Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Physical Geography: Physical Geography:

Climate and VegetationClimate and Vegetation

Overview/ Overview/ generalization about generalization about Chapter 3…Chapter 3…

What is the difference What is the difference between weather and between weather and climate?climate?

Weather is…Weather is…

Climate is…Climate is…

• 2. 2. Daily Daily weather is weather is the result of the result of many many factors, factors, including…including…

solar energy, cloud solar energy, cloud cover,cover,

landforms, bodies of landforms, bodies of waterwater

and air movementand air movement

Types of Types of precipitationprecipitation

Orographic Orographic

•Orographic rainOrographic rain occurs occurs when Air moves from low when Air moves from low altitude to higher altitude altitude to higher altitude creating humidity, clouds creating humidity, clouds and eventually and eventually precipitation. (mountainous precipitation. (mountainous areas)areas)

Orographic CloudOrographic Cloud

ConvectionConvection

•Rising heated water Rising heated water vapor that forms vapor that forms clouds and causes clouds and causes heated air to rise heated air to rise even higher.even higher.

RAIN SHADOWRAIN SHADOW

•A rain shadow is a dry A rain shadow is a dry area on the leeward side area on the leeward side of a mountainous area. of a mountainous area. The mountains block the The mountains block the rain from the windward rain from the windward side of the mountain. side of the mountain. Creates a “shadow” of Creates a “shadow” of dryness.dryness.

RAIN SHADOWRAIN SHADOW

WINDWARDLEEWARD

El Niño is an abnormal warming of El Niño is an abnormal warming of surface ocean waters in the eastern surface ocean waters in the eastern tropical Pacifictropical Pacific

Causes increased rain in the Southern United States and Peru as well as droughts in western Pacific countries like Indonesia

El NiñoEl Niño

•Abnormal Cooling of the Abnormal Cooling of the PacificPacific

•During a La Niña year, winter During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast than normal in the Southeast Asia and cooler Asia and cooler than normal in than normal in the Northwest United Statesthe Northwest United States

•Causes summer droughts in the Causes summer droughts in the southern United Statessouthern United States

La NiñaLa Niña

Normal

Types of extreme weather Types of extreme weather includeinclude……

hurricanehurricaness

•tornadoetornadoess

Tornado AlleyTornado Alley

blizzardsblizzards

droughtsdroughts

floodsfloods

Section 2: ClimateSection 2: Climate

•1. Four major factors 1. Four major factors influence the climate of a influence the climate of a region. They are…region. They are…

wind and ocean wind and ocean currentscurrents

latitudelatitude

altitude/ elevationaltitude/ elevation

and topographyand topography

•2. 2. Climates Climates change…change…

•3. Some climate 3. Some climate changes are… changes are… naturalnatural while others result from while others result from human activitieshuman activities