Climate

Weather: a local area’s short-term temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and other physical conditions of the lower atmosphere Climate: an area’s general pattern of atmospheric or weather conditions measured over long periods of time Mark Twain once said, “Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.”

Climate Climate varies on different parts of the earth basically because patterns of global air circulation and ocean currents distribute heat and precipitation unevenly.

Three major factors determine how air circulates in the lower atmosphere, which help to distribute heat and moisture. 1.Uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. Air is heated more at the equator where the sun’s rays strike directly.

2.Rotation of the earth on its axis As the earth rotates, its equator spins faster than its polar regions. As a result, heated air masses rising above the equator and moving north and south to cooler areas are deflected to the west or east over different parts of the planet’s surface. The differing directions of air movement are called global winds. Global winds are winds that blow high in the troposphere. The wind that you feel is called local winds.

3.Properties of air, water, and land. Energy is continually transferred between air, water, and land. The three substance heat and cool at different rates.

Winds blowing over the surface of the oceans produce mass movements or “rivers of water” called surface currents. The two types of surface currents are warm surface currents and cold surface currents. Currents

Surface currents are affected by continental deflection, the earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect), and global winds. The cold surface current called the California current affects the western United States’ climate creating a cooler climate. The warm surface current called the Gulf Stream affects the eastern United States’ and western Europe’s climate creating a warmer climate.

Surface ocean currents have a great effect on the climate of an area. Warm surface currents tend to warm an area while cold surface currents tend to cool an area.

Deep ocean currents are affected by changes in salinity. A deep ocean current is a stream-like movement of ocean water far below the surface of the water. Upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves wind- driven motion of dense, cooler, and usually nutrient-rich water towards the ocean surface, replacing the warmer, usually nutrient-depleted surface water.

Different parts of the earth have very different climates. These climates can be classified according to their characteristics. Scientists do not all agree on one way to classify Earth’s climates. Most scientists base their classification on average temperatures in an area and on amount of precipitation.

Biomes Biomes are large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, regardless of where they are found in the world.

The main difference in biomes depends on temperature and precipitation.

Biomes can differ in an area due to elevation. Parallel changes in vegetation type occur, not only, when we travel from the equator to the poles but also from lowlands to mountains.

There are four basic types of biomes. Deserts Forests GrasslandsShrub lands

1. Deserts There are three types of deserts: 1.Tropical 2.Temperate 3.Cold (Polar)

Desert biomes of the world

2. Grasslands There are three types of grasslands: 1.Tropical 2.Temperate 3.Cold (arctic tundra)

Grassland Biomes of the World

Tropical

Tropical grassland

Temperate Grasslands

Cold Grassland (Arctic tundra)

3. Shrub land (chaparral)

Chaparral Food Web

4. Forests Three types of forest 1.Tropical Rain 2.Temperate Deciduous 3.Cold (northern coniferous, boreal, taiga)

Tropical Forests

Tropical Rain Forest Biomes of the World

Temperate Deciduous Forests

Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome of the World

Cold Forests (Coniferous and Boreal)

Coniferous Forest Biomes of the World