Weather

 Itrefers to the day-to-day temperature

and precipitation activity in the
atmosphere
 The interactions of air, water and solar
energy in a specific period of time
 Meteorology – the study of weather patters
Weather
 It includes:
 Sunshine, rain, cloud cover, winds,
hail, snow, flooding, blizzards, ice
storms, thunderstorms, heat waves
and more.
Climate
 The average of all weather
conditions of an area over a long
period of time.
 Itincludes average temperature,
air pressure, humidity and days of
sunshine for a period of 30 years.
 the science that deals with the phen
omena of climates or climatic
conditions - Climatology
Atmospheric Temperature

 The measure of hotness or coldness

at different levels of the earth’s
atmosphere
 Factors that affect temperature:
 Solar radiation, humidity, and
altitude
Humidity
 Temperature that affects the
moisture in the atmosphere
 Relativehumidity – the amount of
water vapor in the air at any given
time that is usually less than that is
required to saturate the air.
Wind
 Formed as a result of spatial differences
in atmospheric pressure
 Wind is the air flowing from high
pressure to lower pressure, air in motion.
 Wind Speed – the velocity attained by a
mass of air traveling horizontally
Branches of Climatology
Paleoclimatology – the study of ancient
climates
Paleotempestology – the study of past
tropical cyclone
Historical climatology – study of
historical changes in climate and their
effect on human history and
development
 Quantitative Classification:
Köppen System
 Developed first world “climate
classification” in the 1870s
 Hierarchical scheme
 Based on monthly data:
 Temperature

 Precipitation
Wladimer Köppen
 Corresponds with biomes (1846-1940)
Climate Classification Purpose
 Simplify the complexities that comprise the climate
system
 Summarize climate information
 Schemes minimize the within group variability and
maximize the between group variability
 Alllocations within a group are very similar to one
another, but different from other groups
 Long-term shifts in climate boundaries
 Climate variability
 Biophysical impacts
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE
LATITUDE
The geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position
of a point on the surface of the earth.
It is an angle which ranges from 0˚ at the Equator to 90˚ (North
or South) at the poles.
It dictates the intensity and duration of sun exposure to the Earth.
Generally, the farther away from the equator the region can be
found, the lesser the energy that reaches the ground in any point
in time.
There are three climatic zones with respect to latitude: Arctic,
Tropic, and Temperate
 Tropical Zone – region between 23.5º north and 23.5º
south of the equator; sun’s rays are most intense;
generally warm year-round.

 Temperate Zone – region located between 23.5º and

66.5º north and south of the equator; sun’s rays strike
Earth at a smaller angle; hot summers and cold winters.

 Polar Zone – the region between 66.5º north and south of

the equator and the poles; sun’s rays strike at a very low
angle; experience cold temperatures year-round.
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE
WINDS
Global winds are another factor that influences climate
because they distribute heat and moisture around Earth
Winds are constantly moving warm air toward the poles
and cool air toward the equator
The low-pressure zones at the equator and subpolar
regions lead to the formation of clouds and precipitation
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE
ELEVATION

 Air temperature decreases with elevation by an

average of ~6.5º every 1000 meters
 The higher the elevation is, the colder the climate
 The elevation of an area also determines the amount
of precipitation it receives
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE
RELIEF

Relief refers to the shape of the land’s surface.

Topographic features such as mountains play an
important role in the amount of precipitation that falls
over an area
FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE
PROXIMITY TO WATER
Large bodies of water such as lakes and oceans have an
important effect on the temperature of an area because
the temperature of the water body influences the
temperature of the air above it
Places downwind of a large body of water generally
have cooler summers and milder winters than places at
the same latitude that are farther inland
The resulting uneven heating of the air creates small
areas of heat circulation called convective currents.
 GLOBAL CLIMATE
CHANGE PHENOMENON
 CLIMATE CHANGE
Refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an
extended period of time.

 GLOBAL WARMING
Refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near
Earth’s surface.
Certain gases in the atmosphere block heat from
escaping. There are five gases responsible for
99.5% of the greenhouse effect:
Water Vapor (
Carbon dioxide (
Methane (
Nitrous Oxide (
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
Water Vapor (
 Is the most prevalent of the GHG.
 It is considered as a natural greenhouse gas and acts as a
feedback to the climate.
Carbon dioxide (
 Is a naturally occurring chemical compound that is
released through natural processes such as respiration
and volcanic eruptions.
 Unfortunately, due to industrialization and rapid
population growth, world forests are depleted.
Methane (

 Is a hydrocarbon gas produced through natural

sources and human activities.
 It is produced by rice cultivation, cattle and sheep
ranching, and by decaying materials in landfill.
 Coal mining, oil drilling, and leaky gas pipelines also
emit this natural gas.
Nitrous Oxide (

 Commonly known as laughing gas, this chemical

compound is used as oxidizer in rocketry and in
motor racing to increase the power outputs of
engines.
 Globally, about 40% of total emissions come from
human activities such as fossil fuel combustion,
waste water management, and industrial processes.
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
 Is an organic compound that contains carbon,
chlorine, and fluorine produced as a volatile
derivative of methane and ethane.
 CFCs were developed back in the 1930s as safe,
nontoxic alternative to ammonia as refrigerants and
spray are propellants. Chlorine, an active substance
in this compound, was introduced to the ozone layer
that unfortunately led to the depletion of the latter.
 Impacts and Threats

Rising Temperature
Shrinking Ice Sheets
Sea-level Rise
Biodiversity Depletion
Ocean Acidification