Weather
Condition in the atmosphere over a short period of time.
Climate
Weather pattern in an area over a 30 year period.
High pressure
Clear, sunny skies, wind rotating clockwise.
Low pressure
Cloudy, Rainy, wind rotating counter clockwise.
Rotation
Earth spinning around, Night/ Day, 24 hours.
Revolution
Earth traveling around the sun, 365 days, 1 year.
Tilt
4 seasons.
Axis
23.5 degrees tilted.
Solstice
When and were the sun is hitting. The sun is striking the Earth at the tropics
- Tropic of cancer: summer-June - Tropic of Capricorn: Winter-December
Equinox
Sun strikes the Earth at the Equator. - Fall- September -Spring- March -12 hours of sun/ 12 hours of darkness -100% dark in winter -100% Light in summer Seasonal: More in summer, less in winter
Tropical Rainforest
Hot and Wet throughout the year, found around the equator. Thick layers of vegetation and 80 in. of rainfall per year.
Steppe
Dry areas that border deserts. Vegetation consists of bushes and short grasses with out many trees.
Marine West Coast
Ocean winds produce cool summers and mild but damp winters.Evergreen and deciduous trees grow in mixed forests.
Subarctic
Longer and more severe the snowy winters and short summers located only in the Northern Hemisphere.
Humid Continental
Limited variety of plant life. Vegetation mainly evergreen trees. Temperatures are below freezing for half the year.
Highland
Mountainous areas with varied vegetation depending on climate and elevation.
Tropical Suvvanah
Dry season in winter and wet season in summer. Located near the equator. Mostly found in Africa and South America.
Medditerranean
Mild rainy winters and hot sunny summers. Vegetation includes woody bushes and short trees that grow in dense forests.
Desert
Dry area with sparse plant life, 10 in. of rain per year. Extremely hot during the day and very cold at night. Covers about 1/5 of the earth’s surface.
Tundra
Bitterly cold winters with reduced sunlight. In summer the sun brings light but little heat. Low plant life in summer.
Ice Cap
No vegetation. Constant snow and ice which range up to 2 miles thick.
Humid subtropical
High humidity and heavy thunderstorms occur in the summer. Vegetation is both grassland and forests found in the prairie lands.
THM for remembering climates
T- Tropical rain forest, Tropical Savannah
H- Humid subtropical, Humid continental
M- Mediterranean, Marine west coast
I’m in a box, I’m going to sit.
S- Subarctic
I- Ice cap
T- Tundra
Then I will Steppe out of the box, into the Desert and go to the Highland.
8 Factors that influence climate
- Latitude
- Elevation
- Wind
- Pressure
- Ocean Currents
- Marine Influence
- Law of Contentinallity
- Rain Shadow
Latitude
High latitude- Poles
Mid Latitude- North and South Hemisphere
Low Latitude- Equator
Elevation
The higher you go the colder it gets.
Wind
High latitude- Easterlies
Mid latitude- Westerlies
Low latitude- Trace winds
Pressure
High pressure- Clear sunny skies
Low pressure- Cloudy Rainy
Low meets high- Tornado
Ocean Currents
Warm ocean current- Moist even temp
Cold ocean Current- Fluctuating temp
Marine Influence
Water Maintains Even Temp.
Law of Contentinallity
Huge Fluctuation of Temp.
Rain Shadow
Windward side- Rainy, Wet side of a mountain
Leeward side- Dry land
2 Main factors identifying climate?
Temperature and precipitation
El Nino
Warm water currents off the Pacific ocean
Most violent form of weather related catastrophes.
Tornado’s are the most destructive form of weather.
Low ,middle, and high latitudes
High latitudes- Polar, little sun, Easterlies
Mid latitudes- northern and southern hemispheres, little more sun than High latitudes, Westerlies
Low latitudes- Equator, lots of sun almost 24-7, trade winds
Climographs
Temperature on top and left, Months on bottom, Precipitation on right,
Time zones
- 24 time zones, and each is at 15 degrees latitude
- If you go east (right) add 1 hour
- If you go West (Left) subtract 1 hour
- Never cross the International Date line. Go around
- Noon is 12 pm, Midnight is 12 am