Science Lesson 20 What Causes Climate?

Average weather pattern in an area over a long period of time; can be classified by temperature, humidity, precipitation, and vegetation. *The climate of Costa Rica includes tropical rain forests.

Climate conditions within a small area that differ from those in the surrounding area. *The surrounding mountains created a nicroclimate in the valley.

The area near the equator, between about 23.5° north latitude and 23.5° south latitude. *Seasonal variations in the tropical zone are very small.

The area near both poles from about 65.5° to 90 north and 66.5° to 90° south latitudes. *Summer days are very long in the polar zone.

The areas between the tropical and the polar zones, from about 23.5° to 66.5° north and 23.5° to 66.5° south latitudes. *The temperate zone is characterized by warm summers and cool winters.

The climate of some coastal regions with relatively warm winters and cool summers. *Areas with a marine climate typically have mild weather.

The climate of the centers of continents, with cold winters and warm or hot summers. *A continental climate has more extreme seasons than a marine climate.

The side of a mountain range that faces the oncoming wind. *The house on the windward side of the mountain was exposed to high winds.

The side of a mountain range that faces away from the upcoming wind. *The leeward side of the mountain was sheltered from the wind.

Sea or land breeze over a large region that changes direction with the seasons. *Monsoon winds affect the climate of a region.

•Identify factors that influence temperature and precipitation •Explain what causes the seasons

•Climate -Average, year-after-year conditions •Microclimate -Small areas with climate conditions that differ from those around it. •Latitude -Tropical Zone *23.5°N - 23.5°S -Temperate Zone *between tropical and polar -Polar Zone *66.5°N-90°N / 66.5°S-90°S •Altitude -For mountains, altitude is more important than latitude -Temperature decreases about 6.5°C/1 km •Distance from large bodies of water -Marine Climates *mild winters and cool summers -Continental Climates *more extreme temperatures: cold winters/ hot showers •Ocean currents -Gulf Stream flows to North Atlantic Drift

•Prevailing Winds -Move air masses •Mountain ranges -Windward *Side the wind hits -Leeward *downwind -Rain shadow *little precipitation •Seasonal winds -Monsoons *Sea and land breezes over a large region that change direction

•Tilted Axis -Seasons are caused by tilt of Earth's axis as Earth travels around the sun. -23.5° tilt •Effect of the tilted axis -Different amounts of direct sunlight makes surface temperature change through the year

Latitude, altitude, distance from large bodies or water, climate, microclimate and ocean currents affect temperature and prevailing winds, mountains, and seasonal winds affect precipitation.

The Earth is tilted at 23.5°.

The reason why there are no seasons near the Equator is because the sun is always striking and the temperatures are always high there.

The temperature is shown on a line graph while the rainfall is shown on a bar graph. you can put anything you would on a regular graph it would just be about rain and temperature.

Well world can separated into biomes each having it's own climate. But a biomes is a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna.

the location at the coast will be more moderate because of its warm ocean current. The one in the middle will have more extreme winter and not so extreme summers because of where it is from the ocean.

The plate above experiences 90 hits from the Sun's rays out of 100 when it is in Position A. How many hits might the same plate experience in Position B? a. 64 hits b. 90 hits c. 95 hits d. 100 hits

Of the plates listed, which will receive the highest number of hits from the Sun's rays when the Earth is positioned as shown above? a. Plate A b. Plate C c. Plate F d. Plate J

What season is it in the northern hemisphere in the diagram above? a. spring b. summer c. fall d. winter

d. top of the ears

At the moment depicted in the picture above, which plate is experiencing daytime during the winter? a. Plate C b. Plate E c. Plate I d. Plate K

Because the Earth tilts on its axis at 23.5° as it revolves around the sun. In March and September neither end of the axis is tilted toward the sun.

tilted

Which continent lies almost completely within a polar zone?

City A because as the air rises it cools and the water vapor condenses and make clouds that cause it rain or snow.

Which continent lies almost completely within the tropical zone?

Which zone is the tropical zone?

Northern

Give the names of the zones in which South America lies.

Which zones are Temperate Zones?

Which zones are polar zones?

True

False

b. the equator

c. biomes

c. mosoons

a. temperate zones

a. near the poles

a. temperature and precipitation

d. neither end of the Earth's axis is tilted toward the sun

True

a. a combination of longer days and more direct rays from the sun

False

True

True

c. continental climate