Try to describe all the things this comic is trying to explain.

Aim: How is climate affected?  Topic: Water Cycle and Climate ( Unit 7)  Main Idea: Factors Affecting Climate

1) How is climate different from weather?  Climate is the long term condition of an area while weather changes quickly.

2) Factors Affecting Climate  Latitude  Altitude  Large bodies of water  Mountain ranges  Ocean Currents/Prevailing Winds  El Niño/La Niña

Latitude  As latitude increases, the temperature decreases.

Altitude  As altitude increases, climate temperature decreases.

What temperature differences do you notice about these locations?

Large Bodies of Water  Since water takes a long time to heat up and cool off (high specific heat) we have cool summers and warm winters.

Mountain Ranges  Orographic effect: mountains make rain shadows so one side becomes a desert.

Ocean Currents/Prevailing Winds  Warm currents bring warm air and cool currents bring cool air.

El Niño  Warmer than normal surface ocean water off the west coast of S. America.  Every 3-7 years  Wet winters, droughts, flooding, and heat waves

Summary: 1) Name three currents found at 50 N latitude: 2) Why is Long Island a better place to live than Missouri?

If you live inland, surrounded by land, what will your summers and winters be like? Why?  Land has a low specific heat so it heats up and cools off fast, so there are warm summers and cold winters.