Introduction to Climate
1. What is the biggest storm or extreme
weather event you can remember?
2. How did it affect you?
3. Where do you think storms get their energy
from?
4. Look at this video of Hurricane Sandy. Notice
in which region of the world it originates
before it travels up to the East Coast of the US.
Describe the climate of this region.
• http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurrican
es/archives/2012/h2012_Sandy.html
5. Why do you think they lose energy as they
move across land?
6. What do you think this cartoon is saying?
What might this mean for the future?
Hurricane Sandy
A Hurricane As a System
In your notebook, make a drawing showing how
a hurricane is a system.
Inputs
Outputs
Energy transformation: Hurricanes change
____________ energy from the ___________ into
_____________________________________
ES3B – Climate and Energy
Essential Question: What determines the
climate of an area?
Climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at
and near Earth's surface. This energy transfer is
influenced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover
and Earth's rotation, as well as static conditions such as
proximity to mountain ranges and the ocean. Human
activities, such as burning of fossil fuels, also affect the
global climate.
• Climate is the average of weather conditions
over a long period of time (AT LEAST 10 years)
latitude
• Latitude – describes
your position on earth
relative to the equator
– Equator is zero degrees
– North pole is 90 degrees
– Lacey is 47 degrees
• Higher latitudes
generally have cooler
climates
Higher
latitudes
The Rain Shadow effect
Western Washington
Eastern Washington
Rainshadow Effect
Mountains make rain fall on the windward side
(Western Washington) so that the leeward side
(Eastern Washington) is dry.
What is heat? A better word is
thermal energy
• Thermal energy is how much the molecules
are “vibrating around” (called internal kinetic
energy) at a molecular level
• Thermal energy is a really measurement of the
movement of particles (we feel this as heat).
Oceans and Lakes
• Water has a high heat capacity
• It can absorb lots of thermal energy
without raising its temperature.
• During the summer, oceans and lakes
are cooler than the land.
Oceans and Lakes
• Water has a high heat capacity
• It can retain lots of thermal energy without
losing its temperature.
• During the winter, warmer air (thermal energy)
moves from the ocean to the land making it
warmer.
• Areas near oceans and lakes have milder
climates (warmer winters and cooler summers).
Earth’s Energy
The vast majority
of all energy on
Earth originally
comes from the
sun.
Earth’s climate is determined by how much thermal
energy reaches and is trapped by the atmosphere.
1.Describe how each of the
following affects the climate
of Western Washington:
1.Latitude
2.Elevation
3.The Cascade Mountains
4.The pacific ocean
Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouses are
designed to trap heat so
plants will grow in
cooler areas or during
the winter.
• This is where the name
comes from – it is as if
our atmosphere is
acting as the
greenhouse keeping
earth warm.
Greenhouse Gases
• These are the gases that
cause the greenhouse
effect.
• They include:
–
–
–
–
–
carbon dioxide
Water vapor
Methane
nitrous oxide
chlorofluorocarbons
(CFC’s)
– ozone
• Write possible quiz questions that your notes
answer. (At least 6).
• Write a summary of your notes.
Review questions
Answer in complete sentences:
1. Describe how each of the following affects the climate
of Western Washington:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Latitude
Elevation
The Cascade Mountains
The pacific ocean
2. Make a diagram(s) showing how thermal energy
moves from the pacific ocean to and from western
Washington in the summer and the winter.
3. Explain where the Earth get’s it energy. How does the
atmosphere determine the Earth’s climate?
4. Describe what will happen if green house gases in the
earth’s atmosphere increase.
12/4/12
Do Now: Explain what each of the following is:
• Manipulated variable
• Responding variable
• Controlled variable
• Validity measure
Agenda: Quiz, finish global warning video