1. Climate and Vegetation
CHAPTER 3

2. THE SUN AND THE EARTH THE SUN IS THE SOURCE OF ALL CLIMATES
IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR ALL LIFE FORMS
ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF ITS ENERGY REACHES THE EARTH
THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE "TRAPS" THE SUN'S WARMTH

3. ROTATION AND REVOLUTION
HOW OFTEN DOES THE EARTH ROTATE?
EVERY 24 HOURS
HOW OFTEN DOES THE EARTH REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN?
EVERY 364 AND ¼ DAYS

4. THE TILT
Because the earth is tilted on its axis, different parts of the globe receive different direct rays of the sun during different times of the year.

5. EARTH’S REVOLUTION AND SEASONS

7. The Solstice and the Equinox
TURN TO PAGE 49 IN YOUR TEXTBOOKS.
When are the winter and summer solstices?
What happens on these days?
When are the spring and fall equinoxes?

8. Solstice and Equinox Importance
Ancient calendars were
set by calculating the
solstice and equinox.
Planting, harvesting,
and storing for the
winter were planned
by using the calculations.

9. What is the difference between climate and weather?
Weather is the temperature and precipitation of a certain place at a certain time---a snapshot!

10. Climate includes weather conditions (temperature and precipitation over a long period of time)—like a movie!

11. TYPES OF PRECIPITATION CONVECTIONAL OROGRAPHIC FRONTAL

12. CONVECTIONAL PRECIPITATION
CONVECTIONAL HEATING
OCCURS IN THE TROPICS
AND THE RAIN FOREST WHERE
THE HUMIDITY IS HIGH

13. OROGRAPHIC PRECIPITATION
OCCURS WHERE THERE
ARE MOUNTAINS THAT BLOCK
THE RAIN SHOWERS

14. FRONTAL PRECIPITATION
OCCURS WHEN
TWO LARGE
AIR MASSES
(COLD AND WARM FRONTS)
COLLIDE

15. WEATHER EXTREMES Define the following in your notes: hurricanes
typhoons
tornados
blizzards
drought
Where is “Tornado Alley?”

16. CLIMATE FACTORS ELEVATION LATITUDE LOCATION TO LANDFORMS
Temperature and Precipitation depend upon the following factors:
ELEVATION
LATITUDE
LOCATION TO LANDFORMS
NEARNESS TO BODIES OF WATER
WINDS

18. As the elevation increases, TEMPERATURE DECREASES AND
PRECIPITATION DECREASES

19. LATITUDE
THE FARTHER WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE EQUATOR, THE MORE THE TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION DECREASE.

20. CLIMATE ZONES Polar zone Temperate zone Tropical zone Temperate zone

21. LATITUDES TROPICAL ZONES LOW LATITUDES 0- 23 DEGREES TEMPERATE ZONES
MID LATITUDES
24-66 DEGREES
POLAR ZONES
HIGH LATITUDES
67-90 DEGREES

22. LOCATION TO LANDFORMS
MOUNTAINS CAN AFFECT CLIMATE, BECAUSE PRECIPITATION IS SCARCE AS ELEVATION INCREASES. AREAS ON THE DRY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN ARE IN THE RAIN SHADOW.

23. DRAW A DIAGRAM OF A MOUNTAIN AND LABEL THE FOLLOWING:
WINDWARD
LEEWARD
RAIN SHADOW

24. WIND CURRENTS The transfer of heat around the globe happens because of
CONVECTION.
Ocean currents and wind currents move the heat from place to place.

26. Look on page 54. What is the CORIOLIS EFFECT?
IF YOU ARE BLINDFOLDED AND TRY TO WALK
IN A STRAIGHT LINE….
IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, YOUR
STRAIGHT LINE WILL BEGIN TO CURVE
IN A CLOCKWISE CIRCLE.
IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, YOUR
IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE CIRCLE.

27. OCEAN CURRENTS NOTICE HOW WARM WATER FLOWS FROM THE TROPICS TO THE
COLDER
OCEAN
AREAS

28. And now, a word from “El Nino::

30. CHANGES IN CLIMATE Look on page 57
What is El Nino, really?
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
What is global Warming?

31. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT