(Discussion – Climate Part 1) Tuesday May 1, 2018 (Discussion – Climate Part 1) Part 1

What are the two main components of climate? The Launch Pad Tuesday, 5/1/18 1/1 What are the two main components of climate? moisture temperature

Remediation for Quiz 16 runs through Friday! Announcements Remediation for Quiz 16 runs through Friday!

Friday QUIZ 16 F1 4/25 S1 4/26 F2 4/30 N/A Hold for eResearch Paper Assignment Summative or Formative # Date Issued Gone Missing Day Last Day Accepted eResearch Paper - Weather F1 4/25 Tomorrow QUIZ 16 S1 4/26 Friday Video WS: World Biomes – An Introduction to Climate F2 4/30 N/A Hold for eResearch Paper

World Climates Koppen Climates A and B

Weather vs. Climate Weather reflects current atmospheric conditions, and is constantly changing, sometimes from hour to hour and at other times from day to day. Whereas changes in the weather are continuous and sometimes seemingly erratic, it is never-the-less possible to arrive at a generalization of these variations. Such a description of aggregate weather conditions is termed climate. Climate is weather averaged over a long period of time, or a “generalized composite” of weather.

The Climate System Climate is an aggregate of weather. Climate involves the exchanges of energy and moisture that occur among the: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and cryosphere (ice and snow)

Several components of Earth’s climate system.

World Climates All locations on Earth have a distinctive climate. The most important elements in a climatic description are: temperature, and precipitation.

Climate-Feedback Mechanisms Climate is a very complex interactive physical system. Thus, when any component of the climate system is altered, scientists must consider many possible outcomes. These possible outcomes are called climate feedback mechanisms.

Climate-Feedback Mechanisms So far the climate-feedback mechanisms we discussed have magnified the temperature rise caused by the buildup of carbon dioxide. Because these effects reinforce the initial change, they are called positive-feedback mechanisms. However, other effects must be classified as negative-feedback mechanisms because they produce results that are just the opposite of the initial change and tend to offset it .

Springtime breakup of ice near Antarctica Springtime breakup of ice near Antarctica. The inset shows a likely feedback loop.