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Definitions: climate
• The general or average weather conditions of a certain region, including temperature, rainfall, and wind. On Earth, climate is most affected by latitude, the tilt of the Earth's axis, the movements of the Earth's wind belts, the difference in temperatures of land and sea, and topography.
http://www.countrywatch.com/imgs/global_thematic/Global_Climates.gif
Definitions: weather
• The state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect to variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and barometric pressure.
http://www.filebuzz.com/software_screenshot/full/33905-weather_station_on_your_pc.jpg
Sun Drives Weather
• Solar energy strikes the Earth, heating unevenly
• Water moderates climate – takes a great deal of energy to increase water’s temperature
http://www.solstation.com/stars/sol1.jpg
Earth’s Tilt
• Earth currently tilted 23.5 degrees
• Summer and winter solstice, sun in direct line with the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
• Autumn and Spring Equinox, crosses the Equator
http://www.divulgence.net/AxialTilt.jpg
Solar Radiation
http://www.geography.hunter.cuny.edu/~tbw/wc.notes/2.heating.earth.surface/images/sunangle.changes.3.angles.jpg
Solar Energy
• Coriolis Effect Pattern of Energy Distribution • Cosine Law More energy received at equator
than at poles
http://www.geo.arizona.edu/Antevs/ecol438/lect03a.html
Air Patterns
• Warm air holds more water vapor than cold air
• Warm air rises; cold air sinks
• Warm air is low pressure; cold air is high pressure
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/surfacecirculation.gif
30ºN – Tropics – 30ºS
• Moist air in tropics rises, cools in upper atmosphere, drops back down.
• Cool dry air descends around 30º, sweeps along desert regions, picking up any moisture, and returns to tropics.
http://oceanmotion.org/images/background/hadley-cloud.jpg
Arctic and Temperate Regions
http://pdf.comnap.aq/comnap/comnap.nsf/c_ops_met1.jpghttp://maps.grida.no/library/files/projected_changes_in_the_arctic_climate__091.jpg