What is Climate?

Presentation by:

Graham Maybell and Brian Murphy

Definition of Climate

• Climate is derived from the Greek work of Klima: Inclination and referring specifically to the angle of inclination of the sun ray’s.

• Climate is defined as an area’s long-term weather patterns.

• Factors that influence climate include latitude; proximity to oceans or other large bodies of water

• Average temperature and precipitation can be used to describe.

Climatology

• Encompasses every aspect of the physical state of the atmosphere over certain periods of time.

• Climatologists attempt to predict future climates while figuring out past climates.

• Recorded radar is useful in determining clouds and precipitation. These records can help establish patterns of climate.

Climatologists Video

• http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=3D5DE890-84AF-403E-BC39-872E92FB46E2

Impacts on Biomes and Biodiversity

• Biomes are natural regions that share similar climate characteristics and plant and animal communities.

• The specific plants and animals in a given biome have adapted to historical climate conditions within that biome and live in balance with it.

• “Biodiversity” is often defined as the variety of all forms of life, from genes to species, through to the broad scale of ecosystems

• Climate affects both biomes and biodiversity because it causes plant and animal life to change completely to survive.

Wladimir Peter Köppen

• Born: September 25, 1846• Died: June 22, 1940• He studied the upper atmosphere using

balloons. • German climatologist who was responsible for

founding the Koppen Classification System.

Koppen Classification System

Alfred Lothar Wegener

• Alfred Wegener was born on November 1, 1880 in Germany.

• He traveled to Greenland and studied polar air currents.

• Joined World War 1 and was in weather service for German army.

• First person to come with idea of continental drift.

• Died in 1930 in Greenland.

Lorin Blodget

• Born: 1823  • Died: 1901• Blodget's early career was laced with controversy due to

personal problems with his superiors, but finished his career as one of the most astute observers of weather phenomena.

• He prepared climatological tables for the Seventh U.S Census.

• He contributed to the new field of meteorology by reading several different papers on atmospheric physics.

• Lorin left the field of Science in 1863 and moved to the department of treasury.

James Croll

• Began to work on the origin of the Ice Age. He did not agree with the prevailing altitude.

• Override the theory that force changed climate.

• Creating the Ice Age on Earth was the variation in insolation (in coming solar radiation.)

Works Cited

Record Citation: Allaby, Michael. "climatology." Encyclopedia of Weather and Climate, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= EWCR0145&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 19, 2009).

Record Citation: Rittner, Don. "Croll, James." A to Z of Scientists in Weather and Climate. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= AZWC0028&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 19, 2009).

Record Citation: Rittner, Don. "Blodget, Lorin." A to Z of Scientists in Weather and Climate. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= AZWC0016&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 19, 2009).

Record Citation: Charton, Barbara. "Wegener, Alfred Lothar." A to Z of Marine Scientists. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= AZMS0144&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 19, 2009).

Record Citation: Smith, Jacqueline. "Köppen climate classification." The Facts On File Dictionary of Weather and Climate, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2006. Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin= DWCR0916&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 19, 2009).