1. Global Climates and Biomes (Terrestrial)
Chapter 4
Global Climates and Biomes (Terrestrial)

2. Weather and Climate
Weather short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific region: temperature, precipitation, humidity, clouds and wind speed
Climate the average weather in an area over long periods of time (decades)

3. Unequal heating of Earth Atmospheric convection currents
Processes that affect the distribution of temperature and precipitation:
Unequal heating of Earth
Atmospheric convection currents
Rotation of Earth
Tilt of Earth

4. Earth’s Atmosphere
Earth
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere

5. Troposphere We live here!!!
16 Km (10 miles) above the Earth’s Surface
Closest to earth
This is where weather occurs and airplanes fly
Most dense layer (molecules closer together)
Has the most Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Water Vapor
Temperature decreases with altitude
Tropospheric Ozone is here
BAD OZONE or SMOG

6. Stratosphere: 16km to 50km (10 to 31 miles) above Earth’s Surface
Less dense (particles spread further apart) than troposphere
Temperature increases with altitude
Ozone layer- ozone forms a layer of pale blue gas
Weather balloons travel here

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8. Stratospheric Ozone = Good Ozone
Ozone = O3
Absorbs most UV-B and all UV-C radiation
Ozone layer serves as a protective layer
Hole in the ozone is getting smaller due to legislation like the 1986 Montreal Protocol (we will talk about later in detail)

9. The good and the bad…

10. Mesosphere- 50km to 100km above Earth’s Surface (meso = middle)
Directly above the stratosphere
Temperature decreases with altitude
Can decrease to -143 C or -225 F
Coldest layer of the atmosphere
Meteors burn up here
Large windstorms occur here (wind speeds up to 320 km/hr)

11. Thermosphere- 90km to 500/1000km 56 miles- 311/621 miles
Above the mesosphere and below exosphere
Blocks x-rays and UV-radation
Absorbs high energy solar radiation (This causes this layer to have high temp)
Really high temperatures 2000 degrees C/ degrees F
Charged gas molecules glow when hit by solar energy this and magnetic forces at the poles = Northern Lights/ Aurora Borealis and Aurora South/ Australis

12. Thermosphere

13. Exosphere- 600km and beyond
Outermost layer of the atmosphere
Least dense (air is extremely thin atoms rarely collide)
Satellites orbit here
Contains hydrogen, helium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide

15. Elements in the Atmosphere
Nitrogen
Water Vapor
Oxygen
Krypton
Argon
Hydrogen
Carbon Dioxide
Xenon
Helium
Ozone
Methane

16. Unequal heating of Earth Atmospheric convection currents
Processes that affect the distribution of temperature and precipitation:
Unequal heating of Earth
Atmospheric convection currents
Rotation of Earth
Tilt of Earth

17. Unequal Heating of Earth
Varying angles
Varying surface area
Light Reflection

19. Varying Angles

20. Varying Surface Areas

21. Unequal heating- Albedo
Some areas on earth reflect more light
Albedo- percent of incoming light reflected from a surface
HIGH Albedo= more solar energy reflected/ less energy absorbed
White surfaces (snow) have a higher albedo than black surfaces (asphalt)
Average albedo on earth is 30%

23. Atmospheric Convection Currents
Properties of Air that determine Air Circulation (movement):
Density
Water vapor capacity
Adiabatic heating/cooling
Latent heat release

24. Properties of Air: Density
Less dense air rises (warm air)
More dense air sinks (cold air)

25. Properties of Air- Water Vapor Capacity
Warm Air= More Water Vapor
Hot summer days = High Humidity
Saturation Point maxiumum amount of water vapor that can be in the air at a given temperature

26. Water Vapor and Saturation Point
When temperature decreases
saturation point decreases
water vapor condenses into water
clouds form
precipitation occurs

27. Properties of Air: Pressure Changes and Adiabatic heating/cooling
Adiabatic Cooling=
As air rises, the pressure decreases
Lower pressure = expanded volume and decreased temperature
Adiabatic Heating =
As air sinks, the pressure increases
Higher pressure = decreased volume and increased temperature

29. Properties of Air: Water Vapor Latent Heat release
Latent Heat Release- is when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water this releases energy (in the form of heat)
Whenever water vapor in the atmosphere condenses, the air will become warmer and rise.

30. Properties of Air: Water Vapor Latent Heat release
Latent Heat Release- is when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water this releases energy (in the frm of heat)
Whenever water vapor in the atmosphere condenses, the air will become warmer and rise.

31. Properties of Air

32. Atmospheric Convection Currents
Global patterns of moving air caused by unequal heating

33. Convection Cells
Hadley Cells
Ferrel Cells
Polar Cells

34. Hadley Cells
Convection Cells that cycle between the equator and 30 degrees (north and south)

35. Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
The ITCZ occurs where the most sun is received
Near the equator, but location varies because of tilt of the earth (between 23.5 degrees north and south)
Dense clouds
Thunderstorms

36. Polar Cells
Polar Cells are convection cells that cycle between 60 and 90 degrees (North/South)
Air rises at 60 degrees (N/S) and sinks at the poles (90 degrees N/S)

37. Ferrel Cells
Ferrel Cells are convection cells between 30 and 60 degrees (north and south)
Move air opposite of Hadley Cells
They cause winds to be variable

39. Earth’s Rotation
The surface moves faster at the equator than at the poles
1 rotation = 24 hours (mind blown…)
The circumference at the equator is 40,000 km
The circumference at the poles is 0 km

40. Coriolis Effect
Faster rotation at the equator, causes a deflection of objects that are moving directly north or south
Coriolis Effect= deflection of an object’s path due to earth’s rotation
In the Northern Hemisphere the path of an object’s deflection = clockwise
In the Southern Hemisphere the path of an object’s deflection = counter clockwise

41. Coriolis Effect

42. Prevailing Winds
Prevailing Winds are wind patterns produced by atmospheric convection currents and coriolis effect.
3 types of Prevailing Winds:
Trade winds
Westerilies
Easterlies

43. Trade Winds
Northeast Trade Winds are produced by the North Hadley Cells
Winds are deflected to the west (clockwise)
Southeast Trade Winds are produced by the South Hadley Cells
Winds are deflected to the west (counter clockwise)

44. Westerlies
Westerlies are prevailing winds produced from the Ferrel cells
The winds are variable because of a mixture of air currents from the Hadley and Polar cells
Near 30 degrees, the winds move away from the equator
Winds deflect to the east
Winds come from the northwest or southwest

45. Easterlies Easterlies are winds produced from the Polar Cells
Winds come from the Northeast (clockwise) or Southeast (counter clockwise)and are deflected west
Moving air away from the poles

46. Earth’s Tilt Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees
When the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun (that is summer for the north)
When the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun (that is winter for the north)

47. Seasons: In northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere is opposite…
Spring March Equinox (20th/21st): the sun strikes the equator directly, 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night Summer June Solstice (20th/21st): Sun directly above the tropic of cancer (23.5 degrees North lat) Longest day of the year for north hemi

48. Seasons: In northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere is opposite…
Fall September Equinox (22nd/23rd): the sun strikes the equator directly, 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night Winter JuDecember ne Solstice (21st/22nd): Sun directly above the tropic of capricorn (23.5 degrees south lat) Shortest day of the year for north hemi