1. Climate vs. Weather
What’s the difference?

2. Climate Vs. Weather Climate Long-term weather patterns of an area
Current state of the troposphere
Short term variations

3. Climatology
The study of Earth’s climate and the factors that affect past, present, and future climatic changes

4. Normals Standard values for a location at a given time
Average values over a long period of time

5. What Causes Different Climates?
Topography
Coastal regions and areas near water are warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer
Latitude

6. Arctic Circle Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn
Antarctic Circle
66.5° N
23.5° N
23.5° S
66.5° S 0°

7. Polar
Temperate
Tropics
Tropics
Temperate
Polar

8. Climate Regions Tropics Lots of direct solar radiation; warmer; wetter
Between Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer
Temperate
Between 23.5 and 66.5 North and South
Mild temperatures that do not fluctuate
Polar
Cold temperatures, little precipitation

9. Koeppen Classification System
Classified based on temp. + precipitation
Tropical
Dry
Mild
Continental
Polar

10. Climate Change

11. Long-Term Climatic Change
Climates change over extremely long periods of time
Ice Ages – Periods of extensive glacial coverage
Most recent ended
10,000 years ago
Temps dropped 5°C

12. Short-Term Climatic Change
Caused by regular variations in daylight, temp, and weather patterns
Examples:
Seasons
El Nino (Warm ocean current)