1. What factors contribute to a region’s climate?
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Climate Lesson
What factors contribute to a region’s climate?

2. Weather vs Climate?
Weather: Atmospheric conditions (temperature, rainfall, etc…) at a specific point in time
Climate: Atmospheric conditions (temperature, rainfall, etc…) of a region over a long period of time

3. Factors that affect climate
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Zones of Latitude
Factors that affect climate

4. Zones of Latitude A region’s latitude can impact its climate.
Sketch the diagram below.
Tropical
Temperate
Polar

5. Zones of Latitude
Tropical Zones: Lack of seasonal changes in weather. Warm weather year round. Area between the Tropic of Cancer (23 ½ º N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23 ½ º S).
Temperate Zones: Warm summers and cold winters (four seasons). Areas between Tropic of Cancer and Arctic Circle (66 ½ º N) and Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle (66 ½ º S).
Polar Zones: Cold year round. Seasons of daylight (summer) and dark (winter). Areas north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle.

6. 1. Which cities will have a temperate climate?
2. Which cities are in the polar zone?
2. Which cities are warm year-round? What is this zone of latitude called?

7. Factors that affect climate
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Rain Shadows
Zones of Latitude
Topography
Factors that affect climate

8. Topography - Elevation
Elevation is the height above sea level
The higher the elevation of a region the cooler the temperature becomes.
Cooler Temperatures
Warmer Temperatures

9. Topography – Rain Shadows
Mountains can create orographic rainfall.
The windward side of the mountain is rainy while the leeward side is very dry.
Rain Shadows are desert regions created on the leeward side of the mountain
Which side is the leeward side, the right or the left?
Windward
Which side is the windward side, the right or the left?

10. Factors that affect climate
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Elevation
Rain Shadows
Zones of Latitude
Topography
Wind Currents
Factors that affect climate

11. Wind Currents
Wind currents help distribute the sun’s heat from one part of the world to another.
Warmer air has lower pressure than cooler air. The cooler air rushes into the low pressure areas causing wind.
Warm air currents make areas warmer than normal. Cold air currents make areas cooler than normal
High Pressure Air
Low Pressure Air
Wind blows from areas of High Pressure to Low Pressure

12. Factors that affect climate
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Elevation
Rain Shadows
Zones of Latitude
Topography
Wind Currents
Factors that affect climate
Warm Currents
Ocean Currents
Cold Currents

13. Ocean Currents Ocean current move in large circular systems
Ocean currents affect temperature and precipitation of an area.
Warm ocean currents make surrounding areas warmer and rainy.
Cool ocean currents make surrounding areas cooler and drier
Warmer and Rainy
Warm Ocean Current
Cooler and Drier
Cool Ocean Current

14. Factors that affect climate
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Elevation
Rain Shadows
Zones of Latitude
Topography
Wind Currents
Factors that affect climate
Warm Currents
Climate Changes
El Niño
Ocean Currents
Global Warming
Cold Currents

15. Global Warming
Global Warming is the build up of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere trapping heat and causing increase temperature and shifting weather patterns.
Global Warming is being caused by both the human release of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal) and a natural warming cycle the Earth is going through
As the global temperature begins to rise many changes will occur to climates around the world
Complete the global warming simulation on the class webpage.
What are the effects of global warming?

16. El Niño
The natural warming of waters off the west coast of South America about every 2 – 7 years due to a reversal of wind direction.
El Nino causes floods and mudslides in the Americas.
El Nino causes droughts in Australia and Asia.

17. Climographs
Climographs are a combination of a line graph, measuring average temperature, and a bar graph, measuring average rainfall, for each month.
Temperature
Rainfall

18. Factors that affect climate
Notes Template
Use this template to create your own notes from the Power point.
Elevation
Rain Shadows
Zones of Latitude
Topography
Wind Currents
Factors that affect climate
Warm Currents
Climate Changes
El Niño
Ocean Currents
Global Warming
Cold Currents

19. Major Climate Regions
Tropical Wet: Always hot and rain falls almost daily (Amazon Rainforest)
Desert: Receives less than 10 inches of rain per year (Phoenix, AZ)
Semiarid: Receives between 10 and 16 inches of rain per year (West Texas)
Mediterranean: Dry and hot summers, cool and rainy winters (Los Angeles, CA)
Humid Subtropical: Hot and humid summers, mild to cool winters (Houston, Tx)
Marine West Coast: Located close to warm ocean currents. Moderate temperatures and constant rainfall (Seattle, WA).
Humid Continental: Hot summers and Cold winters. Located in the interior, far away from oceans. Have four distinct seasons (St. Louis, MO).
Tundra: Always cold. Flat, treeless lands around the Arctic Ocean. Very little rain. Land has permafrost. (Greenland)