Name:_________________________________
CGC1D1
What Factors Affect the Climate in Canada?
–Student worksheet
What are the 6 factors that affect climate in Canada?
1. ___LATITUDE___________ Acronym to remember: ___LOWERN_____
2. ___OCEAN CURRENTS________________________
3. ___WINDS________________________
4. ___ELEVATION________________________
5. ___RELIEF________________________
6. ___NEARNESS TO WATER________________________
LATITUDE and CLIMATE
What happens as you move north or south away from the equator?
- TEMPERATURE GETS COLDER
The energy hitting any spot on the Earth is ___THE SUN______________
Why does temperature decrease
as you move away from the
equator?
-
THE SUNS RAYS
HAVE TO SPREAD
OUT OVER A
LARGER AREA.
THEY ARE LESS
CONCENTRATED IN
ONE SPOT.
Name:_________________________________
Name:_________________________________
OCEAN CURRENTS and CLIMATE
What is an ocean current?
- A MOVEMENT OF WATER CAUSED BY WINDS,
TEMPERATURES AND SALINITY.
How is the temperature of the current determined?
-
The temperature of the current will influence the temperature of the air passing over it.
Explain how this is true by using the climate of BC and Newfoundland as an example.
NEARNESS TO WATER, OCEAN CURRENTS**
- WATER MODERATES LAND TEMPS.
- IN THE WINTER WATER RETAINS HEAT AND IN THE SUMMER IT’S
COOLER THAN LAND  THE WINDS BLOW IT OVER THE LAND
THEREFORE MAKING THE LAND WARMER OR COOLER (BC HAVE
WARMER CURRENTS AND WARMER WINTERS THAN THE REST OF
CANADA, NEWFOUNDLAND HAS COLD OCEAN CURRENTS AND
THEREFORE COLDER TEMPS ARE BLOWN OVER THE LAND).
WINDS and CLIMATE
Write down the definitions of these words using your textbook.
Air Mass: A BODY OF AIR WITH THE SAME TEMPS, HUMIDITY AND
PRESSURE.
Wind: WHEN AIR MOVES FROM HIGH PRESSURE TO LOW PRESSURE
Prevailing Wind: WINDS FOUND IN CANADA BLOWING WEST TO EAST
(WESTERLIES).
Name:_________________________________
Polar Front: STORMY BOUNDARY BETWEEN COLD/DRY AIR AND
WARM/MOIST AIR.
Jet Stream: HIGH WINDS BLOWING WEST TO EAST, PUSHES AIR
MASSES AROUND THE WORLD
Why are ocean air masses full of moisture and either cool or warm and land air masses
dry and either warm or cool?
- OCEAN AIR MASSES ABSORB MOISTURE OVER THE WATER BEFORE
IT HITS LAND, IT’S COOL OR WARM DEPENDING ON OCEAN
CURRENTS.
- LAND AIR MASSES ARE DRY BECAUSE AIR MASSES HAVE TO PASS
OVER A RELIEF BOUNDARY (MOUNTAINS) CAUSING MOISTURE TO
BE RELEASED. WARM OR COOL DEPENDING ON THE TEMPS OF THE
WINDS. (JET STREAMS, POLAR FRONTS ETC.)
What would be the result if you are:
North of the jet stream: __COLD WINDS/TEMPS_____
South of the jet stream: __WARM WINDS/TEMPS____
So, shifts in the jet stream can cause major changes
in __CLIMATE & DAILY WEATHER PATTERNS_____
ELEVATION and CLIMATE
How does elevation affect climate?
- THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE COLDER IT GETS (INCREASE 100M,
DECREASE 10)
Give an example of this occurring in Canada?_ CLIMBING/DRIVING THROUGH
THE ROCKIES____
Name:_________________________________
RELIEF and CLIMATE
What causes this factor to affect climate? – AREAS OF HIGH ELEVATION ACT AS A
BARRIER FOR THE AIR MASSES TO PASS OVER. MOIST AIR BECOMES DRY
AS IT RISES OVER THE MOUNTAINS ETC.
What is the windward side of the mountain?
Is it wet or dry?
What is the leeward side of the mountain?
Is it wet or dry?
Where would this be occurring in Canada?_ROCKIES,
APPALACHIANS_______________________
NEAR WATER and CLIMATE
Fill in the chart below, summarizing 2 general climates influenced by:
_________________________
-
Continental Climate
FAR FROM LARGE BODIES OF
WATER
DRY AIR
COLD WINTERS, HOT
SUMMERS
LITTLE PRECIPITATION
-
Maritime Climate
CLOSE TO LARGE BODIES OF
WATER
MOIST AIR
COOL SUMMERS, WARM
WINTERS
LOTS OF PRECIPITATION
Name:_________________________________
What climate factors are affecting the following regions in Canada?
Try and use at least 3 of the factors in explaining the climatic characteristics
-
Artic
(cold temperatures)
-
-
BC
Interior
-
(dry climate)
-
Newfoundland
(fog)
-
-
BC
Mountains
-
(snow on caps)
-
LATITUDE (FARTHER FROM EQUATOR, LESS
SUNLIGHT TO WARM EARTH THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR)
WINDS (NORTHERN JET STREAM)
OCEAN CURRENTS (EXTREMELY COLD
CURRENTS IN ARCTIC OCEAN = COLD
TEMPS/WINDS ON LAND….MANY ISLANDS
IN THE ARCTIC)
RELIEF (AIR MASSES HAVE PASSED OVER
THE ROCKIES, BREAKING UP ANY
MOISTURE)
NEARNESS TO WATER (ISN’T CLOSER TO
WATER, THEREFORE WATER DOESN’T HAVE
A MODERATING EFFECT ON THE TEMPS OR
AIR MASSES)
NEARNESS TO WATER (THERE’S A TEMP.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WATER AND LAND,
WHICH CREATES FOG)
OCEAN CURRENTS & WINDS (HELP CREATE
THAT TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE FROM
SEA TO LAND, AND MOVE THE AIR MASSES
OVER LAND)
ELEVATION (AS AIR MASSES RISE, THE
TEMPERATURES COOL CREATING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRECIPITATION –
SNOW)
RELIEF (AIR MASSES HAVE TO RISE AS
THEY ARE BLOWN INWARDS AND OVER THE
MOUNTAINS)
WINDS (BLOW THE AIR MASSES IN LAND)
Name:_________________________________