Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 1

Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate Florida Benchmarks SC.6.E.7.2 Investigate and apply how the cycling of water between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has an effect on weather patterns and climate. SC.6.E.7.5 Explain how energy provided by the sun influences global patterns of atmospheric movement and the temperature differences between air, water, and land. SC.6.E.7.6 Differentiate between weather and climate. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 2

How’s the Climate? What determines climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate How’s the Climate? What determines climate? Weather is the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place. Climate describes the weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. Climate is usually determined by temperature and precipitation. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 3

What determines climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate What determines climate? Temperature ranges are all of the temperatures in an area from the coldest extreme to the warmest extreme, and they are used to describe climate. Precipitation patterns over time, rather than average precipitation, are used to determine climate. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 4

Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate Here Comes the Sun! How is the sun’s energy related to Earth’s climate? Climate is directly related to the amount of energy from the sun, or solar energy, that an area receives. The amount of solar energy depends on latitude. Latitude is a location’s angular distance in degrees north or south from the equator. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 5

How is the sun’s energy related to Earth’s climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate How is the sun’s energy related to Earth’s climate? Solar energy powers the water cycle and winds, which affect the temperature, precipitation, and other factors that determine climate. As latitude increases, the angle of the sun’s rays becomes greater. This reduces temperatures. Locations near the poles are cooler than locations near the equator. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 6

How is the sun’s energy related to Earth’s climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate How is the sun’s energy related to Earth’s climate? The sun powers the water cycle, which causes the evaporation, condensation, and precipitation necessary to create weather. Which of the following processes in the water cycle is most directly caused by water absorbing energy from the sun? Evaporation!!!! Uneven heating of Earth’s surface by the sun causes differences in air pressure, which creates winds. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 7

Latitude Isn’t Everything Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate Latitude Isn’t Everything How do Earth’s features affect climate? Surface features on Earth combine to form the topography of an area. Elevation is the height of an area above sea level. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 8

How do Earth’s features affect climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate How do Earth’s features affect climate? Topography influences wind patterns in an area. A rain shadow happens when warm, moist air rises over a mountain and drops its precipitation on one side, leaving the other side dry. Air at higher elevations rises, cools, and expands, resulting in lower temperatures. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 9

Waterfront Property How do large bodies of water affect climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate Waterfront Property How do large bodies of water affect climate? Water absorbs and releases energy as heat slower than land does. Water can moderate temperatures of nearby land. Locations inland from large bodies of water experience wider temperature ranges. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 10

How do ocean currents affect climate? Unit 11 Lesson 6 Climate How do ocean currents affect climate? An ocean current is the movement of water in a certain direction. Surface currents are ocean currents on the surface of the ocean. Cold currents cool the air in coastal areas. Warm currents warm the air in coastal areas. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 11