C2 S2.1: Climate & Weather
Know the difference between climate and weather
Climate→ Average condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time
Weather → condition of the atmosphere for a particular time
Atmosphere → Precipitation, Temperature, Humidity
Four Factors of Climate:
Prevailing winds: winds that generally blow in one direction
Ocean Currents: Gulf Stream → warm Caribbean Water/Air carried to Europe; warmer winters
Latitude: Farther away from the equator; colder it gets
Elevation: Higher the elevation; the colder it gets → top of a mountain; snow-capped peaks
Air masses→ cold fronts/warm fronts crashing into eachother
C2 S2.2: World Climate Regions
vegetation → plant life; there are different types of vegetation depending on the climate region
Humid Equatorial→ located near the equator; a lot of precipitation→ lots of vegetation
Humid temperate → cool winters, warm summers, ample rainfall
Humid cold → cold winters, warm summers, rain & snow
Tundra (Ice climate) → Long, cold winters, short summers → very little plant life
Dry Climates → little/no rain→ not much vegetation
C2 S2.3: Extreme Weather
Hurricane (West) ← Cyclone → Typhoons (East)
→ strong storms with swirling winds and heavy rainfall; 200 mph winds (Katrina)
Tornado → smaller storm with more powerful winds; 300 mph
→ Unpredictable path makes them hard to plan for/warn people
Floods → water completely covers an area of land that is usually dry
→ Cyclones can cause floods
Blizzard → Prolonged snow accumulation
Drought → Prolonged period of dry weather (lack of precipitation)
Early Warning Signals → Using technology and data to predict weather events and warn
people to evacuate
C2 S2.4: Natural Resources
Need natural resources for survival and economic development (Japan vs. Nigeria)
Categories: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable
→ Renewable: Infinite ex. Solar, water, wind
→ Nonrenewable: Finite, limited amount ex. Diamonds, iron, gas, oil
Biological vs. Mineral
→ Biological: Living; ex Animals (cattle), plants, lumber
→ Mineral: Nonliving; Diamonds, iron, graphite
Raw Materials
→ mineral resources that are used to make products (iron ore → steel)
C2 S2.5: Habitat Preservation
Habitat → plant or animals natural environment (home)
Ecosystem → a community of plants and animals and their habitat
→ ecosystem are linked together; if one is destroyed, it impacts the others
Elephants Endangered
→ People are destroying their habitats → agriculture and villages
→ pollution
→ Poachers are hunting/killing elephants for their ivory
→ high demand for ivory → lucrative ($)
Amazon Rainforest → cutting down trees; contributing to climate change
C2 S2.6: World’s Oceans
Marine Life → Plants and animals that live in the ocean
Misconception → The ocean is too big/massive for us to have an impact on it; WRONG
Overfishing → impacts the food source for the food chain
Dead Zones → fertilizer/nitrogen running off into the ocean