What is Climate? Climate is weather patterns over time and space (usually 30 years) Remember….weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular location and time

Climograph : graph that depicts the annual cycle of temperature and rainfall for a geographical location

How to Analyze a Climograph Always look for patterns and trends! Precipitation? Heavy year-long precipitation, slight decrease in summer months Temperature: warm year round with little variation (80F)

Iquitos, Peru receives a lot of rain and experiences warm/hot temperatures throughout the year. Summing it up…

Create your own Climograph Use the information in the table you received to create a climograph. You must include: 1.Title 2.Labels on axes 3.Month abbreviations 4.Temperature/precipitation increments

Climate Zones Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn

Climate Regions

Tropical Wet HOT, WET AND HUMID ALL YEAR ROUND, RAINS DAILY. DIRECT SUN KEEPS THE TEMPERATURES HIGH. FOUND IN THE EQUATOR REGION.

Savannah DRY WINTERS, WET SUMMERS, LOCATED IN THE TROPICS JUST BEYOND THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST. LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE WHICH IS ALWAYS HIGH.

Desert HOT DAYS, COOL TO COLD NIGHTS, THERE IS LITTLE TO NO RAIN IN THIS CLIMATE, THEREFORE IT IS VERY DRY. DESERTS COVER ABOUT 1/5 OF THE EARTH ’ S SURFACE.

Steppe DRY AREAS THAT BORDER DESERTS. THESE AREAS HAVE VERY LITTLE RAINFALL ONLY ABOUT 10 TO 20 INCHES PER YEAR.

Marine West Coast COOL SUMMERS, WITH MILD WINTERS, HEAVY RAINS IN THE WINTER

Humid Subtropical RAIN FALLS ALL YEAR WITH HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SUMMER. WINTERS ARE SHORTER AND MILD SUMMERS ARE HOT AND HUMID

Humid Continental COLD SNOWY WINTERS, COOL TO WARM SUMMERS WITH SOME RAIN EVERY MONTH.

Subarctic LONG VERY COLD WINTERS WITH SHORT COOL SUMMERS.

Tundra LONG BITTERY COLD WINTERS WITH VERY SHORT COOL SUMMERS. SUMMERS GET CONSTANT LIGHT BUT LITTLE HEAT FROM THE SUN.

Polar Ice Cap ALWAYS COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE. BITTERLY COLD ALL YEAR AROUND WITH LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION.

Exit Ticket Use your knowledge of climographs and your notes from class to predict the trends of a climograph from a Humid Continental climate zone and one from a Tropical Rainforest climate zone.

What Determines Climate? The shape of the land affects climate The windward side of mountains (the side the wind blows into) receive more rainfall because as air is forced up, it cools and condenses to form clouds

What Determines Climate? The other side of the mountain (leeward side) is usually warm and dry due to the rain shadow effect As cool air descends down the mountain it warms, causing the clouds to disappear

What Determines Climate? Ocean currents move in large circles causing cooler water to travel to the equator and warmer water to move away from the equator

What Determines Climate? Prevailing winds that blow from the sea tend to bring moisture to the coast and dry weather to inland areas.

What Determines Climate? As latitude (distance from the equator) increases, temperature decreases.

What Determines Climate? For every 1,000 feet in elevation, the temperature drops about 3.5 degrees F The higher the elevation, the colder the climate