How does How does elevationelevation affect climate? affect climate?

ElevationElevation - distance - distance above sea levelabove sea level

As altitude/elevation As altitude/elevation increases, air temperature increases, air temperature drops 3.5 degrees per drops 3.5 degrees per 1,000 ft.1,000 ft.

12,000 ft. and above are 12,000 ft. and above are arctic climatesarctic climates

Explain why high mountaintops are always covered by snow, even in the Tropics.

The thinner atmosphere in higher altitudes retains less heat. Therefore, temperatures are lower at high altitudes. If the mountaintops are high enough, it will always be too cold for the snow to melt.

Elevation and Climate (cont.)

How does How does topographytopography effect effect climate?climate?

Various landforms affect Various landforms affect climateclimate

Can you think of any Can you think of any examples?examples?

Great LakesGreat Lakes

Major riversMajor rivers

MountainsMountains

Climate Region ReviewClimate Region Review

Tropical WetTropical Wet

hot avg. temp hot avg. temp 8080

avg. 80 inches avg. 80 inches of rain per yearof rain per year

Humid ContinentalHumid Continental Large variety in temperatureLarge variety in temperature mid-latitudesmid-latitudes Northern HemisphereNorthern Hemisphere Four SeasonsFour Seasons

SemiaridSemiarid

Not much rain, 16 inches Not much rain, 16 inches avg. per yr.avg. per yr.

Hot SummersHot Summers Mild/Cold WintersMild/Cold Winters Can support a productive Can support a productive

agricultureagriculture

DesertDesert Less than 10 inches of Less than 10 inches of

rain per yr.rain per yr. Hot or ColdHot or Cold

Humid SubtropicalHumid Subtropical Long summersLong summers Hot and HumidHot and Humid Located on the east coasts of Located on the east coasts of

continentscontinents Southeast U.S. is an exampleSoutheast U.S. is an example

Tropical wet and dryTropical wet and dry Rainy season during Rainy season during

summersummer Dry season during Dry season during

winterwinter Located near tropical Located near tropical

wet climates in Africa, wet climates in Africa, South and Central South and Central Am. & AsiaAm. & Asia

TundraTundra Flat, treeless, ring Flat, treeless, ring

around the Arctic around the Arctic OceanOcean

Less than 15 inches of Less than 15 inches of precipitation a yearprecipitation a year

Permafrost soil- Permafrost soil- always frozenalways frozen

Critical Thinking

Predicting Consequences Without the Coriolis effect, how might the earth’s climates be different?

Climates would be more extreme, or not as mild.

Which of the climate regions do you think are most heavily populated? Why do you think so?

Mid-latitude and tropical regions are the most heavily populated. Mid-latitude climate regions tend to be temperate, and the tropical climate regions are generally warm to hot with lush vegetation.

Climate Regions (cont.)

List three key factors that affect climate.

The three key factors that affect climate are latitude, air and ocean currents, and landforms.

Reviewing Facts: Factors Affecting Climate

Extreme WeatherExtreme Weather

HurricanesHurricanes TornadoesTornadoes FloodsFloods DroughtDrought BlizzardsBlizzards

What is a What is a hurricanehurricane?? extreme low pressure extreme low pressure storm - begins over storm - begins over warm waterwarm water

How are hurricanes How are hurricanes formed?formed?

– Very Low PressureVery Low Pressure– Warm Ocean Waters Warm Ocean Waters

What are the 3 classes of What are the 3 classes of Storms?Storms?

Trop. DepressionTrop. Depression Trop. StormTrop. Storm HurricaneHurricaneWhat is a hurricane in the Pacific What is a hurricane in the Pacific

Ocean called?Ocean called? TyphoonTyphoon

What causes most of the What causes most of the damage during a hurricane?damage during a hurricane?

Storm SurgeStorm Surge – – Rising Ocean levels due Rising Ocean levels due to increased winds to increased winds

One foot of water for One foot of water for every 10 mph. Of every 10 mph. Of windwind

How do we rank a hurricanes’ How do we rank a hurricanes’ strength?strength?

TornadoesTornadoes – What causes them? – What causes them?Strong cold fronts collide with strong warm frontsStrong cold fronts collide with strong warm frontsCircular winds develop and strengthenCircular winds develop and strengthen

Where do most Where do most tornadoestornadoes occur?occur?

How do we measure tornadoes?How do we measure tornadoes?- By the amount of damage caused- By the amount of damage caused

• Earth’s Forces• Ring of Fire Movie

• If you were the mayor of a city, which could be affected by a hurricane, how would you protect the city and its citizens?

– Write at least 5 sentences

How many different layers make up the Earth’s

structure?

What are they?

• Inner Core • Outer Core• Mantle• Crust

What is the Earth’s Core?• Solid metallic Inner

Core• Liquid metallic Outer

Core• Both made of iron

and nickel

What is the Mantle?• Surrounds the

core• Soft layer of

molten (melted) rock called magma!!!

What is the Crust?• Thin layer of rock

at the earth’s surface

What is the Atmosphere?• Layer of gas

surrounding the earth

What is the Lithosphere?• Solid rock portion

of the Earth’s surface

What is the Hydrosphere?

• All the water elements of the Earth

1. Oceans

2. Seas

3. Rivers

4. Lakes

What is the Biosphere?

• Where plants and animals live

• Includes: Atmosphere, Lithosphere, & Hydrosphere

What is Plate Tectonics?

• Movement of large plates (crust) above magma in the mantle

• What proof is there?

• Fossils, plants and animals along coastlines of separated continents

What is the theory of Continental

Drift?

• 1912 theory by Alfred Wegener

• Earth once had a supercontinent (all connected)

• Called “Pangea”

Plate Boundaries Plates collide, separate, and shift along these

boundaries

What type of movements are there?

1. Divergent

2. Convergent: Subduction

3. Convergent: Collision

4. Transform

Example: Sub-Duction Zone

Example: Sea Floor Spreading

Example: Transform Boundary San Andreas Fault-

California

What type of movement takes place?

•Transform Movement

Seismograph

Measures the size of waves created by the earthquake

How are Earthquakes measured?

Earthquakes

Review: Plate Tectonics• Plate Movement

– Spreading – usually ocean floor– Sub-duction – form Volcanoes– Collision – form mountains– Sliding/Shearing – cause earthquakes

• Boundaries – where plates meet– Divergent- moving apart – Convergent - collide– Transform – slide past each other

Volcanoes

• What is the Ring of Fire?

• Most volcanoes located around the rim of the Pacific Ocean

What force might have caused this?

What force might have caused this?

What force might have caused this?

What force might have caused this?

What is Weathering?

Types of Weathering are…• Mechanical – When rocks

and other minerals are broken into smaller pieces.

• Chemical – When minerals are changed completely when they mix with water and air. Like metal changing to rust.

What is Wind Erosion?

– Loess is wind-blown silt, sand, and clay.

– Can form sand dunes 100’s of feet deep!

What is Water Erosion?• Precipitation • Mudslides • Avalanche

What is Glacial Erosion?

• Glaciation – changes in a landform made from a slowly moving sheet of ice (glacier)

• Moraines – rocks left behind after a glacier moves

• Creates new valleys, hills, or ridges

What is soil, how is it made?• Through the

process of weathering and erosion of rocks

• Humus – quality of soil

1.Texture of the soil

2.Amount of organic material in the soil