Climate Factors

What is climate? Climate – what is the weather generally like there? Climate is weather over a long period of time What is the climate of Michigan? Siberia? Amazon Rainforest? Chicago, Illinois? Sahara Desert?

Factors influencing climate 4 major factors can influence climate Elevation Latitude Wind Systems and Ocean Currents Continentality

Latitude 3 zones – Low, Middle (Temperate), High Low Latitude – Tropics Low numbers (0° - 23.5° N & S) Middle Latitude – Temperate Mid numbers (23.5° S - 60° S & 23.5° N - 60° N) High Latitude – Polar High numbers (60° S - 90° S & 60° N - 90° N) Most people live in the Temperate zones

Latitude Which latitudes get the most precipitation?

Elevation Elevation: the distance above sea level How high is the location? The higher in elevation you are, the colder it is. That’s why people who climb Mt. Everest have to wear heavy coats Mt. Fuji, Japan Notice that the top of most tall mountain peaks is covered with snow, and the base is not.

The term for the dry side of the mountain is called? Elevation Mountains can affect climate greatly Wet clouds cool as they move up a side of a mountain, eventually getting heavy enough to begin to snow. The clouds then become dry as the move over to the other side of the mountain, leaving that side more like a desert. The term for the dry side of the mountain is called? Rain Shadow

Things that impact climate Elevation

Wind Currents wind currents move cold and warm air around the earth Low pressure air & high pressure air

Ocean Currents Act like rivers of water flowing through the ocean Pushes cold or warm water around the earth Ocean currents affect the high or low pressure that determines winds Ocean & wind currents work together

Things that impact climate Wind and Ocean Currents North Atlantic Drift

Continentality Proximity to the ocean: This is called CONTINENTALITY! Areas closer to the ocean have more of a constant year round temperature, whether hot or cold Areas farther away from the ocean experience more extremes in variation of temperature It gets really hot in summer, then really cold in winter This is called CONTINENTALITY! Russia and Midwest US are two examples of this

Things that impact climate Continentality

Daily Question Pick 3 cities around the world. None from the U.S. and explain as much about their climate as possible using only the maps on in your atlas and the information from your notes. Write down, based on the factors discussed what the climate of these cities might be like.