Climate and Climate Change
Enviro 2 Go
6.1.2.1, 6.1.2.2, 6.1.2.3
Climate and Climate Change
Objectives- You should be able to:
describe the transfer of energy between atmosphere,
land masses, and oceans
describe differential heating and cooling
describe oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns
describe climates and microclimates
Climate and Climate Change
Important Vocabulary:
climate
weather
microclimate
latitude
differential heating and cooling
Climate
Climate is the long-term prevailing
conditions at a particular place taken
over time and based on records taken.

Includes average temperature and
precipitation over time.
Weather
Weather is the current atmospheric
conditions at a given time.
Factors that Determine Climate
1. Latitude
2. Atmospheric circulation patterns
3. Oceanic circulation patterns
4. Geography of an area
5. Solar activity
Latitude
Latitude is the distance from the equator measured
in degrees north or south.
Latitude
Light rays strike the
earth more directly
at the equator so
the equator is
warmer than areas in
the northern and
southern hemisphere
where the sun
strikes the earth at
an angle.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
Weather is the
atmospheric
conditions on a
given day.
Climate is the long
term weather
conditions
determined by
temperature and
precipitation.
Weather
Climate
Questions???
Question 1: What is the difference between climate and weather?
Question 2: What determines the climate in an area?
Microclimate
A local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from
the surrounding area is known as a microclimate.
A microclimate
exists inside the
bird of paradise
flower. The
temperature is very
different on the
inside compared to
the outside of the
flower.
Microclimates
The term may refer to areas as small as
a few square feet or as large as many
square miles.


gardens
valleys
More Examples of Microclimates
Bodies of water may
cool the local
atmosphere and
create a microclimate.
Heavily urban areas
where brick, concrete,
and asphalt absorb the
sun's energy, heat up,
and reradiate that
heat to the ambient
air

The resulting urban
heat island is a kind of
microclimate.
Microclimate on a rock
Questions???
Question 3: Describe a microclimate you might find in
your yard.
Factors that affect
Climate and Weather
Land masses and oceans (nearness to oceans)
Number of days and hours of sunlight
Air circulation patterns (direction of winds)
Differential heating and cooling
Oceanic circulation patterns
Air Circulation Patterns
Cold air sinks because it
is more dense than warm
air.
- cold air sinks and then
warms
- warm air rises, expands
and then cools.
When warm air cools,
water vapor may
condense to form rain,
snow, or fog.
Oceanic Circulation Patterns
El Nino - winds in the western pacific strengthen
and push warm water eastward.
Oceanic Circulation Patterns
La Nina – Cool water in the eastern pacific gets
pushed westward. It is the opposite phase of El
Nino
Oceanic Circulation Patterns
As El Nino brings in warm water
eastward, and La Nina brings in cool
water, the air temperature above is
affected and thus affects the
temperature on land.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
Nearness to large bodies of water and ocean
currents affects climate.
Climate determines where plants grow.
Climate is determined by long range
temperature and precipitation patterns.
Climate determines which organisms are
found in a particular area.
Land Masses and Oceans
Wind blowing over water creates a
rainshadow effect.
Rainshadow Effect
An area having relatively little
precipitation due to the effect of a
barrier, such as a mountain range, that
causes the prevailing winds to lose their
moisture before reaching it.
It rains a lot on
the side of the
mountain near the
body of water, but
is dry on the inland
side of the
mountain.
Differential Heating and Cooling
Land masses heat up more quickly and cool
more quickly than large bodies of water.
Differential Heating and Cooling
Have you ever taken a walk on the dry beach
on a sunny day?


Did you find that in the early afternoon the sand
was much warmer than the water?
That’s differential heating and cooling!
Water is a slow conductor of heat, thus it
needs to gain more energy than the sand or
dry land in order for its temperature to
increase.
On the other hand, soil loses its heat much
faster.

But your toasted toes would perhaps mislead your
mind!
Differential Heating and Cooling
Earth's oceans are far more important than
the land as a source of the heat energy which
drives the weather.
Not only do the oceans cover more than 2/3
of the Earth's surface, they also absorb more
sunlight and store more heat than land.
Additionally the oceans retain heat longer.
The Sun's rays also penetrate the oceans to a
depth of many meters, but only heat up the
top layer of the sand or soil.
Water has to lose more energy than the sand
(dry land) in order for the temperature to
decrease.
REMEMBER THIS!!!
Differential Heating and Cooling:
Questions????
Question 4: Describe the rainshadow effect.
Question 5: Describe differential heating and cooling.
Test Yourself
True or False
___ 1. Climate can be determined on any given day.
___ 2. Weather can be determined on any given day.
___ 3. Climate is determined by latitude.
___ 4. Latitude is the distance east or west of the equator.
___ 5. A microclimate is a local area where the climate is different
from the surrounding area.
___ 6. Warm air sinks because it is more dense than cold air.
___ 7. Oceanic circulation patterns can affect air temperature.
___ 8. Water changes temperature more slowly than land.
___ 9. Air heats up more slowly than land or water.
___ 10. Rainshadow effects are often observed near mountains.
Test Yourself
Matching
___ 1. differential heating and cooling
___ 2. latitude
___ 3. climate
___ 4. weather
___ 5. microclimate
a. the distance north or south of the
equator
b. water retains its temperature
longer than air or land
c. long-term weather patterns
determined by temperature and
precipitation
d. A local atmospheric zone where the
climate differs from the
surrounding area.
e. atmospheric conditions on a given
day
Test Yourself
Fill in the Blank
climate
microclimate
weather
rainshadow effect
differential heating and cooling
•
The long-term weather patterns determine an areas _________________.
•
A _______________ can be found in leaf litter on the forest floor because
the temperature is very different at the top than underneath the leaves.
•
Because of the ________________________, areas inland of mountainous
regions do not get as much precipitation as along the coast.
•
_____________ is determined by the daily atmospheric conditions.
•
Land heating up faster than water is known as ______________________.
Test Yourself
Answer the Following
1. What is climate?
2. What determines climate?
3. What is differential heating and cooling?
THE END!!!