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RICH GOLDEN SHOWER MONTESSORI CENTER

Senior High School Department
S.Y. 2021 – 2022

LEARNING PACKET IN SCIENCE 9

WEEK 21: MARCH 7 - 11, 2022

I. Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC)

1. Explain how different factors affect the climate of an area.
2. Describe certain climatic phenomena that occur on a global level

II. Topic:
- Climate and Weather
- Factors Affecting Climate
- Climatic Phenomena on a Global Level

III. Discussions:

A. CLIMATE AND WEATHER

- Weather is the fluctuations of the atmosphere over a short period of time. These
fluctuations are usually short-lived and include the temperature, amount and type of
precipitation, wind speed and direction, and the clouds.
- Climate is the average weather conditions over a certain area and time frame of at
least 30 years. Temperature and precipitation are the main elements of climate.
- Climate is driven by the uneven distribution of the sun’s thermal energy, which is
the main factor that dictates climate.
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B. NATURAL FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE

1. LATITUDE
- Climate changes with latitude. This is because latitude affects both temperature and
precipitation received by a particular area.
- It is the distance from the equator. Solar energy delivered by sunlight varies with
this.

- For example, the tropics are sometimes referred to as latitudes of seasonless

climate. The seasonal change in the length of daylight is too small to be noticeable.
It is because the strength of the solar energy hardly changes at all. As a result, the
weather is generally warm except for mountainous areas.
- For areas located in mid-latitudes or temperate regions, there are obvious
seasonal changes due to the varying intensity of sunlight in a whole year. The
largest seasonal changes also occur in mid-latitudes.
- The Polar Regions or frigid zones generally have cool temperatures but still
experience seasonal changes.
- Higher Altitudes are Cooler (i.e. North Pole) and Lower Altitudes are Warmer
(i.e. Equator)
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2. ROLE OF THE ATMOSPHERE – WIND AND AIR MASSES

- WIND is the movement of the air from high pressure to low pressure areas. It is an
aspect of climate.
- The uneven distribution of thermal energy triggers atmospheric circulation in the
form of the prevailing winds: trade winds and westerlies.

- Trade winds are formed when the warm air around the equator rises and flows
toward the North Pole. As it rises, it is deflected to the right by the Coriolis Effect.
It begins to cool and descend at 30° North latitude and travels back toward the
equator. This also occurs in the southern hemisphere, where winds start to blow
from the southeast. Then, continue to move toward the northwest direction once
they descend near 30° South latitude.
- Winds that do not descend at 30° latitude continue to travel towards the poles which
form the westerlies. They usually occur between 30 to 60° latitudes with a general
west-to-east flow, sometimes interrupted by migrating cyclones and anticyclones.
 Greenhouse gases increase air temperature because they absorb the outgoing
radiation from the surface that would have otherwise escaped into space,
and re-emit them into the atmosphere.
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- AIR MASSES is a large volume of air with almost same temperature and moisture
throughout. It takes climate conditions from one place to another especially because
of its front.
 Front – is the boundary between two air masses with different temperature
and moisture content.
 Warm Front – leading edge of a warm air mass
 Cold Front – leading edge of a cold air mass.

3. ROLE OF THE HYDROSPHERE – OCEAN CURRENT

- The hydrosphere represents all water on Earth in any state, whether liquid, ice, or
water vapor. It has a major impact on climate since water can store and transport
vast amounts of energy.
- Water, in general, has a very high specific heat. Specific heat refers to the amount
of heat needed to increase the temperature of a substance to one degree. It means
that even if water already absorbed huge amounts of energy, it only experiences
minimal temperature change.

- Ocean Currents are warm and cold pockets or streams that move throughout the
ocean. If a cold ocean current passes by, it will cool the surrounding air. If a warm
ocean current passes by, it will warm the surrounding air.
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4. ROLE OF THE GEOSPHERE – ELEVATION AND TOPOGRAPHY (RELIEF)

- The geosphere influences climate through an area’s geography and land cover.
- Different materials either absorb or reflect sunlight. Light-colored land cover such
as sand and snow reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere and outer space,
while dark, moist soils absorb energy. This measure of the reflectivity of a surface
is termed as albedo. This reflected solar radiation affects how the climate would be.

- Asphalt (0.10) Grass (0.25) White paint-0.80

Albedo Values

- Mountain ranges affect the precipitation and temperature in its two opposite sides.
 Moist winds coming from a large body of water rise into the mountain, which
causes them to expand and cool. This process enables cloud formation which
then creates a cooler climate characterized by abundant precipitation on the
windward side of the mountain range.
 On the other side, however, the air descends without or with less amount of
moisture. It is dry, heats up rapidly, and has low relative humidity which results
in less precipitation. This is the reason why, even if at the same elevation, the
temperature on the downwind side of the mountain is warmer than on its
windward side.
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- ELEVATION (Altitude) - is how high or low we are on the earth’s surface. The
Higher the altitude, the lower the temperature and vice versa. Temperature
Lapse Rate is the rate at which atmospheric temperature decreases with an increase
in altitude. Average temperature lapse rate of 6.5°C/1000m from sea level to 11
kilometers; from 11 to 20 kilometers, the constant temperature is -56.5°C.
- RELIEF is the differences in elevation. Mountain ranges act as barriers to the
movement of air masses. They also cause precipitation to occur called Relief or
Topographic Precipitation.

5. ROLE OF THE BIOSPHERE

- The biosphere represents all life on Earth.
- Vegetation influences climate by absorbing solar energy and carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere, releasing oxygen, and releasing water vapor through
evapotranspiration.
 Also, thick vegetation controls the temperature by preventing the warm air
from escaping during the night and maintaining the cool temperature at
daytime.
- Certain organisms can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form that is usable
by other organisms. Corals can convert atmospheric carbon into shells and reefs.
Animals absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide.
- Organisms have always influenced climate. They co-evolved with the three other
subsystems and play a pivotal part in some of the major climatic changes in Earth’s
history.
 The first photosynthetic cyanobacteria oxygenated the atmosphere in the
Great Oxygenation Event. This particular event caused the extinction of
most of the anaerobic inhabitants on Earth that time.
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- Huronian Glaciation is the oldest and longest ice age humans have known about. It
occurred at a time when only unicellular life existed on Earth.
- This event followed the Great Oxygenation Event, a time when increased
atmospheric oxygen decreased atmospheric methane.
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C. CLIMATIC PHENOMENA ON A GLOBAL LEVEL

1. Types of World Climate
- Köppen Climate Classification System – is developed by Wladimir Peter
Köppen
- It is initially based on vegetation and soil patterns, and has since been modified to
include all climates.
- A, B, C, D, E symbolizes the five major climates.
- f, m, s, w symbolizes the seasonal temperature and precipitation.
- Some subdivisions are for extremely specific climates that are not widespread such
as S, W, T, and F.
- Specific climate variations require a third lowercase letter. The third letter is related
to temperature variations and allows complete description of climate types B, C,
and D.
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- Low-latitude Climates (Group I) are formed by converging trade winds around

the equator, leading to tropical air masses.
- Mid-latitude Climates (Group II) are formed by converging tropical and polar air
masses.
- High-latitude Climates (Group III) are dominated by polar and arctic air masses.
These climates are exclusive to the northern hemisphere.

2. Changes in World Climate

A. Paleoclimates
- Paleoclimates offer glimpses into their origin, and what caused them to eventually
change. They can determine what magnitude of change is possible, and at what
rates, and extrapolate these into future scenarios.
- Paleoclimates always leaves traces which are recorded in various mediums. These
include:
 The stratigraphic record – some sedimentary processes are dictated by the
climate where they occur. For example, glacial till at an area without
glaciers suggests that glaciers once extended into that part of the world.
Glacial till is composed of unconsolidated sediments which are eroded and
incorporated by a moving glacier.

 Paleontological evidence – organisms (and therefore, their fossils) live in

certain climates to which they are adapted. The best climate indicator is
microplankton, whose species depend on water temperature.
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 Oxygen-isotope ratios – bubbles frozen in glacial ice and the shells of

plankton record the atmosphere where they formed. The ratio of oxygen
isotopes O-18 to O-16 indicates the air temperature.

 Growth rings – growth rings indicate the age of a tree or shells. They grow
thicker during warm, wet years, and provide an indicator for paleoclimate.
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3. Long Term climate

- Extremely warm periods are known as greenhouse or hothouse periods while the
opposite is known as icehouse periods.
- Factors that affect major fluctuations in temperature and precipitation are the
following:
 Positions of continents and continental drift dictate ocean current patterns, and
changes the latitude of landmasses. Collisions form mountain ranges and plate
interiors.
 Volcanism increases the concentration of the atmosphere’s greenhouse gases
over time, causing global warming.
 Uplift exposes certain elements to weathering (such as CO2). Large uplift
events can disrupt atmosphere circulation and form highland climates.
 Life evolution which refers to the extinction or appearance of certain organisms
has led to great climate upheavals as discussed earlier. Organisms also store
carbon in the formation of fossil fuels.
 Mass-extinction events where large numbers of species die in a short time
period can indicate a sudden and violent change in climate, with long lasting
effects.
4. Short Term Climate Change
- Factors that affect short-term climate change are the following:
 Solar fluctuations affect the amount of energy the Earth receives. Sunspots
appear on the sun every 9 to 11 years, releasing larger amounts of radiation.
Climate is affected by the energy input.
 Milankovitch Cycles refer to changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis, the
precession cycle, and the eccentricity of the orbit. These cycles cause variations
in atmospheric and ocean temperatures, and are associated with the Ice Ages.
 Plinian eruptions release a large volume of ash into the atmosphere. This can
stay for up to a year, and cause global temperatures to cool down.
 Ocean currents are easily changed (for example by the mixing or glacial water),
which causes the climate to subsequently change.
 Albedo is the amount of solar radiation reflected by the surface. Large-scale
changes in land cover, especially of snow and ice, affect the planet’s energy
input.
5. Evidences and Effects of Global Warming
 Large ice shelves in Antarctica and Canada are observed to be breaking apart.
Greenland’s ice sheet is melting quickly.
 Arctic sea ice has been retreating every year. In addition, mountain glaciers
worldwide have been rapidly retreating.
 Organisms such as maple trees are also beginning to respond to the warming
climate. Warmer weather lessens the sugar content of the maple tree’s sap.
 Permafrost has been observed disappearing. Permafrost is the ground layer that
remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, which is usually found in high
latitude areas.
- Models predict that by 2150, global temperatures will have risen by 5 to 11 °C.
Certain phenomena as a result of this are more likely to occur. These include a shift
in climate belts, rise of the snow line in mountains, stronger storms, rising sea
levels, increased wildfires, and a change in ocean currents.
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Prepared by: Checked by: Noted and Approved by:

Ms. Marie Rose I. Daños Ms. Valentina Villa Mrs. Margaret Tan Bueno, MAEd.
Subject Teacher JHS Principal President and School Directress