Region: Temperate Marine
Zones: Marine West Coast
Mediterranean
Humid Subtropical
Student Packet
Day 1: Temperate Marine Climates Predictions
Temperate Marine Climate Investigations
Day 2:
How Do Oceans Affect Climate?
Temperate Marine Climates Closure
Name: _____________________________________________
Period: _________
Temperate Marine Climates Predictions
1. Make a Prediction:
Below is a list of characteristics that may or may not be a characteristic of areas located
in the Temperate Marine Climates. Circle “yes” for each characteristic that best describes
a Temperate Marine Climate area, otherwise circle “no”. If you are unsure of an answer,
take your best guess. You will have ten minutes to complete #1-2.
Characteristic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Are found only in tropical zones
Winters are mild
Are found inland, far from oceans
The Mediterranean zone has two seasons
(cool/rainy and (warm/dry)
Humid Subtropical is found along the edges of the
tropics
This region cannot be found in the United States
Part of the Temperate Marine
Climate Regions?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Are found in the temperate zone (latitude area)
Marine West Coast is found on the rainy side of a
mountain (not in the rain shadow)
9. The Mediterranean zone includes the chaparral
(the most fire prone plant community)
10. No plants are able to be farmed here
11. Climate is very influenced by the oceans
12. The vegetation is the same in all zones
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
13. Three zones (Marine West Coast, Mediterranean
and Humid Subtropical)
14. There is little precipitation all year round
15. All vegetation is deciduous
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
6.
7.
8.
2. In pairs, discuss your choices. Choose at least two of the characteristics above and,
using the lines below, describe your reasoning for each choice.
Characteristic # ______
Reasoning: ___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Characteristic # ______
Reasoning: ___________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
**As you complete this packet, you may correct any incorrect answers above, but please
use RED pen/pencil provided in the front of the class. DO NOT erase or cross out any
original answers.
Temperate Marine Climate Investigation
3. Using text book pages 84-85, 87 and 88 complete the following information.
Define Temperate Marine Climates: _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Temperate Marine Climate Region
C
Three Zones
o
o
l
e
r
→
Marine West Coast
W
a
r
m
e
Mediterranean
r
Humid Subtropical
Places found
in this zone
What’s the
weather like in
the summer?
What’s the
weather like in
the winter?
•
Dominant
Vegetation
•
•
•
•
•
Industry (what
is the land
used for?)
4. Look at the climate graphs (figures 17 page 87and figure 18 page 88). How is the
precipitation (blue bar graph) and temperature (red line) similar in both graphs?
Precipitation: ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Temperature: ____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
How Do Oceans Affect Climate?
5. What does temperate mean? _________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
6. What does marine mean? _____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. What is a temperate marine climate? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
So…the ocean must have something to do with the temperatures on the land in these areas.
Let’s figure out how this happens.
Facts:
 Weather moves from west to east across the globe
 Weather travels approximately 500 miles each day
 Mountain ranges in North and South America run from north to south
 Mountain ranges in Europe run west to east
Consider this…
 The Earth’s oceans have currents that bring warm water from areas near the equator
to the north and the south.
 At the same time cold currents are brought down from the north pole and up from the
south pole.
 Winds moving from the west, carry the moisture from the cold water and warm water
over the land.
So, what do mountains have to do with Temperate Marine Climates?
Examine the map below.
8. Which direction do the mountains run in the Americas? ______________ and ______________
What about in Europe? ______________ and ______________
PREDICT
9. What will happen to the air masses coming off the ocean when they hit the mountains in
the Americas? _________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10.
What will happen to the air masses coming off the ocean when they hit the mountains
in Europe? ____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
11. Look back at your climate region map on text book pages 84-85. Where are the
Temperate marine climate regions located?
____________________________ and ____________________________
12. Look at the map on page 7. There are two locations marked with stars. Based on what
you know about latitude do you think these two places would have similar or different
climate? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Read the article below then color code the maps on the next page to show the
Temperate Marine Climate Region and its three zones. You will use this
information to answer the questions that follows.
The world’s ocean is crucial to heating the planet. While land areas
and the atmosphere absorb some sunlight, the majority of the sun’s
radiation (heat) is absorbed by the ocean. Particularly in the tropical
waters around the equator, the ocean acts as a massive, heatretaining solar panel. Earth’s atmosphere also plays a part in this
process, helping to retain heat that would otherwise quickly radiate (go
back) into space after sunset.
Outside of Earth’s equatorial areas, weather patterns are driven largely by ocean currents.
Currents are large streams of water that flow through the ocean. Currents flow continuously
and are created largely by surface winds but also partly by temperature and salinity
gradients, Earth’s rotation, and tides (the gravitational effects of the sun and moon). Major
current systems typically flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in
the southern hemisphere, in circular patterns that often trace the coastlines.
Ocean currents act much like a conveyer belt, transporting warm water and precipitation
from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics. Thus,
currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar
radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Without currents, regional temperatures would be more
extreme—super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles—and much less of Earth’s
land would be habitable.
These currents influence the climate by transporting heat. Horizontal currents, particularly
those moving north or south, can carry warmed or cooled water as far as several thousand
miles. The displaced water can then warm or cool the air and, indirectly, the land over which
this air blows. For example, water from the tropical and subtropical Atlantic (including some
from the Gulf of Mexico) moves north through the Atlantic in a current called the "Gulf
Stream" There it bathes the shores of Western Europe, producing a climate that is surprisingly
mild for that latitude. In addition to currents, up-wellings of cold water in places where the
wind blows surface water away can also affect climate. Thus San Francisco (#1 on the
map), influenced by coastal up-welling, is hardly warmer than Dublin (#2 on the map).,
which is influenced by the Gulf Stream, despite being over 1,600 km further south.
Sources: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/climate.html/ http://www.gdrc.org/oceans/fsheet-01.html
Map: Color in the map below by completing the following
(check each box once you have completed the
task):
 Use textbook page 79 to shade in the warm
currents red and the cold currents blue.
 Color in the key to the right.
 Next, color in all places on the map that are
associated with each of the three zones.
KEY
Zones of the Temperate
Marine Climate Region
Marine West
Coast
Mediterranean
Humid
Subtropical
2
#
1
#
13. Based on what you have seen in the maps what role do ocean currents play in seasonal
differences in each zone. Be sure to include the types of currents (warm/cold) in your
explanation.
C
Zone
How ocean
currents
create
seasonal
differences
o
o
l
e
Marine West Coast
r
→
W
a
r
Mediterranean
m
e
r
Summer:
Summer:
Humid Subtropical
Summer:
Winter:
Winter:
Winter:
14. Now that you have finished learning about how oceans affect climate go back to the
two locations marked with stars on the previous page. Why does it make sense that Dublin
and San Francisco have similar climates even though Dublin is so much further north and
farther from the equator? Explain. ______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Name: __________________________________________________________ Period: ________________
Temperate Marine Climates Closure
1.
Closure: Congratulations, you have completed your two-day study of Temperate Marine
Climates. It is time to show off all that you have learned by complete the following chart.
Below is a list of characteristics that may or may not be a characteristic of areas located
in the Temperate Marine Climates. Circle “yes” for each characteristic that best describes
a Temperate Marine Climate area, otherwise circle “no”. You will have ten minutes to
complete #1-2.
Characteristic
Part of the Temperate Marine
Climate Regions?
1. Are found only in tropical zones
Yes
No
2. Winters are mild
Yes
No
3. Are found inland, far from oceans
Yes
No
4. The Mediterranean zone has to seasons (cool/rainy
Yes
No
and (warm/dry)
5. Humid Subtropical is found along the edges of the
Yes
No
tropics
6. This region cannot be found in the United States
Yes
No
7. Are found in the temperate zone (latitude area)
Yes
No
8. Marine West Coast is found on the rainy side of a
Yes
No
mountain (not in the rain shadow)
9. The Mediterranean zone includes the chaparral
Yes
No
(the most fire prone plant community)
10. No plants are able to be farmed here
Yes
No
11. Climate is very influenced by the oceans
Yes
No
12. The vegetation is the same in all zones
Yes
No
13. Three zones (Marine West Coast, Mediterranean
and Humid Subtropical)
14. There is little precipitation all year round
15. All vegetation is deciduous
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
2. Choose at least two of the characteristics above and, using the lines below, describe
what evidence you used to confirm that your answers were correct.
Characteristic # ______
Evidence: ____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Characteristic # ______
Evidence: ____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________