CLIMATES OF THE EARTH
Why Does It Matter?
•Climate ______where & how people ______
•An understanding of Earth’s climates & the factors, both ______, that influence them adds to a more complete view of ______on Earth
EARTH-SUN RELATIONSHIPS (Section 1)
•The ______environment affects people & their ______
•Earths ______in relation to the ______ffects ______, day & night, & seasons on Earth, which in turn influence when & how ______perform certain ______
Climate vs. Weather
•Weather - conditions of the ______in one place over a ______period of time (Day to day ______of temperature & precipitation)
•Conditions of______or cold, wet or ______, calm or stormy, clear or ______
•Most weather phenomena occur in the ______(______portion of Earth's atmosphere) just below the stratosphere
•______is driven by ______(temperature and moisture) differences between one place another
•Climate - weather ______/statistics (averages) of temperature, ______, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation in an area over a ______period of time (______years or more)
•A region's climate is generated by the climate ______, which has ______components: atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere (part of the Earth where ______is in solid form), land surface & ______(sustains life)
•The climate of a location is affected by its latitude, terrainaltitude, as well as nearby water bodies their currents
•Climates can be classified according to the ______the typical ______of different variables, most commonly ______
Earth’s Tilt & Rotation
•Earth’s ______is one reason for variations in ______
•The Earth’s “______”(an imaginary line running from the N to S pole through the planets center) is currently ______at an angle of ______degrees
•B/c of the tilt of the Earth, not all of the ______receives the ______amount of ______at the same time which affects “______” (measure of how hot or cold a place is) of an area
•Temperature is ______in degrees (Fahrenheit or ______)
•Areas that receive a ______amount of ______have ______temperatures than places that receive ______direct sunlight (equator=hot---N/S Poles=cold)
•Whether or not a particular place on Earth receives ______also depends on the ______of the planet that is ______the sun
•The Earth “______” on its axis every ______hrs from ______to ______(1 complete rotation---360 degrees)
Earth’s Revolution
•While the planet is ______on its axis it is also traveling in an ______around (revolving) the sun (our nearest ______)
•The Earth’s ______is the path that the Earth takes around the sun which takes ______days & ____ hours to complete (6 hours x 4 = 1 day---______year)
•The Earth’s ______& its ______/angle cause changes in the angle & amount of sunlight that reach different ______on the planet at a given time
•These changes follow a regular ______& are called “______”
•During the course of a year, people on most parts of the Earth experience distinct ______in the length of ______& the ______temperatures as the seasons ______
•Seasons are ______N & S of the equator or in the Northern & Southern Hemispheres
•If it is ______in Europe than it is ______in Australia
•If it is ______in the U.S. then it is ______in Peru
•An “______” occurs ______a year (around 20 March & 22 September), when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither ______from nor ______the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the ______plane as the Earth's equator
•Basically the Sun’s rays fall ______on the equator---March/September “Equinox” (equal night)
•______have the same amount of ______on this day
•The equinoxes are the only times when the ______point (the place on the Earth's surface where the center of the Sun can be observed exactly ______) is on the Equator
•This point crosses the Equator moving ______at the March(Spring) equinox crosses the Equator moving ______at the September (Fall)equinox
The Tropic Of Cancer
•As the Earth continues its revolution around the _____, it moves so that eventually the sun’s rays directly ____ the Tropic of Cancer (the ______point of the Earth to receive the direct rays of the sun)
•Earth/Northern ______is tilted toward the ______the most
•Located 23½ degrees ______of the ______
•Receives ______sunlight around ______21st, giving the N hemisphere its ______day of the year
•It is also Known as the “______” marks the ______of summer in the N hemisphere
The Tropic of Capricorn
•As the Earth continues its revolution around the ______, it moves again so that eventually the sun’s rays directly ______the Tropic of Capricorn (the ______point of the Earth to receive the direct rays of the sun)
•Earth/Northern hemisphere is tilted ______the sun the ______-
•Located 23½ degrees ______of the Equator
•Receives direct sunlight around ______22nd, giving the N hemisphere its ______day of the ______
•It is also Known as the “______” marks the ______of winter in the N hemisphere
The Poles
•The most dramatic ______in the amount of ______occurs at the ______
•For _____ months out of the year one pole is ______towards the ______receives continuous sunlight almost a full ______hrs, while the other pole is almost in complete ______
•At the North Pole the ______never ______from March 20th to Sept 23rd
•At the South Pole continuous ______lasts from September 23rd to March 20th
•Known as the “______Sun”, this is a natural phenomenon where the ______is still up at midnight
•As you move ______from the poles the days of continuous daylight ______(Alaska has about 30)
Greenhouse Effect vs. Global Warming
•“Greenhouse Effect” is the ______of the ______of a planet or moon due to the presence of an atmosphere containing ______that absorb emit infrared ______
•The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is ______by atmospheric greenhouse ______& is re-radiated in all ______
•Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the ______& the lower ______, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature ______what it would be if the gasses were not present
•The suns ______pass through the Earth’s ______& shine down on the Earth’s surface where half of the solar radiation is ______by the Earth’s surface
•The rest of the ______radiation (suns rays) is either ______by the Earth’s surface (______such as the ice caps reflect & ______such as the oceans absorb) & atmosphere back into ______space or converted to ______energy in the atmosphere
•Some of the infrared radiation is ______by the greenhouse ______(CFC’s---chlorofluorocarbons) adding more ______to the Earth---NOT GOOD!!!
•Greenhouse Effect is ______to sustain ______on Earth
•Too ______heat & things ______& we die
•Not ______heat & its an ______age & we die
•“Global Warming” is the ______in the average ______of Earth's ______& oceans since the late 19th century & its projected continuation
•Since the early 20th century, Earth's mean ______temperature has ______by about ______°C (1.4 °F), with about 2/3s of the increase occurring since ______
•Scientists are more than ______certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of ______gases produced by human ______such as deforestation & the ______of fossil fuels (oil & natural gas)
•An increase in ______temperature will cause ______levels to ______will change the amount pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical ______
•______is expected to be strongest in the ______& would be associated with the continuing retreat of ______, permafrost & sea ice (those things that reflect sunlight back to space)
•Other likely effects include ______in the ______of extreme weather events including heat waves, droughts & heavy rainfall, ______extinctions due to shifting temperatures changes in ______yields
•Warming related changes will ______from region to region around the ______, with projections being more robust in some areas than others
•If global mean temperature increases to ______°C (7.2 °F) above ______levels, the limits for human ______are likely to be exceeded in many parts of the world, while the limits of adaptation for ______systems would largely be exceeded throughout the world
•Hence, the ecosystem services upon which ______livelihoods depend would not be ______
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE (Section 2)
•______processes ______the Earth’s surface
•Latitude, ______, wind patterns & ocean ______affect Earth’s ______
Latitude, Elevation & Climate
•During the Earth’s annual ______around the sun, the sun’s direct ______fall upon the planet in a regular pattern
•This pattern can be correlated with bands or zones of ______to describe ______regions
•Within each latitude zone, ______follows general ______
Low Latitudes
•Zone on Earth______30°North to 30° South of the ______
•Portions of this zone receive the______rays of the sun year ______
•Includes the Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn & the Equator (______)
•Climates tend to be ______to ______
Mid Latitudes
•The zones on Earth between the ______& the ______regions, approximately 30° to 60° north or south of the ______
•The mid-latitudes are an important region in meteorology (study of the atmosphere), having ______patterns which are generally ______from weather in the tropics & the polar ______
•Climates ranging from fairly ______to fairly ______with ______seasonal changes (Temperate)
•Weather fronts & extratropical ______are usually found in this area, as well as occasional ______cyclones which have traveled from their areas of formation closer to the equator
High Latitudes
•Earth's “______regions” are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as ______zones
•Zone on Earth ______60° North to 90° North 60° South to 90° South
•The North Pole & South Pole being the ______, these regions are dominated by the ______ice caps, resting respectively on the ______Ocean & the continent of ______
•Since the polar regions are the ______from the ______they receive the ______amount of sunlight & are therefore ______
•The large amount of ______also ______a large part of what little sunlight the Polar regions receive, ______to the cold
•Polar regions are characterized by the ______climate, extremely ______temperatures, heavy ______wherever there is sufficient precipitation to form permanent _____, & extreme variations in daylight hours, with ______hours of daylight in summer, & complete darkness at mid-winter
•Polar ______ice is currently ______, possibly as a result of ______warming
Elevation
•The “elevation” of a geographic location is its ______ above a fixed reference pointmost commonly the Earth's ______level (0)
•Elevation, or ______height, is mainly used when referring to ______on the Earth's surface, while “______” is used for points ______the surface
•An aircraft in flight or a spacecraft in ______
•“______” is used for points ______the surface (submarine below the oceans surface)
•A ______map is the main type of map used to depict (______) elevation, often through use of ______lines
•To determine elevation of a place, it must be ______
•Elevation effects climate b/c of the relationship b/t ______
•The ______elevation the ______the air becomes so it holds less ______(and its harder to breathe)
•Higher elevations tend to be ______(Denver the mile high city)
Winds
•______moving across the ______of the Earth is called “wind”
•Winds occur cuz______heats the Earth’s ______& surface ______
•The ______warm air creates areas of ______pressure & sinking ______air causes areas of ______pressure
•The cool air then ______in to replace the ______rising air
•These ______over the Earth’s surface cause winds which distribute the ______energy around the ______
•Prevailing Winds - Global winds that blow in fairly constant patterns & blow diagonallypredominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on Earth's surface
•The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the Earth's surface
•A region's ______winds are often affected by global patterns of movement in the Earth's atmosphere
•Trade Winds -Winds of the ______latitudes (also called ______--- Named for their ability to move trade ships) are the prevailing pattern of ______surface winds found in the ______near the Earth's equator
•The trade winds act as the ______flow for ______cyclones that form over world's oceans, guiding their path ______
•Trade winds also steer ______dust westward across the ______ocean into the Caribbean sea, as well as portions of southeast North America
•Westerlies – Prevailing winds of the ______latitudes between 35 and 65 degrees latitude which blow from ______to ______poleward of the high pressure area known as the ______ridge in the “______latitudes”
•These ______winds blow from the west to the east & steer ______cyclones in this general manner
•They are ______in the ______when the pressure is lower over the poles, such as when the polar cyclone is strongest, & ______during the ______when the polar cyclone is weakest & when pressures are higher over the poles
•Polar Easterlies - The dry, ______prevailing winds that blow from the ______pressure areas of the polar highs at the north & South poles ______the ______-pressure areas within the westerlies at high latitudes
•______trade winds ______the westerlies, these prevailing winds blow from the ______to the ______are often weak irregular
•Due to the low ______angle, cold air builds up subsides at the pole creating surface high-pressure areas, forcing an outflow of air that is deflected westward by the “______”
•They push ______air into the ______latitudes (winter ______fronts)
•Doldrums - A low-pressure area around the ______where the prevailing winds are ______(______band/area)
•The low pressure is caused by the heat at the equator, which makes the air rise & travel north & south high in the ______, until it subsides again in the ______latitudes
•When the winds are ______the sea actually has no ______& on a clear day the color of the sky is reflected in the water
•At night the same effect, with no clouds or _____, gives one the effect of floating in space
•In the days of wind powered ______, sailors feared being caught in the ______
•Sailors would throw over ______to lighten the load of the ship so that when the load lightened, the ______would catch smaller ______
Horse Latitudes (Subtropical High)
•______latitudes between 30 35 degrees both north & south
•This region, under a ridge of high pressure called the subtropical ______, is an area which receives little ______& has variable ______mixed with calm
•The consistently ______, ______conditions of the horse latitudes also contribute to the existence of temperate ______, such as the Sahara Desert in ______, the southwestern United States & northern Mexico, & parts of the Middle East in the Northern Hemisphere; & the ______Desert, the Kalahari Desert, & the Australian Desert in the Southern Hemisphere
Coriolis Effect
•The direction of prevailing ______is determined by latitude & is affected by the Earth’s ______
•Because the Earth ______to the east the global winds are displaced clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere & ______in the Southern Hemisphere
•This phenomenon is called the “Coriolis Effect” & causes ______winds to blow ______rather than along strict north-south or east-west ______
Ocean Currents
•Just as winds move in patterns, ______streams of ______known as “currents” move through the ______
•They are caused by many of the same ______that cause winds including the Earth’s ______, changes in ______pressure & differences in ______temperature
•As ocean currents ______, cold water from the ______areas moves toward the ______warmin as moves towards the ______latitudes
•This water forms ______ocean currents
•The ______happens with water from the equator moving towards the ______latitudes
•Currents are basically ______of coldwarm water that move through the ______
•Ocean currents effect ______in ______areas along which they flow
•Cold ocean currents ______the land they pass & ______ocean currents bring warmer temperatures
El Nino
•An irregularperiodic ______in ______climate patternthat occurs across the tropical ______Ocean roughly every 3 to 7 years
•Refers to variations in the ______of the surface of the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (warming & cooling known as El Niño______ respectively) & in ______surface pressure in the tropical western Pacific
•The two variations are coupled: the ______oceanic phase, ______, accompanies ______air surface pressure in the western Pacific, while the ______phase, ______, accompanies ______air surface pressure in the eastern Pacific
•The extremes of El Niño’s climate pattern's oscillations cause ______weather (such as ______& ______) in many regions of the world
•Developing countries dependent upon ______fishing, particularly those bordering the ______Ocean, are the most ______
•El Niño is defined by prolonged differences in Pacific Ocean ______surface temperatures when compared with the ______value
•The accepted definition is a ______or ______of at least (0.9°F) averaged over the east-central tropical Pacific Ocean
•Typically, this anomaly happens at irregular intervals of ______years & lasts ______months to two ______
•When this warming or cooling occurs for only seven to nine months, it is classified as El Niño/La Niña "______"; when it occurs for more than that period, it is classified as El Niño/La Niña "______"
•El Niño's effects in the ______Ocean lag behind those in the Pacific by 12 to 18 ______
•In North America, El Niño creates ______than average ______in the upper Midwest states & the Northeast
•Meanwhile, central & southern California, northwest Mexico & the southwestern U.S. become significantly ______while the northern Gulf of Mexico states & northeast Mexico are ______than average during the El Niño phase of the oscillation
•______is ______in the intermountain regions of the U.S. but the Pacific Northwest states, on the other hand, tend to experience ______, mild but ______winters & ______, sunny ______springs
•Most of the recorded East Pacific Category 5 hurricanes occur during ______years in clusters while the ______has less activity that usually pushes off towards the ______latitudes
The first signs of an El Niño are:
- ______in surface ______over the ______Ocean, Indonesia______
- ______in air pressure over ______the rest of the central eastern ______Ocean
- ______winds in the south Pacific ______or head ______
- Warm air ______near ______, causing ______in the northern Peruvian deserts
- Warm ______spreads from the west ______the ______Ocean to the east Pacific which takes the ______with it, causing extensive ______in the western Pacific rainfall in the normally dry ______Pacific
Rain Shadow Effect
•A ______area on the “______”mountainside facing away from the direction of the ______
•The mountains ______the passage of rain-producing ______systems, casting a "shadow" of ______behind them
•The condition exists because ______moist air ______to the ______of a mountain range or large mountain, atmospheric ______decreases as ______increases, air has just expanded ______to the point that the air reaches its ______point (measure ofmoisture in the air)
•At the dew point, moisture ______onto the mountain it ______(rains/snows) on the top “______” sides of the mountain
•The air ______on the leeward side, but due to the process of ______, it has lost much of its initial ______& does not ______
•Typically, descending air also gets ______due to compression down the leeward side of the mountain, creating an ______(dry) region
WORLD CLIMATEPATTERNS (Section 3)
•Geographers ______Earth into ______that share ______characteristics
•Geographers ______Earth’s ______into regions
•Each region has its own characteristic soils & “______”
•Natural vegetation - the ______life that grows in an area where ______environment is unchanged by ______activity
Tropical Climates
•Found on or near the ______latitudes (______)
•Tropical Wet
•______throughout the year with ______temperatures of 80°F
•The warm humid air is saturated with ______producing rain almost ______
•Yearl rainfall averages ______inches & ______is abundant (Amazon Rainforest---Tropical Rainforest)
•Tropical Dry
•Have dry ______& wet ______accompanied by ______year-round temperatures
•Coarse ______& fewer ______(Savanna---AfricaAustralia) than Tropical Rainforests
Dry Climates
•Dry areas with ______plant life are called ______which usually occur in ______latitudes & ______latitudes
•Deserts
•Yearly rainfall seldom exceeds ______inches & temperatures vary widely from the ______of day to the ______of night & from season to season (SaharaDesert in Africa---______in the world)
•Natural vegetation consists of ______, plants that tolerate low & unreliable precipitation, low ______& wide temperature ranges
•“Desert ______” is an area of lush ______& water that can support ______
•Steppe
•Dry, largely ______grasslands that often ______the deserts
•Yearly rainfall averages ______to ______inches (little more than the desert)
Midlatitude Climates
•4 ______climate regions that experience variable weather ______changes that give rise to a variety of ______vegetation
•Marine West Coast
•______coast of ______America
•Ocean winds bring ______summers & cool, ______winters
•Abundant ______supports the growth of both “______” (evergreens & cones) & “______” (big, bright colors, lose their leaves) trees---“MixedForest” has both
•Mediterranean
•Lands that surround the ______Seathat usually has ______, rainy winters & hot ______summers
•The natural vegetation includes thickets of ______bushes & ______trees known as Mediterranean ______
•Humid Subtropical
•Southeastern ______
•Short ______winters & nearly year round ______
•The wind patterns & high pressure related to nearby oceans keep ______levels ______
•Vegetation consists of “______” (inland grasslands) & ______of evergreen & deciduous trees
•Humid Continental
•Do not experience the moderating effect of ocean winds due to their ______location
•Severe______winters & short ______summers allow for vegetation similar to a marine west coast climate
High Latitude Climates
•Here ______temperatures are ______throughout the year because of the lack of direct ______which limits the variety of vegetation
•Sub-arctic
•Bitterly cold ______& short cool ______
•Has the world widest ______ranges
•“______” is permanently frozen subsoil underneath a thin layer of surface soil
•Very little vegetation---______resistant shrubs & ______
•Tundra
•Closer to the ______with winter darkness & bitter ______that lasts for several months
•______can not establish roots so ______is limited to low bushes & short grasses
•______is often more than 2 miles thick with temperatures that average below ______& often below ______