CLIMATE

UNIT 9
 The Earth Has Many Different Climates

 Weather – local area’s short-

term temperature, precipitation,
humidity, wind speed, cloud
cover, etc.
• Measured over hours or days
The Earth Has Many Different Climates

 Climate – area’s general

pattern of atmospheric or
weather conditions
• Measured over long periods of
time
The Earth Has Many Different Climates

 Climate - varies over different

parts of the earth
• Uneven heating of the earth’s
surface by the sun
• Rotation of the earth on its axis
• Properties of air, water, and land
Earth’s Atmosphere

Tropics – air is warm

Equator – 30o N/S
Earth’s Atmosphere

Polar regions – air is cold

60o - 90o N/S
Convection Currents

 Up-and-down movement of air due to temperature differences

Convection Currents

 Rule: Hot air rises and cold air sinks.

 Equator
• Hot air rises and heads toward the poles
Convection Currents

 Rule: Hot air rises and cold air sinks.

 Poles
• Cold air rushes in to fill the space at the equator
Figure 6.5
Wind

 Horizontal movement of air

Convection Currents + Earth’s Rotation

Equator
Coriolis Effect

 Earth rotates and

causes circulating air
to be deflected
 Causes things thrown
in straight line to
move to the right or
left (depends on
hemisphere)
Imagine a merry-go-round…
Coriolis Effect Summary

 Causes moving objects on Earth to follow curved paths

• Northern Hemisphere – follows a path to the right of its intended
target
• Southern Hemisphere – follows a path to the left of its intended
target
 Acts on all moving objects
Prevailing Winds

 Major wind patterns on the Earth

 Direction caused by:

1. Convection currents
2. Earth’s rotation from west to east
3. Air pressure
Global Air Circulation
Wind Belts

 Doldrums
• Between 5 degrees
North and 5 degrees
South latitude
• Winds are calm
 Wind Belts

 Trade Winds
• Historically: Used by ships
traveling between Europe and
the Americas
• 5o-30o North and South of the
Equator
 Trade Winds

 Northern Hemisphere
• Warm air around the equator
rises and flows north toward the
pole
• Earth’s rotation deflects air toward
the right
 Trade Winds

 Southern Hemisphere
• Similar pattern
• Winds blow from the southeast
toward the northwest
• Descend near 30 degrees South
latitude
 Wind Belts

 Westerly Winds
• Remaining air (air that does
not descend at 30 degrees
North or South latitude)
continues toward the poles
 Wind Belts

 Polar Easterlies
• Cool air sinks and moves
towards the equator
• Air is deflected by Earth’s
rotation
 Winds Drive Surface Ocean
Currents!

 Global winds drag on the

water’s surface
• Cause water to move and build
up in the direction that the wind
is blowing
Natural Capital: Generalized Map of the Earth’s Current
Climate Zones
Climate and Biomes
Biotic and Abiotic Factors

 Biotic Factors  Abiotic Factors

• Biological (living) influences on • Physical (non-living) factors that
an organism within an ecosystem shape ecosystems
• Predators • Temperature
• Prey • Precipitation
• Humidity
What is a biome?
 Terrestrial community that covers a large area
and is characterized by certain soil and climate
conditions
• Particular assemblages of plants and animals.
Biomes

 Variations in plants and animals

help different species survive
under different conditions in
different biomes.

 Tolerance - ability to survive

and reproduce under conditions
that differ from their optimal
conditions
The Major Biomes
60°N

30°N

0° Equator

30°S

60°S

Tropical rain forest Temperate grassland Temperate forest

Tropical dry forest Desert Northwestern
coniferous forest
Tropical savanna Temperate woodland Boreal forest
and shrubland (Taiga)
Tundra Mountains and
ice caps
Biomes

 Large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil,

plants, and animals
• Location irrelevant
Biomes

 Not uniform; consist of a mosaic of patches with different

biological communities
Generalized Effects of Elevation and Latitude on
Climate and Biomes
Natural Capital: Average Precipitation and
Average Temperature as Limiting Factors
Global Air Circulation, Ocean Currents, and Biomes
Energy Transfer by Convection
in the Atmosphere

 Heat is absorbed and

released more slowly
by water than by land
• Moderate weather and
climate of nearby
lands
Biomes and Climate

 The climate of a region is an important

factor in determining which organisms
can survive there.
• Temperature and precipitation can
vary over small distances.
• Microclimate - the climate in a small
area that differs from the climate
around it
The Earth’s Surface Features Affect Local Climates

 Cities
• Microclimates
• More haze and smog
• Higher temperatures
• Lower wind speeds
• Causes
• Bricks, asphalt, and concrete
absorb and hold heat
• Buildings block wind flow
The Earth’s Surface Features Affect Local Climates

 Mountains
• Rain shadow effect: moist air blowing inland is forced upward; cools and
expands
• Loses most of its moisture as rain or snow on the windward slope
• Air dries and warms over leeward side; increases ability to hold moisture
and dries ecosystem
Climate Terms

 Tropical – warm; receives direct or nearly direct sunlight year

round
 Desert - dry
 Temperate – moderate
Climate Graphs of Three Types of Deserts
Climate Graphs of Tropical, Temperate, and Cold
Grasslands
Chaparral Vegetation in Utah, U.S.
Climate Graphs of Tropical, Temperate, and Cold
Forests
Stratification of Specialized Plant and Animal Niches in
a Tropical Rain Forest
Major Human Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems