Name ______Date: / /
Teacher ______per. ______
LAB # _____
TITLE: Climate Patterns
OBJECTIVE: Studying climate involves investigating long-term weather patterns. Climate is the overall view of a region’s weather conditions over long periods of time. Fossil evidence suggests present day climate patterns vary from those in the past and will continue to change in the future. Climate is affected by factors that include latitude, planetary winds, pressure belts, elevation, mountain ranges, ocean currents, large bodies of water, amount of cloud cover, and vegetation. El Niño is the abnormal warming of the Pacific Ocean and occurs at irregular intervals of 2-7 years and usually lasts one or two years. El Niño's warm current of nutrient-poor tropical water replaces the cold, nutrient-rich surface water of the Peru/Humboldt Current. This pattern alters the climates of many regions across the globe. In North America, typically, winters are warmer than normal in the upper mid-west states and Canada, while central and southern California, northwest Mexico and the southeastern U.S., are wetter than normal. The mechanisms that might cause an El Niño event are still being investigated. It is difficult to find patterns that may show causes or allow forecasts. In this lab we will, identify how latitude, planetary winds, elevation, mountain ranges, and large bodies of water affect climate. Visit : http://users.design.ucla.edu/%7Eakoblin/work/faa/index.html
VOCABULARY: climate, climate ratio, climograph, arid, humid, desert, flora, fauna, biome, windward, leeward, planetary winds, pressure belts, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration
MATERIALS: climate patterns map, colored pencils
PROCEDURE:
This lab is based on an imaginary Earth-like planet. Assume that this planet is identical to Earth
in all respects EXCEPT for the placement of its oceans, land masses, and other surface features.
1. On the imaginary planet’s outer edge at each marked line of latitude label areas of HIGH pressure and LOW pressure, using the symbols H and L.
2. Draw in two continents anywhere on the planet.
3. Create a vast coastal mountain range on one continent using this symbol:
4. Sketch in the planetary wind and moisture belts. Place 4 arrows in each section between the marked latitude lines.
5. Label and circle air masses that will affect the continental regions. Include all 5 different types of
air masses and the direction of travel with arrows.
6. Using a blue and red pencil, draw arrows to show how ocean currents will affect the coasts of the two continents. For example, if you drew a continent that is in a similar position as South America it should have cool currents hitting the west coast:
BLUE = cool current RED = warm current
7. Create a double y-axis graph of the average maximum temperature for and rainfall for Mineola during one full year using www.worldclimate.com.
A climate ratio is a ratio of precipitation (P) to potential evaporation/transpiration (Ep). Basically a
comparison to how much rain, snow, or etc. falls compared to how much water is returning to the
atmosphere through precipitation or transpiration.
CLIMATE RATIO = P/Ep
1. Using the six provided climographs, calculate the climate ratio for each graph and record the value in the data table.
2. Record the climate type based on the calculated ratio. Use the table below to determine the
climate type.
P/Ep / Climate TypeLess than 0.4 / Arid
0.4 – 0.8 / Semiarid
0.8 – 1.2 / Subhumid
Greater than 1.2 / Humid
3. Complete data table by describing the type of air mass one might expect to find at each
location.
4. Label on the two imaginary continents where each of the 4 climate types might be located.
Location / Climate Ratio / Climate Type / Description on Climate1
2
3
4
5
6
QUESTIONS:
1. As latitude increases, what general climate pattern changes occur?
2. As elevation increases, what general climate pattern changes occur?
3. What effect does a large body of water have on the climate of a landmass? Explain.
4. How does a mountain range affect the climate a region?
5. How do planetary winds affect a region in the mid-latitudes?
6. How do climographs tell you if a region is located in the northern or southern hemisphere?
7. What difference would you expect to find on the climographs of regions close to large bodies of water verse those far inland?
8. Describe the change in climate if our axis increased. Decreased.
CONCLUSION: What factors have a significant affect over the planets climate and how does each matter to a region?
ABOVE & BEYOND: Describe all the specific climate factors effecting Long Island mentioned in this lab.
IMAGINARY EARTH-LIKE PLANET
Contrails and the Climate
Scientific American August 08, 2002
Scientists have long suspected that contrails, the trails of white exhaust that jets leave in their wake, can affect climate. Quantifying their effects was extremely difficult, however, because the nearly constant air traffic over most of Europe and North America made it impossible to study clear skies for comparison. But the grounding of commercial aircraft in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks provided just such an opportunity. Now a report published today in the journal Nature confirms that contrails' affect the range of temperatures recorded on the ground.
Scientists collected three decades of temperature data from nearly 4,000 weather stations across North America for the three-day periods before, during and after the air traffic moratorium. By comparing the so-called diurnal temperature range (DTR), which is the difference between daily highs and nightly lows, the team calculated that the range of temperatures was more than one degree Celsius greater in the absence of commercial air traffic. This increase was even more pronounced in regions reported to have the most contrail abundance, such as the midwest, northeast and northwest sections of the country.
Cloud cover (particularly high-level cirrus clouds that are primarily composed of ice crystals) insulates the planet by reflecting incoming radiation from the sun and trapping outgoing infrared radiation. Contrails, the researchers conclude, exacerbate this effect. Visit: http://users.design.ucla.edu/%7Eakoblin/work/faa/index.html
1. Why has it been so difficult to collect weather data for clear skies?
2. What is another term for the difference between a day's high and low temperatures?
3. Based on the article, would you expect New York City to have a higher or lower DTR than 1°C?
4. How do high level clouds keep the Earth cool during the day?
5. How do high level clouds keep the Earth warm during the night?