Climate

What is the difference between Climate and Weather Weather-day-to-day state of the atmosphere in a region Climate-how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.

What makes up a climate? Events occuring in the: Cryosphere Atmosphere Hydrosphere Lithosphere Biosphere

Lithosphere Atmosphere Cryosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere

What are the main parts of the Atmosphere that we will look at in terms of climate and weather? –Participation –Temperature

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Whistler BC. Foggy

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Alert, NT. Clear (and frozen!)

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Calgary, AB. Chinook Winds (20c in January!)

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Calgary, AB. Snowing (in May!)

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Montreal, QC. Freezing Rain (ice storm of 1998)

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Yellow Knife, YT. Snowing (Sept 21)

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Langley, BC. Rain

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? Toronto, ON. Hazy

Where in Canada is this? What weather do you see? The North Pole. Summer

Factors That Effect Climate LOWERN

L atitude

Temperature- the further from the equator (north or south), the cooler it gets Precipitation- the closer to the poles, the lower the precipitation Why? Cooler air holds less moisture

O cean Currents

Temperature- if they are warm it will raise the temperature along the coast and if they are cold, they will lower the temperature. Precipitation- if they are warm, the climate will be wetter and if they are cold, the climate will be drier

W ind (Prevailing) In Canada, our prevailing winds are the Westerlies, which means our weather patterns travel from west to east.

Winds Temperature –Off water- moderate temperature s( make it more even) –Off land- more extreme temperatures Precipitation –Off water- brings more moisture (makes wetter) –Off land- brings drier conditions

E levation

Temperature- the higher you go the colder it gets Precipitation- the higher you go the more precipitation you are likely to get

R elief

Temperature- moderate on ocean side and extreme on land side Precipitation- side facing water(windward side) is wetter than the side facing away from the water (leeward side) Why?- as the air rises up the mountain it cools and since cool air cannot hold much moisture, it releases it as it rises

N ear Water

Temperature- moderated by the ocean (especially if moving inland off the ocean) so far inland areas experience more extreme temperatures Precipitation- higher next to oceans, lower in areas located far inland

LOWERN Explained by Bill Nye Elevation- why is it colder at higher elevations? Are you not closer to the sun? Wind- how is wind created? Ocean Currents- what keeps ocean currents moving?

SO ALL THIS CREATES SOME VERY DISTINCT CLIMATE ZONES WITHIN CANADA

CANADA’S CLIMATE REGIONS

Arctic Characteristics Temperature  Cold winters, cool summers Precipitation -low amount(less than 50 cm) - snow What else?  High winds  Coastal areas are warmer and have heavier snow falls

West Coast Characteristics Temperature  Cool summers, mild winters Precipitation  Very wet ( cm precipitation)

Mountain Characteristics  Very different because of the 2 mountain ranges Temperature  Temperatures tend to drop the higher you get in elevation Precipitation  Summers tend to be dry, with wetter winters

Boreal Characteristics Temperature  Temperature range is large because zone covers large area latitudinal Precipitation  Precipitation is generally low, with higher amounts in the eastern coastal areas

Prairie Characteristics Temperature  Extreme temperature range Precipitation  Generally very dry What else?  Very windy

Southeastern Characteristics Temperature  Cool winters, warm to hot summers Precipitation  Moderate precipitation- various forms What else?  One of the major storm tracks of North America  Prone to highly changeable weather