DIFF Climate

What are the three things that define a climate?

-Annual wind speed -Average air temperature -Average precipitation

Explain how the presence of a large body of water can affect climate.

A large body of water affects the climate of a coastal area by making it warmer in winter and cooler in summer than an inland area at the same latitude.

Climatic changes may be triggered by changes in Earth's ______________ and _______________

Axis and Orbit

How does the tilt of Earth affect climate?

Because Earth is tilted, seasonal climatic changes occur as Earth revolves around the Sun and different areas of the planet receive varying amounts of solar radiation. During summer in the northern hemisphere, for example, the north pole is tilted toward the Sun, and the northern hemisphere has longer hours of daylight and warmer temperatures. At the same time, the south pole is tilted away from the Sun, causing the southern hemisphere to experience longer hours of darkness and colder temperatures. Also the angle of the tilt varies every 41,000 years. Scientists theorize that these changes in angle cause seasons to become more severe.

How do mountains effect climate?

Because temperature decreases with altitude in the lower atmosphere, mountain climates are cooler than those at lower elevations at the same latitude. The climate can also be wetter and cooler on the windward side of a mountain than on the leeward side, where deserts can form.

Located between the polar zones and the tropics, violent weather changes occur, and summer and winter temperatures are extreme

Continental climate

Continental tropical air dominates, precipitation is low, vegetation is scarce, solar radiation is intense, and clouds are few.

Dry climate

Warm ocean current that develops off the western coast of South America

El Nino

Periods of time when parts of Earth were covered by glaciers

Ice Age

What is the warm period between ice ages called?

Interglacial period

When Earth's orbit changes from circular to more elliptical what happens to the climate

It becomes warmer

When we see fewer sunspots, how does that effect climate?

It is cooler when there are fewer sunspots.

Divides the climates into 6 basic types based on the mean monthly values of temperature and precipitation based on vegetation

Koeppen Classification System

Period of very low sunspot activity

Maunder minimum

Prevails in the southeastern United States, summers are warm, muggy, and winters are dry and cool

Mild Climate

What is the greenhouse effect?

Natural heating of Earth's surface caused by certain atmospheric gases

The standard values for an area

Normals

What is an ice age.

Period of time when Earth's climate is much colder and much of its surface is covered by vast sheets of ice.

The area located from 66.5 north and south of the equator to the poles

Polar

Mean temperature of warmest month is less than 10 degrees celsius and precipitation is generally low

Polar Climate

Short-term periods of climatic change

Season

The area 23.5 and 66.5 north and south of the equator

Temperate

What is the main source of Earth's energy?

The Sun

How does latitude effect climate?

The amount of solar radiation received at any place varies with latitude. Areas near the equator are warm because they receive the most direct solar radiation. Areas near the poles are cold because the sun strikes them at a lower, less-direct angle.

Characterized by constant high temperatures, up to 600 cm of rain falls each year, and lush rain forests predominate

Tropical climate

The area 23.5 degrees south of the equator and 23.5 north of the equator

Tropics

A lowering of global temperatures caused by dust blocking solar radiation can be triggered by what?

Volcanic Eruptions

The long-term weather patterns of an area

climate

The study of Earth's climate

climatology

What are the three things that cause seasons?

variations in: -Daylight -Temperature -Weather patterns