Latin America November 2018

What climates are found in Central & South America?

Climate climate zones are determined by latitude, elevation, ocean currents, proximity to oceans and mountains 4 major climate zones in Latin America where the temperature drops 3.5 º F for every 1000 feet increase in elevation

How many feet are in a meter? Don’t forget to convert!

Below 20 º F 20 º-55 º F 55 º-65 º F 65 º-75 º F 75 º-80 º F Sea Level

Tierra Nevada (above 15,000ft) - no permanent human occupants melted snow/ice maintain water reserves animals include rodents, small carnivores

Tierra Helada (15,000 – 12,000ft) above the tree line, no trees summer everyday and winter every night - animals include llamas, alpacas, sheep and vicuña

Tierra Fria (12,000 – 6,000ft) below the tree line, trees do grown animals include sheep, agricultural products include maize, wheat, barley, potatoes and beans populated cities include Bogotá, Colombia, and Quito, Ecuador (both capitals of respective countries)

Tierra Templada (6,000 – 2,500ft) absence of frost agricultural products include coffee and cacao populated cities include Guatemala City, Guatemala, San Salvador, El Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Honduras and San Jose, Costa Rica.

Tierra Caliente (2,500ft to sea level) agricultural products include bananas and sugar cane high temps all year long countries include Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and parts of Brazil home to Amazon Rainforest: more than 2 million sq. mi., 430 in. rain per year, largest in the world

Practice #1 In your notebook, name one country you would consider living in – describe what the landscape would look like and explain one reason you think you would like it there.

Ocean Currents Name 2 currents that surround Latin America

El Niño phenomena where warm ocean currents along the coast of Peru replace cold Peruvian currents presence of the El Nino leads to increased sea-surface temperatures This causes ocean currents to reverse direction impacting the weather (more rain than normal), agriculture (over irrigation) and fishing (cold water fish can die) industry Walker = neutral conditions

El Niño

3 cold currents California current Falkland/Malvinas current Peru (Humboldt) current

4 warm currents Equatorial current Brazil current North Equatorial current Gulf Stream current

Orographic Effect Mountains force air to lift, causing cooler temperatures, forcing cloud and precipitation formation Windward side of mountain is wet Leeward side of mountain is in rainshadow (dry)

Patagonian desert is in rainshadow of southern Andes Mountain Range

Practice 2 In your notebook, write 3 questions you would expect to see on a quiz. questions must be based on information you took notes over include the correct response Cannot have a yes or no answer