Factors Affecting Climate in Canada Geography Now! Grade 9 Applied Geography

How many factors affect climate?  The answer is 6!  L is for latitude  O is for ocean currents  W is for winds and air masses  E is for elevation  R is for relief  Near Water

1.  Latitude  The closer you are to the equator, the hotter it is.  The closer you are to the poles, the cooler it is.  This is because the earth’s rounded surface causes the sun’s energy to be spread out over large areas.

2.  Ocean Currents  Ocean water travels in paths called currents  Some currents are warm and some are cold  Warm ocean currents raise the temperature of the nearby shoreline  Cold ocean currents lower the temperature of the nearby shoreline

3.  Winds and air masses  An air mass is a large volume of air.  Air masses move over an area of land and bring weather conditions with them.  Cold air masses bring cold temperatures  Warm air masses bring warm temperatures

 Ocean (maritime) air masses bring wet weather  Land (continental) air masses bring dry weather  In Canada, winds tend to move from west to east. These winds are known as “westerlies”.

5.  Elevation  Mountains influence climate because the higher up you go, the colder the climate is.  In dry air, the temperature decreases at a rate of 1°C for every 100m of altitude.  In moist air the temperature decreases at a rate of 0.6°C for every 100 m of altitude.

6.  Relief  Mountains force moist ocean air masses to rise.  As air rises, it cools  Moist air condense (becomes liquid) as it rises up the mountainside.  This causes relief precipitation  The leeward side (the side away from the wind receives little rain  The windward side (facing wind) receives a lot of rain.

7.  Near Water  Bodies of water are a source of moisture  Winds carry the moisture over land. This makes the climate their moister.  The colder deep water and warmer surface water mix to make the land climate cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.  This means that large lakes or oceans make the land more moderate.

Climate Change: Human Impacts  Humans can influence climate change because our cars and factories emit gases.  They get trapped in the atmosphere and warm the planet.  A warmer globe can lead to an increase in severe weather like… hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and droughts.