Weather & Climate

What effects do the oceans and mountains have on weather and

climate?

Earth’s Atmosphere

• Layer of gas that surrounds Earth is called the atmosphere. Consists of Nitrogen & Oxygen

Water Vapor, carbon dioxide, and traces of other gases• Troposphere- layer of

gases closest to the Earth’s surface.

Weather vs. Climate• Weather: the condition

of the troposphere at a particular time and place.

• Ex. Yesterday’s weather in Nashville, TN was rainy, cold, with temperatures in the 30’s

• The weather pattern any area tends to follow.

• Climate: the average weather of a place.

• Ex. Tennessee has a mild climate with warm summers and cool winters.

Mostly cloudy and chilly. Some showers are possible in SE Middle TN after midnight -- a mix of rain and snow most likely.

LOWS: Nashville-30, Winchester-34, Clarksville-27

Make a PredictionCompare monthly temperatures of Nashville to those of San Francisco. Both cities are

located at similar latitudes, but San Francisco is located near an ocean.Make a prediction about how distance from an ocean affects the temperature of a city.

Oceans Affect on Temperature

• Moderate- Average, Not extreme or excessive• Oceans moderate temperatures worldwide

throughout the year. • The climate of a place near the ocean is

usually milder than a place inland.• The temperature of the land increases faster

than the temperature of the water.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFJFKbfCoCI

Sea Breeze- Day• If you visit a beach during the day, you might

feel the wind blowing from the ocean onto the land. This movement of air from the water to the land is a sea breeze.

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Land Breeze-Night• If you are at the beach in the evening, you

might feel the wind blowing from the land toward the ocean. This movement of air from the land to the water is called a land breeze.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQV72Yzmjyc

How do ocean currents affect climate?• Current- constant movement of ocean water. • These currents may carry warm or cold water which affects

the climate of the land nearby.• Land areas near cool currents often have cool temperatures.

Ex. California• Land areas near warm currents often have warmer

temperatures.– Ex. Gulf Stream

Mountains affect on climate

• Altitude- Measure of how high a place is above sea level. The higher a place’s altitude, the cooler its climate.

• Rain patterns can also be affected by mountain ranges.

• Windward- As warm, moist air moves up a mountain, it gets colder.

• Leeward- Air that moves down the other side of the mount is dry and hot. Rain Shadow

El Nino

• Every two to seven years, the cold current along the coast of Peru sinks and stops pushing cold water up to the surface causing a change in weather conditions.

• The warmer temperature at the surface of the water near Peru causes the air pressure there to decrease. The change in air pressure may cause the winds to reverse direction and blow from east to west.

A 1 B 2 C 3 D 4

The westerly winds bring moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the west coast of the United States as shown.

At which point in this diagram would the least rainfall occur?

A The mountain range will make the area susceptible to earthquakes.

B The land in the valley to one side of the mountain range will be infertile.

C One side of the mountain range will grow drought-resistant plants.

D Seasons will be different on each side of the mountain range.

A mountain range formed over many years, preventing rainfall to one side of the mountain range. Which of these is the result of the geographic change represented by the mountain range?

Which statement is correct about this diagram?