Chapter 2: Climate & Weather Ch. 2, Pg 17-20, 27

Q: What is weather? A: Condition of the bottom layer of the earth’s atmosphere in one place over a short period of time. Depends on temperature, precipitation, and wind.

Q: What is climate? A: Weather patterns that an area typically experiences over a long period of time. Depends on elevation, latitude, and relative location to other landforms and bodies of water.

“Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.”

The source of the earth’s climates is the SUN.

Day Night Seasonal Changes Differing Climates Different Types of Vegetation Position of earth to the sun

Movement of the Earth… Rotation: Earth spinning on its axis (23 ½ tilt), one rotation = 24 hours. Facing the sun = day, facing away from sun = night. Revolution: As earth spins on its axis it is also moving around the sun on it’s orbital path. One revolution = 365 ¼ days or 1 year.

com/science/geoanimati ons/animations/01_Eart hSun_E2.html

The earth’s tilt also means that sunlight strikes different parts of earth more directly at certain times of the year. Earth’s axis always tilts toward the North Star. Solstice = June 22/Dec 22 when sun is directly overhead Tropic of Cancer/Tropic of Capricorn. Equinox = March 20/Sept 23 at noon on these days the sun appears directly over the equator.

So how does this affect temperature and climate? Warmer year round at the equator… gets cooler moving north or south. Three Climate Zones Tropics: 23½ North to 23½ South. Temperate: 23½ North to 66½ North, and 23½ South to 66½ South. Polar: 66½ North or South to the 90 pole.

Latitude/Climate Zones Polar Temperate Tropical

Intro to Culture Culture: total of knowledge, attitude, and behavior shared by and passed on by the members of a specific group Society: A group that shares a geographic region, a sense of identity, and a culture Ethnic group: a group that shares a language, customs, and a common heritage.