Climate and Global Wind Patterns

1. Climate 2. Weather3. Latitude4. Tropical zone 5. Temperate zone6. Polar zone7. Altitude8. Moderate9. Ocean currents10. Windward

11. Leeward12. Trade winds13. Westerlies14. Polar easterlies 15. Coriolis effect16. Equator17. Tropic of Cancer18. Tropic of Capricorn19. Arctic Circle20. Antarctic Circle

Vocabulary Words

Weather:current condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time & specific place

Climate: average weather over a long period of time (decades/centuries)

“Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.”

• Because sun’s rays strike earth at different angles, we have unequal heating of the earth’s surface

Two factors that influence climate:1. Temperature 2. Precipitation

4 Factors influencing a climate’s TEMPERATURES

1. Latitude 2. Altitude3. Distance from water4. Ocean currents

1. Latitude: distance on a map measured north

& south of the equator in degrees

3 BASIC CLIMATE ZONESA. Tropical zone = HOT

• near equator

b/t Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and

Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)

Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N)

Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)

B. Temperate zones (2 ) have seasons, not always hot or cold

b/t Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and

Arctic Circle (66.5°N) AND

b/t Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)and

Antarctic Circle (66.5°S)

Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N)

Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S)

Arctic Circle (66.5°N)

Antarctic Circle (66.5°S)

C. Polar zones (2) = COLD

b/t Arctic Circle (66.5°N)and

North Pole (90°N) AND

b/t Antarctic Circle (66.5°S)and

South Pole (90°S)

Arctic circle (66.5°N)

Antarctic circle (66.5°S)

2. Altitude: distance above earth’s surface;

measured from sea levelhigher altitudes = cooler temps.

Mt. Kilimanjaro latitude = 3°S

3. Distance from LARGE bodies of H2O

● (oceans or inland seas)● closer to H2O = more moderate

climate

4. Ocean Currents: flow of water in a particular

direction in the ocean• warm currents carry warm H2O; • cold currents carry cold H2O

Gulf Stream: warm water ocean current starts at tip of Florida and warms eastern U.S. & western Europe

2 Factors that affect climate precipitation:1. Mountain ranges

A. Windward sideB. Leeward side

2. Prevailing windsA. Trade windsB. WesterliesC. Polar Easterlies

1. Mountain ranges

A. Windward side: •side of mountain facing the wind and water.•heavy precipitation•much vegetation (trees, grass, etc.)

B. Leeward side: •opposite of windward side•much drier (desert-like)•little vegetation

Copy this diagram to show windward (wet) & leeward (dry) sides of mountain

H2O

desert

1. Mountain ranges

2. Prevailing Winds: winds that blow in one

general direction

Aerosols in the Atmosphere

a. Trade winds• flow toward equator from about 30°N

& 30°S latitude

• blow from the east to the west

• can bring storms like hurricanes across the ocean from Africa to the U.S.

• used by trading ships to quickly get across the ocean from Europe to the New World

60°N

60°S

30°S

30°N

0°

b. Westerlies• blow between 30 ° and 60 ° latitude

in both the N and S hemispheres

• move from west to east

• move weather across the U.S. and Canada

60°N

60°S

30°S

30°N

0°

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/movie-large.php

c. Polar Easterlies• Dry and extremely cold air from

the poles• Flow between the poles and the

Westerlies, in both N and S hemispheres.

• Blow from east to west

60°N

60°S

30°S

30°N

0°

60°N

60°S

30°S

30°N

0°

The Coriolis Effect• caused by earth's rotation, currents seem to: oturn clockwise in the Northern Hemisphereoturn counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.•influences the direction of winds & ocean currents around the world

FinEnd of notes 2016