Climate Integrated Science 2

Climate What things impact climate? LAPTOP V acronym – Latitude – Altitude – Proximity(closeness) to H 2 O – Topography (the physical or natural features of an object or entity and their structural relationships) – Ocean Currents – Prevailing Winds – Vegetation

Latitude Because the sun is tilted on its axis, Suns rays strike the Earth at different angles. – Steep Angle in summer means more heat (NYC=76.5 °F in July) – Shallow Angle in the winter means less heat (NYC=32.5 ° in January) Different parts of the earth receive different amounts of sunlight (which can be transferred into heat). Seasonal changes occur because of the Earth’s relative position to the Sun

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Latitude The temperate zones have moderate climate with colder winters than summers The polar zones receive the least solar radiation because the Sun’s rays strike at very low angles. – Temperatures in the polar zones are mostly cold all the time. - The Tropics (23.5 ° North to 23.5 ° South) receive the most solar radiation because the Sun’s rays strike it at right angles. The temperatures are warm all year.

Altitude Altitude is the height above a reference source such as sea level On average, temperatures drop 3°C for every 1000 m of altitude. (Or 6.5°F for every 1000 feet) The higher the altitude, the lower the average temperature.

– Hints Heating of the Earth Air Pressure – Answer Earth is heated by the Sun -> Heat is radiated into the atmosphere -> Less air (because of lower pressure) lets more heat escape In other words: the radiated heat from the earth escapes because there are fewer air molecules to trap the heat in the atmosphere.

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Proximity to Water Land gains and loses heat much easier than water. Areas closer to large bodies of water have a consistent annual temperature range. Areas that are removed from large bodies of water have variable yearly temperature ranges.

FOG 101 Fog is produced when the air is super saturated with water. The water vapor precipitates out into small droplets of condensation, AKA fog In the Bay Area, we have Advection fog which is produced over the ocean. This is different than Radiation fog which usually occurs at night.

Fun Fact Why does the fog move in and out of the Bay? – Cold always flows to Hot – Ground is heated easier than water – Heat pulls cool air in

Climates often differ on either side of a mountain.

Ocean currents can heat or cool the air above. Ocean currents can be considerably warmer or cooler than normal air temperatures because of where they flow and how deep they are. – For example, currents from low latitudes carry more warm water to areas of higher latitudes (e.g. Gulf Stream)

The three wind systems that occur in each hemisphere are: Polar Easterlies; Prevailing Westerlies & Trade Winds These wind systems all have distinct areas of origin. The volume and speed of air masses affect climate.

Vegetation can affect both temperature and precipitation patterns in an area Plants can have an impact on moisture through the process of transpiration, where plants release water vapor into the atmosphere.

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