CLIMATE

Climate is the long-term pattern

of weather in a particular
area. Weather can change from hour-to-
hour, day-to-day, month-to-month or
even year-to-year. A region’s weather
patterns, usually tracked for at least 30
years, are considered its climate.
 CLIMATE SYSTEM
• Different parts of the world have
different climates. Some parts of the world are
hot and rainy nearly every day. They have
a tropical wet climate. Others are cold and
snow-covered most of the year. They have
a polar climate. Between the icy poles and the
steamy tropics are many other climates that
contribute to
Earth’s biodiversity and geologic heritage.
 CLIMATE SYSTEM
• Climate is determined by
a region’s climate system.

• A climate system has five major

components: the atmosphere,
the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the
land surface, and the biosphere.
 ATMOSPHERE
• The atmosphere is the most variable
part of the climate system. The
composition and movement
of gases surrounding the Earth can
change radically, influenced by natural
and human-made factors.
 HYDROSPHERE
• Changes to the hydrosphere,
which
include variations in temperature
and salinity, occur at much
slower rates than changes to
the atmosphere.
 CRYOSPHERE
• The cryosphere is another generally consistent
part of the climate system. Ice
sheets and glaciers reflect sunlight, and
the thermal conductivity of ice
and permafrost profoundly influences temperat
ure.

• The cryosphere also helps

regulate thermohaline circulation. This “ocean
conveyor belt” has
an enormous influence on marine ecosystems
and biodiversity.
 TOPOGRAPHY
• Topography and vegetation influenc
e climate by helping determine how
the Sun’s energy is used on Earth.

• The abundance of plants and the

type of land cover (such
as soil, sand, or asphalt)
impacts evaporation and ambient
temperature.
 BIOSPHERE
• The biosphere, the sum of living things on Earth,
profoundly influences climate.

• Through photosynthesis, plants help regulate the flow

of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Forests and
oceans serve as “carbon sinks” that have a cooling
impact on climate.

• Living organisms alter the landscape, through both

natural growth and created structures such
as burrows, dams, and mounds. These
altered landscapes can influence weather patterns
such as wind, erosion, and even temperature.
 CLIMATE FEATURES
• The most familiar features of
a region’s climate are probably
average temperature and precipitation. Changes
in day-to-day, day-to-night,
and seasonal variations also help determine
specific climates.

• Climate features also

include windiness, humidity, cloud
cover, atmospheric pressure, and fogginess.
 CLIMATE FEATURES
• Latitude plays a huge factor in
determining climate. Landscape can also help
define regional climate.
A region’s elevation, proximity to the ocean
or freshwater, and land-use patterns can all
impact climate.

• All climates are the product of many factors,

including latitude, elevation, topography,
distance from the ocean, and location on
a continent.
 CLIMATE FEATURES
The rainy, tropical climate of West Africa, for
example, is influenced by the region’s
location near the Equator (latitude) and its
position on the western side of the continent.
The area receives direct sunlight year-
round, and sits at an area called the
intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ,
pronounced “itch”), where moist trade
winds meet. As a result,
the region’s climate is warm and rainy.
 MICROCLIMATE
• Of course, no climate is uniform. Small variations,
called microclimates, exist in
every climate region. Microclimates are
largely influenced by topographic features such as
lakes, vegetation, and cities.

• In large urban areas, for example, streets and buildings

absorb heat from the Sun, raising the
average temperature of the city higher than
average temperatures of more open areas nearby. This
is known as the “urban heat island effect.”
 CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION
• In 1948, American climatologist Charles Thornthwaite
developed a climate classification system that scientists
still use today.

• Thornthwaite’s system relies on a region’s water

budget and potential
evapotranspiration. Potential evapotranspiration describ
es the amount of water evaporated from a vegetated
piece of land. Indices such
as humidity and precipitation help determine
a region’s moisture index. The lower its moisture
index value, the more arid a region’s climate.
 CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION

• The major classifications in

Thornthwaite’s climate classification
are microthermal, mesothermal,
and mega thermal.
 MICROTHERMAL
• Microthermal climates are characterized
by cold winters and
low potential evapotranspiration.

• A microthermal climate may include

the temperate climate of Boston,
Massachusetts; the coniferous forests of
southern Scandinavia; and the
boreal ecosystem of northern Siberia.
 MESOTHERMAL
• Mesothermal regions have
moderate climates. They are
not cold enough to sustain a
layer of winter snow, but are
also not remain warm enough
to support flowering plants
(and, thus, evapotranspiration)
all year.
 MEGA THERMAL
• Mega thermal climates are hot and
humid. These regions have a
high moisture index and support
rich vegetation all year. Mega
thermal climates include the
Amazon Basin; many islands in
Southeast Asia, such as New Guinea
and the Philippines; and the
Congo Basin in Africa.
 KÖPPEN CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM
• The most popular system
of classifying climates was proposed in 1900
by Russian-German scientist Wladimir
Köppen.

• Köppen observed that the type

of vegetation in a region depended largely
on climate. Studying vegetation, temperature,
and precipitation data, he and other scientists
developed a system for
naming climate regions.
 KÖPPEN CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM
• According to the
Köppen climate classification
system, there are five climate
groups: tropical, dry,
mild, continental, and polar.
These climate groups are
further divided into climate
types.
 TROPICAL
1. Wet (rainforest)
2. Monsoon
3. Wet and dry (savanna)
 DRY
1. Arid
2. Semiarid
 MILD
1. Mediterranean
2. Humid subtropical
3. Marine
CONTINENTAL
1. Warm summer
2. Cool summer
3. Subarctic (boreal)
 POLAR
1. Tundra
2. Ice cap
TROPICAL CLIMATES

There are three climate

types in the tropical group:
tropical wet; tropical
monsoon; and tropical wet
and dry.
 TROPICAL WET: RAINFORESTS
• Places with a tropical wet climate are also known
as rainforests.

• These equatorial regions have the most predictable weather on

Earth, with warm temperatures and regular rainfall. Annual
rainfall exceeds 150 centimeters (59 inches), and
the temperature varies more during a day than it does over a
year.

• The coolest temperatures, about 20° to 23° Celsius (68°-73°

Fahrenheit), occurs just before dawn.
Afternoon temperatures usually reach 30° to 33° Celsius (86°-
91° Fahrenheit).

• Rainforests experience very little seasonal change, meaning

average monthly temperatures remain fairly constant
throughout the year.
 TROPICAL WET: RAINFORESTS
• Tropical wet climates exist in a band
extending about 10° of latitude on either
side of the Equator. This part of the
globe is always under the influence of
the intertropical convergence zone. The
ITCZ follows a pendulum-like path
during the course of a year, moving back
and forth across the Equator with the
seasons. It moves north during summer
in the Northern Hemisphere, and south
during the northern winter.
 TROPICAL WET: RAINFORESTS
• Some tropical wet climates are
wet throughout the year. Others
experience more rainfall during the
summer or winter, but they never
have especially dry seasons. The
U.S. state of Hawaii; Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia; and Belém,
Brazil, are examples of areas
with tropical wet climates.
 TROPICAL MONSOON
• Tropical monsoon climates are
most found in southern Asia and
West Africa. A monsoon is
a wind system that reverses its
direction every six
months. Monsoons usually flow
from sea to land in the summer,
and from land to sea in the
winter.
 TROPICAL MONSOON
• Summer monsoons bring large
amounts of rainfall to
tropical monsoon regions.
People living in
these regions depend on
the seasonal rains to bring water
to their crops. India and
Bangladesh are famous for
their monsoon climate patterns.
TROPICAL WET AND DRY: SAVANNA
•Tropical wet and dry
climates are sometimes
called
“savanna” climates after
the grassland ecosystem
defined by wet
and dry periods.
TROPICAL WET AND DRY: SAVANNA
• Tropical wet and dry climates sit just
outside the ITCZ, near the Equator.
They have three seasons. One
season is cool and dry—when the
warm, moist ITCZ is in the opposite
hemisphere. Another season is hot
and dry as the ITCZ approaches. The
last season is hot and wet as the ITCZ
arrives and the region experiences
months as a tropical wet climate.
TROPICAL WET AND DRY: SAVANNA
• Life in these tropical wet
and dry regions depends on the wet
season’s rains. During years when
rains are light, people and animals
suffer through drought. During
especially rainy years, regions may
experience flooding. Havana, Cuba;
Kolkata, India; and Africa’s vast
Serengeti Plain are in the wet
and dry tropics.
 DRY CLIMATES
Regions lying within
the dry climate group occur
where precipitation is low. There are
two dry climate types: arid and
semiarid. Most arid climates receive
10 to 30 centimeters (four to 12
inches) of rain each year, and semiarid
climates receive enough to support
extensive grasslands.
ARID AND SEMIARID CLIMATES
• Temperatures in
both arid and semiarid climates show
large daily and seasonal variations.
The hottest spots in the world are
in arid climates. The temperature in
the arid Death Valley National Park,
California, U.S., reached 56.7° Celsius
(134° Fahrenheit) on July 10, 1913—
the highest temperature ever
recorded.
ARID AND SEMIARID CLIMATES
•

Arid and semiarid climates can

occur where the movement of
warm, moist air is blocked by
mountains. Denver, Colorado, just
east of the U.S. section of the
Rocky Mountains, has this type
of dry climate, known as a “rain
shadow.”
 MILD CLIMATES
Regions with mild and continental
climates are also
called temperate regions.
Both climate types have distinct
cold seasons. In these parts of the
world, climate is influenced mostly
by latitude and a region’s position
on the continent.
 MEDITERRANEAN
• Mediterranean climates have warm
summers and short, mild, rainy
winters. Mediterranean climates are
found on the west coasts
of continents between 30° and
40° latitude, and along the shores of
the Mediterranean Sea.

• Mediterranean summers feature clear

skies, cool nights, and little rain.
 HUMID SUBTROPICAL
• Humid subtropical climates are usually
found on the eastern sides of continents. In
cities such as Savannah, Georgia, in the
U.S.; Shanghai, China; and Sydney,
Australia, summers are hot and humid.
Winter can be severely
cold. Precipitation is spread evenly through
the year and totals 76 to 165 centimeters
(30-65 inches).

• Hurricanes and other violent storms are

common in these regions.
 MARINE WESTCOAST
• Weather on both sides of
a continent generally becomes cooler
as latitude increases.

• The marine west coast climate, a type

of mild climate typical of cities such as Seattle,
Washington, in the U.S. and Wellington, New
Zealand, has a longer, cooler winter than
the Mediterranean climate. Drizzle falls about
two-thirds of winter days,
and temperatures average about 5° Celsius
(41° Fahrenheit).
CONTINENTAL CLIMATES
• Areas
with continental climates have
colder winters, longer-lasting snow,
and shorter growing seasons. They
are the transition zones between
mild and polar climates.

• Continental climates experience

extreme seasonal changes.
 CONTINENTAL CLIMATES

• The range
of weather in continental climate regions mak
es them among the most spectacular sites
for weather phenomena. In autumn, for
instance, vast forests put on their annual
show of brilliant color before shedding their
leaves as winter approaches.

• Thunderstorms and tornadoes, among the

most powerful forces in nature, form mostly
in continental climates.
 WARM SUMMER
• Warm summer climate regions often
have wet summer seasons, similar
to monsoon climates. For this reason,
this climate type is also called humid
continental.

• Most of Eastern Europe, including

Romania and Georgia, has warm
summer climates.
 COOL SUMMER
• Cool summer climates have winters
with low temperatures and snow.
Cold winds, sweeping in from
the Arctic, dominate winter weather.

• People living in these climates have

grown accustomed to the
harsh weather, but those unprepared
for such cold may suffer.
 SUBARCTIC
• North of regions with cool
summer climates are regions with sub
arctic climates.

• These regions, including

northern Scandinavia and Siberia,
experience very long, cold winters with
little precipitation.

• Subarctic climates are also called boreal

climates or taiga.
 POLAR CLIMATES

The two polar climate types,

tundra and ice cap, lie within
the Arctic and Antarctic
Circles near the North and
South Poles.
 TUNDRA
• In tundra climates, summers are short, but
plants and animals are
plentiful. Temperatures can average as high
as 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit) in July.
Wildflowers dot the landscape, and flocks of
migratory birds feed on insects and fish.

• Whales feed on microscopic creatures in

the region’s cold, nutrient-rich waters.

• People have adapted to life on the tundra for

thousands of years.
 ICE CAP
• Few organisms survive in the ice cap
climates of the Arctic and
Antarctic. Temperatures rarely rise above
freezing, even in summer. The ever-
present ice helps keep the weather cold by
reflecting most of the Sun’s energy back
into the atmosphere. Skies are mostly clear
and precipitation is low. In fact, Antarctica,
covered by an ice cap 1.6-kilometers (one-
mile) thick, is one of the largest,
driest deserts on Earth.
 INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE
• The enormous variety of life on Earth is largely
due to the variety of climates that exist and
the climate changes that have occurred in the
past.

• Climate has influenced the development

of cultures and civilizations. People everywhere
have adapted in various ways to the climates in
which they live.
 CLOTHING
• Clothing, for example,
is influenced by climate. Indigenous Arctic
cultures of Europe, Asia, and North America, for
example, developed warm, durable, fur and
animal-skin clothing. This clothing was necessary
for survival in the icy climate near the North Pole.

Many parkas worn by Arctic peoples are not

only insulated, but waterproof. This combats both
the frigid temperatures and precipitation found
in polar climates.
 CLOTHING
• Lightweight, papery tapa cloth, on the other
hand, is part of many cultures in the warm,
humid climates of Polynesia, in the South
Pacific.
• Tapa cloth was traditionally made from dried
leaves, coconut fibers, and breadfruit
bark. Tapa cloth is delicate and loses
strength when wet, which would be deadly
near the poles but only inconvenient near
the Equator.
 SHELTER
• Climate also influences how
civilizations construct housing. For
instance, the ancient Anasazi people
of southern North America built
apartments into tall cliffs. The
sheltered, shady area kept residents
cool in the hot, dry desert climate.
 SHELTER
• The yurt is a part of the identity of
many cultures across the windy,
semiarid steppe of Central Asia. Yurts are a type
of original “mobile home,” a portable, circular
dwelling made of a lattice of flexible poles and
covered in felt or other fabric. Yurts protect
residents from fierce winds, and their portability
makes them an ideal structure for nomadic and
seminomadic herding cultures on the grassland.
 AGRICULTURE
• The development of agriculture was very
dependent
on climate. Ancient agricultural civilizations,
such as those in Mesopotamia and
India, flourished where the climate was mild.
Communities could grow crops every
season, and experiment with different types
of crops, livestock, and farming techniques.
 AGRICULTURE
The mild, Mediterranean climate in
which the Roman Empire
developed, for instance, allowed
farmers to cultivate crops, such as
wheat, olives, grapes, barley, and
figs. Livestock included cattle,
sheep, goats, pigs, and even
honeybees.
 AGRICULTURE
Like the ancient Romans, ancient cultures of
the Amazon Basin in South America were
also able to develop agricultural practices.
The chief domesticated trees in the Amazon
were mostly harvested for food and medicine:
Brazil nuts, Inga ynga fruit (commonly known
as “ice-cream beans”), Amazon tree grapes,
abiu (another tropical fruit), and cacao fruits
(whose seeds are known as cocoa beans).
 AGRICULTURE
Today, farmers are still in tune with
the climate. They plant
certain crops according to the expected
amount of rainfall and the length of
the growing season. When
the weather does not follow the
typical climate pattern, it can mean hard
times for farmers and higher food costs
for consumers.
 CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate changes happen slowly over
hundreds or even thousands of years.
For example, periodic glacial
periods have covered large portions of
Earth with ice caps.
Some paleoclimatology evidence shows
that the Sahara Desert was once
covered by plants and lakes during a
warm “wet age.”
 CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change can happen for many reasons.
The movement of tectonic plates, volcanic
activity, and the tilt of Earth’s axis all have
effects on climate. For example, after
the eruption of the island volcano of Krakatoa,
Indonesia, in 1883, winters and even summers
in Asia and Europe were colder and
darker. Volcanic ash blocked the sun. Farmers
had to adjust to shorter, weaker growing
seasons. Climates around the world were
changed for years.
 CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change can
be mitigated through reducing
greenhouse-gas emissions. This can
mean investing in new technologies,
relying more on renewable
energy sources, making older
equipment more energy-efficient, or
changing consumer behavior.
Thunderstorms
Requires a mature cumulonimbus
cloud

Signs
a. Sudden reversal of wind
direction
b. Noticeable increase in wind
speed
 Thunderstorms
Possible weather:
a. heavy rains (flash floods)
b. lightning (forest fires)
c. thunder (frightens animals)
d. hail (crop damage)
e. tornadoes
f. strong, gusty winds
Thunderstorm by Brainpop
Safety Rules
⚫ Stay indoors
⚫ Prepare for lightning, strong winds
⚫ Listen on radio/TV for tornado
watch/warning
⚫ Thunderstorms don’t last long
Lightning Storm
Cumulonimbus cloud becomes electrically
charged and ground below has opposite
charge
Lightning stroke: flow of current thru air (a
poor conductor) from the – to the +
Lightning can flow from cloud to ground,
cloud to cloud, and from ground to cloud
Bright light is caused by glowing air
molecules heated by the current
Lightning follows the path of least
resistance (easiest way to positive)
Lightning rod offers lightning an easy, safe
path to the ground (+)
Thunder is the shock wave caused by the
explosive expansion of heated air
Sound travels @ about 1100 ft/sec in air
5,280 ft in one mile
Distance from you to lightning = number
of seconds between seeing the flash and
hearing the thunder divided by 5.
(5,280 ft / 1100 ft/sec = 5 seconds)
Types of Lightning
Streak or bolt
a. Single or branched lines of light
b. Common in Puget Sound area
Sheet
a. shapeless flash over wide area
b. is cloud-to-cloud bolt hidden by the
clouds
c. common in Puget Sound area
Other types of lightning

a. heat, ribbon, beaded (types of bolt)

b. ball (only other shape lightning can have)
Safety rules for lightning storms
⚫ Stay indoors
⚫ Stay away from anything that conducts
electricity (stove, sink, telephone, TV)
⚫ Get out of the water and off of small boats
⚫ Stay away from open doors, windows, fireplaces
⚫ Stay in your car (very safe place to be)
⚫ Don’t stand under lone trees or in open places
⚫ Avoid hilltops
⚫ If your hair stands on end, or your skin tingles,
drop to the ground but try to keep as little
contact with the ground as possible
 Lightning Strikes
(17 minutes)
Stories of people hit by lightning
Tornado (a.k.a twister, cyclone)
⚫ Counterclockwise column of rotating air
extending from cumulonimbus cloud
⚫ Per square foot, is the most destructive
atmospheric event
⚫ Rated by wind speed (F1 to F5)
⚫ “Tornado season” = April, May, June
⚫ Tornadoes that form over water are called
“waterspouts”
 Behavior of a tornado is unpredictable
Typical tornado will:
1. Occur between 3-7 pm
2. Travel 4 miles
3. Be 300-400 m wide
4. Travel 25-40 mi/hour
5. Have wind speeds up to 300 mi/hr
6. Produce extremely low pressure
7. Be dark due to debris picked up
Tornado by Brainpop
Safety Rules
⚫ Rule #1: Take immediate action!
⚫ Move away from tornado’s path

Tornado’s path

Move away at a right angle

Lie flat in nearest ditch, etc.
At home
a. open windows, doors
b. seek shelter in basement or under heavy
table in middle of house

On the trail of a tornado

Tropical Cyclone
Nicknames
1. Atlantic: hurricane
2. SE Asia, Japan: typhoon
3. Australia: willy-willy
4. Indian Ocean: cyclone
Tropical Cyclone
Rated by wind speed (category 1 to 5)
Starts and grows over warm ocean water
Composed of bands of thunderstorms
spiraling counterclockwise around a low
pressure center
Characteristics
⚫ Several hundred miles wide
⚫ Last many days (even weeks)
⚫ Winds from 74-200 mi/hr
⚫ Contains an “eye” Hurricances by Brainpop

a. Small region of low pressure

b. Surrounded by highest winds
c. Calm, peaceful, sunny weather
d. Last for about 1 hour as hurricane passes by
Safety Rules
⚫ Prepare for high winds
⚫ Prepare for flooding (greatest source of
damage)
a. Up to 20 in. of rain
b. Flooding by coastal water
⚫ 3. Prepare for thunderstorms
⚫ 4. Have on hand stored food, water,
blankets, candles, matches, radio, etc.
⚫ 5. Seek shelter
Hurricanes Clip