Chapter 4.1: Climate

What factors determine global climate?

Global climate is shaped by many factors, including solar energy trapped in the biosphere, latitude, and the transport of heat by winds and ocean currents.

Explain what would likely happen to global climate if there was a dramatic decrease in greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere.

If there was a dramatic decrease in greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere, the global climate's temperature would probably decrease.

Which do you think has a cooler climate: the east or west coast of southern Africa? Why?

The east coast of Africa would have a cooler climate than the western coast because of the tilt on Earth's axis.

How are climate and weather different?

Weather is the day-to-day conditions while climate is the year-after-year patterns of the weather.

climate

defined by year-after-year patterns of temperature and precipitation

weather

the day-to-day conditions of Earth's atmosphere

microclimates

the environmental conditions that can vary over small distances

greenhouse effect

the process in which gases that function like glass in a greenhouse, allowing visible light to enter but trapping heat