What is climate?

• Climate – what is the weather generally like there?– Climate is weather over a long period of time

• What is the climate of Texas?

Siberia?

Sahara Desert?

Amazon Rainforest?

Chicago, Illinois?

There are three major climate zones and a number of sub-climate zones within each of the three.

In other words, the climate in Moscow is probably similar to the climate in Chicago, based on their latitudes.

Factors influencing climate

• 4 factors can influence climate– Latitude– Wind & ocean currents– Elevation– Topography

Polar Climates: Includes Sub-Arctic, Tundra, and Highlands

In the summer months, mosquitoes are a huge problem for man and animal alike.

SummerWinter

?

Temperate: Humid Continental: What is the weather like?

Warm summers and cold winters

What is the climate like in Chicago, Illinois?

In the summer?

In the winter?

Temperate

Climate zone: Humid Sub-Tropical

2010 rainfall

Hot summers, cool winters

Temperate

Climate Zone: Marine West Coast

Cool winters and warm summers

Why aren’t Seattle and London as cold as Chicago and Moscow, since all are along similar latitude lines?

Temperate

Seattle London

Note the warm currents that pass by northern Europe.

Warmer ocean currents moderate temperatures

The world’s best climate? Mediterranean

Warm days, cool nights. Think San Diego

Great climate for growing grapes and olives.

Temperate

Tropical: Wet and Dry

Danger at the waterhole in the dry season

A wet and dry season Tropical

Tropical: Wet

What important crop only grows here?

Cacao

Rainforest Tropical

Semi-Arid Climate Zones

Cold winters, hot summers, minimal rain (note lack of trees, yet tall grasses)

Can be in temperate or tropical zones

Arid Climate Zone: Dry deserts (less than 10” rain per year)

Mummies in the Atacama

Genius question: Where do you find some of the driest “deserts” on earth?

Much of the interior of Antarctica and Greenland experience very little, if any, rain. It does snow, but may never get above 32 degrees in the interior to melt the snow.

The coldest recorded temperature, ever?

Minus 128.6 degrees in Antarctica

Answer the questions on your “climate triangle.”

Use the climate map on page 60 and the world map on page A4 and A5.

Label the following cities on the wall map and match on your map.

Chicago Tokyo

New York City Jakarta (Indonesia)

Seattle Cape Town

Houston Kinshasa (Rep of

London Congo-Africa)

Montreal Caracas (Venez)

Rome Rio de Janeiro