WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN:CLIMATE AND LATITUDE?

AVERAGE TEMP. IN JANUARY

AVERAGE TEMP. IN JULY

TEMP DIFFERENCE(HIGHEST TEMP. - LOWEST TEMP.)

# OF DEGREES LATITUDE FROM EQUATOR

(CHECK THE ATLAS)Quito, Equador

27oC 22oC 5oC 0

Wellington, New Zealand

19oC 10oC 9oC 41

Mexico City, Mexico

22oC 21oC 1oC 19

Colombo, Sri Lanka

27oC 27oC 0oC 6

Stockholm, Sweden

-1oC 19oC 20oC 59

Ottawa, Canada

-10.7oC 20.8oC 31.5oC 45

Toronto, Canada

-4.5oC 22.1oC 26.6oC 43

Vancouver, Canada

3oC 17.2oC 14.2oC 49

1. Plot a graph of Latitude (X axis) vs. Temp. Difference (Y Axis) on graph paper.

2. What is the general relationship between a city’s temperature range between January and July and its latitude? Explain why this is true.

The greater the distance from the equator, the more the temperature varies over the year. This is because the equator receives more constant direct rays of light from the sun.

0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

0 15.00 30.00 45.00 60.00

Latitude vs. Temperature Difference

Tem

p. D

iffer

ence

(oC

)

Latitude (degrees)

AIR MASSES, OCEAN CURRENTS, AND PREVAILING WINDS

1. Use shading and arrows to indicate the source region and the regions affected by AIR MASSES over North America (see page 147).

2. Draw, label and describe the temperature and moisture content of the AIR MASSES affecting North America in the table below.

Air Mass

Source (where does the air mass begin)

Characteristics (warm, hot, cool, cold, dry, moist)

Region Affected

cANorthern Canada dry, very cold Central Canada

mTPacific OceanGulf of Mexico

wet, hot Western USASoutheastern USA

mPthe Pacific Oceanthe Atlantic Ocean

wet, cold Western CanadaEastern Canada

cTSouthwestern USA dry, hot Central USA

CGC1D: Explaining the Factors Affecting ClimateDirections: Look at the following diagrams and answer the questions. Use your notes if needed. WRITE IN FULL SENTENCES.

Latitude How would the average temperature at ‘a’ be different than at ‘b’?- b would be warmer than a

Why is there a difference?- near the equator, the sun’s rays are more direct and therefore it’s warmer

Ocean Currents and Air Masses

How would the air around ‘a’ be different than the air around ‘b’? - a would be colder than b, a would be drier than b

Why is there a difference?- a is closer to a cold ocean current, so the air above it and going

on land would be cold too (and would have less ability to hold moisture)

- the opposite is true for b

Elevation

Would ‘a’ or ‘b’ have a lower temperature? - bWhy? - as air rises, it expands (because of lower air pressure) and cools

Is the dewpoint more likely be at ‘a’ or ‘b’? b

Relief Would ‘a’ or ‘b’ experience more precipitation? - aWhy? - a is closer to the water (air rises, expands because of low pressure and cools and cannot hold moisture so it rains/snows)- at b, the air would have released its moisture and any moisture left over would be turned back into vapour as the air heats up again

Near Water Would ‘a’ or ‘b’ have a continental or a maritime climate? Why? - a: continental (far from water)- b: maritime (closer to water)- water holds the heat it gained in the summer over the winter so

b’s winters are warmer- water takes longer to warm up, so b’s summers are cooler- air masses going over water absorb the moisture which is why b

would have more precipitation as well

Hand this in when you are finished.

a

b

water body

THE MONOGRAPH 1. Why is Windsor warmer than Toronto?- Windsor is more southern-since Windsor is near more lakes, it may be warmer in the winter

2. Why does Vancouver have a moderated climate?- by the Pacific Ocean: water absorbs heat in the summer and gives off heat in the winter

3.Why does Vancouver receive more precipitation than Calgary?- Vancouver is closer to water and receives relief precipitation vs. Calgary which in the rain shadow and not near water

4. Why is Kamloops colder than Calgary even though Kamloops is further south?

- Kamloops is in the mountains and as air rises, it cools -in the summer it may be cooler because it’s near the ocean

5. Why does Halifax receive so much precipitation? (Hint: Think about the effect of the Gulf Stream)?- when the warm Gulf Stream (warm air) meets with the cool Labrador Current (with cool air) and you get condensation and fog/rain

Using what you know about factors that affect climate (LOWER Near Water) fill in the following charts.

TEMPERATURE

PRECIPITATION

CGC1D/P

FACTORS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE SUMMARY

What Climate Factors affect TEMPERATURE?

Latitude: being closer to the equator is warmer because you get rays of sun that are more concentrated and direct

Ocean Currents: Yes: If a place is near a cool ocean current, the air above it will be cooler and the land will also be cool.

Wind and Air Masses: Wind – Chinook: Warm wind; Sea breezes: (cool off the water)Air masses: Air masses that form over warm areas are going to be warm. Elevation: The higher you go the colder the air is. As air rises, it expands and cools.Relief: The higher you go the colder the air is. As air rises, it expands and cools.Near Water: Places near water have warmer winters, cooler summers (water retains heat)

What Climate Factors affect PRECIPITATION?

Latitude: Tropical areas have high evaporation = high precipitation

Ocean Currents: warm air masses form over warm ocean currents (same for cool) and affect the land near itWind Winds cause moist air masses to flow to the land and Air Masses: Hot air masses can hold more moisture.

Elevation: The higher you are, the cooler it is and it rains or snows because the air can’t hold moisture.

Relief: The higher you are, the cooler it is and it rains or snows because the air can’t hold moisture. Near Water: Yes: If a place is closer to water, you get more precipitation (air masses will absorb moisture from the water and drop it on land).