1. Chapter 7 Climate and Biodiversity

2. Core Case Study: Different Climates Support Different Life Forms
Why is one area of earth’s land surface a desert, another a grassland, and another a forest?
This is largely due to _________________ -- long-term temperature and precipitation patterns in a given region during a time frame of several _____________ to thousands of years
Three major types of climate…
__________________: equator, intense sunlight
______________: poles, least intense sunlight
_________________: in-between tropical and polar
climate
decades
tropical
polar
temperate

3. Three Major Climate Zones
Why does climate matter?
It determines where humans and other species can ____________ and thrive
live
Figure 7.1: Earth has three major climate zones: tropical, where the climate is generally warm throughout the year (top); temperate, where the climate is not extreme and typically changes in four different annual seasons (middle); and polar, where it is generally cold during both winter and summer seasons (bottom). These differences lead to different types of vegetation such as those found in a hot and wet tropical rain forest in Australia (top), a temperate deciduous forest in the autumn near Hamburg, Germany (middle), and the arctic tundra found in the U.S. state of Alaska during summer (bottom).
Fig. 7-1, p. 147

4. 7-1 What Factors Influence Climate?
Concept 7-1 Key factors that determine an area’s climate are incoming solar energy, the earth’s rotation, global patterns of air and water movement, gases in the atmosphere, and the earth’s surface features.

5. The Earth Has Many Different Climates (1)
Weather
Temperature, precipitation, wind speed, cloud cover
___________________: Hours to days
Climate
Area’s general pattern of atmospheric conditions over at least _____________________
____________________
“Climate is what we expect, and weather is what we get.” – Mark Twain
Short-term
three decades
Long-term

6. Natural Capital: Generalized Map of the Earth’s Current Climate Zones
Figure 7.2: Natural capital.
This generalized map of the earth’s current climate zones shows the major ocean currents and upwelling areas (where currents bring nutrients from the ocean bottom to the surface). See an animation based on this figure at CengageNOW. Question: Based on this map, what is the general type of climate where you live?
Fig. 7-2, p. 149

7. The Earth Has Many Different Climates (2)
Climate varies in different parts of the earth because patterns of global _________ circulation and ocean ____________ distribute heat and precipitation unevenly between the tropics and other parts of the world.
Three major factors determine how air circulates in lower atmosphere…
_________________ heating of the earth’s surface by sun
___________________ of the earth on its axis
Properties of ________, _____________, and ____________
air
currents
Uneven
Rotation
air
land
water

8. directly
The sun’s rays strike the equator _________________, while they pass over the poles at an ________________. Higher ________________ and ____________________ rates found at the equator.
angle
evaporation
precipitation
Figure 7.3: Global air circulation: The largest input of solar energy occurs at the equator. As this air is heated, it would naturally rise and move toward the poles (left). However, the earth’s rotation deflects this movement of the air over different parts of the earth. This creates global patterns of prevailing winds that help to distribute heat and moisture in the atmosphere and result in the earth’s variety of forests, grasslands, and deserts (right).
Fig. 7-3, p. 149

9. faster
As the planet rotates, the equator spins ________________ than regions to the north or south. Heated air masses are deflected to the __________ and ____________ as they rise…called the __________________ Effect!
west
east
Coriolis
Figure 7.3: Global air circulation: The largest input of solar energy occurs at the equator. As this air is heated, it would naturally rise and move toward the poles (left). However, the earth’s rotation deflects this movement of the air over different parts of the earth. This creates global patterns of prevailing winds that help to distribute heat and moisture in the atmosphere and result in the earth’s variety of forests, grasslands, and deserts (right).
Fig. 7-3, p. 149

10. The atmosphere over different areas is divided into huge regions called __________, distinguished by the direction of air movement…or __________________ winds
cells
prevailing
Figure 7.3: Global air circulation: The largest input of solar energy occurs at the equator. As this air is heated, it would naturally rise and move toward the poles (left). However, the earth’s rotation deflects this movement of the air over different parts of the earth. This creates global patterns of prevailing winds that help to distribute heat and moisture in the atmosphere and result in the earth’s variety of forests, grasslands, and deserts (right).
Fig. 7-3, p. 149

11. Energy Transfer by Convection in the Atmosphere
The evaporation of water creates giant cyclical _____________ cells that circulate air, heat, and moisture both vertically and from place to place
convection
Figure 7.4: This diagram illustrates energy transfer by convection in the atmosphere. Convection occurs when warm, wet air rises, then cools and releases heat and moisture as precipitation (right side and top, center). Then the cooler, denser, and drier air sinks, warms up, and absorbs moisture as it flows across the earth’s surface (bottom) to begin the cycle again.
Fig. 7-4, p. 150

12. The Earth Has Many Different Climates (2)
Prevailing winds blowing over the oceans produce mass movements of surface water called ______________ ______________
Help to redistribute heat from the sun…especially near _________________ areas.
This heat, as well as differences in water ________________, create warm and cold ocean currents.
ocean
currents
coastal
density

13. Arctic Circle Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn Antarctic Circle
Labrador current
Oyashio current
North Atlantic drift
Alaska
current
California current
North Pacific
drift
Canaries current
Gulf stream
Kuroshio current
Tropic of
Cancer
North equatorial current
Caribbean current
Monsoon
Guinea current
drift
Equatorial counter current
South equatorial
North equatorial current
South equatorial current
current
Brazil current
South equatorial current
Tropic of
Capricorn
West Australian current
Peru current
East Australian current
Benguela current
Figure 7.2: Natural capital.
This generalized map of the earth’s current climate zones shows the major ocean currents and upwelling areas (where currents bring nutrients from the ocean bottom to the surface). See an animation based on this figure at CengageNOW. Question: Based on this map, what is the general type of climate where you live?
West wind drift
West wind drift
West wind drift
Antarctic
Circle
Polar (ice)
Subarctic (snow)
Cool temperate
Highland
Warm ocean current
River
Warm temperate
Dry
Tropical
Major upwelling zones
Cold ocean current
Fig. 7-2, p. 149

14. Connected Deep and Shallow Ocean Currents
Water also moves ___________________ in the ocean, as denser
water ____________ and less dense water ______________
How do you think
this loop affects the
climates of the
coastal areas around
it?
verticals
sinks
rises
Figure 7.5: Connected deep and shallow ocean currents: A connected loop of shallow and deep ocean currents transports warm and cool water to various parts of the earth. This loop, which rises in some areas and falls in others, results when ocean water in the North Atlantic near Iceland is dense enough (because of its salt content and cold temperature) to sink to the ocean bottom, flow southward, and then move eastward to well up in the warmer Pacific. A shallower return current, aided by winds, then brings warmer, less salty, and thus less dense water to the Atlantic. This water then cools and sinks to begin this extremely slow cycle again. Question: How do you think this loop affects the climates of the coastal areas around it?
Warms or cools
climate depending
on current
Fig. 7-5, p. 150

15. The ocean and the atmosphere are strongly linked in two ways…
ocean currents are affected
by _____________ from the atmospher
2) Heat from the ocean affects
atmospheric
_____________________
wind
Figure 7.5: Connected deep and shallow ocean currents: A connected loop of shallow and deep ocean currents transports warm and cool water to various parts of the earth. This loop, which rises in some areas and falls in others, results when ocean water in the North Atlantic near Iceland is dense enough (because of its salt content and cold temperature) to sink to the ocean bottom, flow southward, and then move eastward to well up in the warmer Pacific. A shallower return current, aided by winds, then brings warmer, less salty, and thus less dense water to the Atlantic. This water then cools and sinks to begin this extremely slow cycle again. Question: How do you think this loop affects the climates of the coastal areas around it?
circulation

16. The Earth Has Many Different Climates (3)
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (__________)
Occurs every ________________
Prevailing winds in tropical Pacific Ocean weaken and ______________ direction
Affects much of earth’s weather for 1-2 years
ENSO
few years
change

17. Normal and El Niño Conditions
During normal conditions, warm water is pushed _________________ across the Pacific Ocean
During ENSO, warm water flow is _______________
westward
reversed
Figure 4, Supplement 7

18. Impact of El Nino-Southern Oscillation
Figure 5, Supplement 7

19. Greenhouse Gases Warm the Lower Atmosphere
Greenhouse gases…absorb and release heat (_____________ radiation) that warms the lower atmosphere
H2O ______________________
CO2 ______________________
CH4 ______________________
N2O ______________________
Natural greenhouse effect
Gases keep earth habitable
infrared
water vapor
carbon dioxide
methane
nitrous oxide

20. Flow of Energy to and from the Earth
Figure 3.4: High-quality solar energy flows from the sun to the earth. As it interacts with the earth’s air, water, soil, and life, it is degraded into lower-quality energy (heat) that flows back into space.
Fig. 3-4, p. 57

21. Greenhouse Gases Warm the Lower Atmosphere
Human activities are adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere ______________ than they can be removed by nutrient cycles
Enhanced global warming is likely to…
_____________ precipitation patterns
______________ average sea levels
Shift areas where we can grow ___________ and where some types of plants and animals can _______
faster
“anthropogenic”
alter
raise
crops
live

22. Earth’s Surface Features Affect Local Climates
Heat is absorbed and released more _____________ by water than by land
Creates land and sea breezes
Oceans and large lakes ____________________ the weather and climate of nearby lands
Mountains interrupt the flow of prevailing winds, pushing them __________________
As it rises and _______________, it loses most of its moisture as rain or snow on the _________________ side of mountain
The __________________ side of the mountain is ______________ and desert-like
slowly
moderate
upward
cools
windward
leeward
dry

23. The __________________ effect is a reduction of rainfall and loss of moisture on the side of mountains facing away from prevailing winds.
rain shadow
On the leeward side of the mountain range, air descends, warms, and releases little moisture, causing rain shadow effect.
On the windward side of a mountain range, air rises, cools, and releases moisture.
Prevailing winds pick up moisture from an ocean.
Figure 7.6: The rain shadow effect is a reduction of rainfall and loss of moisture from the landscape on the side of mountains facing away from prevailing surface winds. Warm, moist air in onshore winds loses most of its moisture as rain and snow that fall on the windward slopes of a mountain range. This leads to semiarid and arid conditions on the leeward side of the mountain range and the land beyond. The Mojave Desert in the U.S. state of California and Asia’s Gobi Desert were both created by this effect.
Fig. 7-6, p. 152

24. Cities also create distinct ___________________.
Bricks, concrete, asphalt, and other building materials _______________ and hold heat
Buildings _____________ wind flow
Motor vehicles and heating and cooling systems release large quantities of ___________ and ________________
Cities, on average, tend to have more _________, __________, _____________ temperatures, and _____________ winds speeds than the surrounding country side
microclimates
absorb
block
heat
pollutants
haze
smog
higher
lower

25. Review Questions
True or False: Weather and climate are the same thing.
True or False: The sun’s rays heat all areas of the planet evenly.
The deflected movement of air as the earth rotates is called the…
False
False
Coriolis effect

26. Review Questions
Under normal condition, Pacific trade winds push warm water in what direction?
What are some effects of ENSO?
Which side of a mountain receives more precipitation?
westward
Droughts, higher rainfall, warmer periods
windward