Proximity to water Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land. As a result, areas very close to water stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter. This greatly effect greatly influences the climate of many Atlantic Canadian communities.

Elevation Temperatures throughout the Atlantic provinces are also influenced by elevation. As height increases, temperature decreases. This is because air is so much thinner at high altitudes.

Invention for climate: Our climate has sparked some interesting inventions: the snowblower, snowplough, insulation, underground shopping malls, winter fuels and lubricants, and all weather asphalt.

World Climate Change

The Earth’s atmosphere Scientists have been warning for years that our atmosphere is being altered by gases produced through human activity. These gases are producing a “greenhouse effect”. Greenhouse gases trap radiation from the sun, rather than allowing it to escape to the upper atmosphere.

Temperature Changes The result of “trapping” this radiation is a change in temperature all over the world!! In some parts of the world, temperatures have increased over the last 50 years. In others, including the Atlantic provinces, the average temperature has decreased. The gases primarily responsible for climate change are: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane.

Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide accounts for 80% of Canada’s total greenhouse emissions. The majority of carbon dioxide results from burning fossil fuels. Driving our car(s), using the clothes dryer, watching television, or leaving the lights on are all examples of burning fossil fuels.

Part of the Solution When we choose to ride a bike, hang our clothes to dry, read a book, or turn out the lights, we are directly contributing to a solution to climate change. Other solutions:

Methane and Nitrous Oxide Sources include landfills, agricultural practices such as fertilizer production and consumption. We can reduce the amounts of these gases by reducing the amount of waste we generate by composting, recycling and MOST IMPORTANTLY: by reducing our consumption of disposable items.

Right now, with a partner: How do you, personally contribute to climate change? Environmentalists encourage us to “think globally, act locally”. How is this true?? Some say international cooperation will be necessary for change. How could this be true?

Monitoring Weather Weather observers around Atlantic Canada use a variety of instruments to measure pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, precipitation, and clouds. These instruments include: sunshine recorders, wind speed and direction recorders, and Stevenson screens that hold maximum and minimum thermometers.

From the air and space: Weather radar stations are located at Halifax, and Mechanic Settlement near Sussex N.B. Radar is useful in detecting, locating, and measuring the amount of precipitation in clouds. Weather satellites travel far above the earth, in the outer atmosphere and take pictures of the earth’s surface. Meteorologists use these images to make long term weather forcasts.

Review of Weather and Climate This is the end of material that you will be responsible for on the test. Be diligent, as this unit contains a lot of information. A formal review will be available to all students on Monday. Test will be Wednesday March 24 th Weather booklets should be handed in no later than Thursday March 25th