Weather vs Climate
Weather is the day to day condition of the atmosphere (short term)
Climate is the average weather taken over many years (long term)
What Affects the Climate
• Latitude: places near the equator are hotter than
places near the poles due to the angle of the sun
• Distance from the sea: places near the sea are cooler
during summer and warmer during the winter than
places inland (water takes longer to heat and cool
down than solids)
• Prevailing winds: the direction that the wind is
blowing (cool weather if blows over cool surfaces,
warm weather if blows over warm surfaces, wet
weather if blows over sea areas, dry weather if blows
over land)
• Relief: relief is how high a place is, mountains have
lower temperatures and more rain than lower places
Britain's Climate
• Britain has cool summers because it is far
from the equator, is cooled by the sea and
the prevailing winds are from the sea
• Britain has mild winters because of the
warming effect of the sea and the
prevailing winds from the sea
• Britain has rain year round because of the
prevailing wind from the sea
• Lie between 40 degrees and
Other Places With 60 degrees north or south
Similar Climates of the equator
to Britain
• Mostly on the west coast of
continents
• Has prevailing winds from
the sea
• Has mountains inland of the
coast
How It Rains
• Warm air causes evaporation
• Evaporation: water changes from liquid to vapor
• Warm air rises
• Air cools as it rises
• Condensation forms clouds
• Condensation: water vapor changes from gas to liquid
• Water droplets grow larger and fall to the ground
Relief Rainfall • Moist air is forced to rise over
mountains
• As the air rises it gets cooler and causes
rain
Convectional Rain
• The ground is warmed by the sun
• Air above the ground rises
• As air rises it cools down and forms
clouds
• Cloud droplets get bigger and fall to
the ground
Frontal Rain
• Warm lighter air rises over heavier
cooler air
• As the warm air rises it gets cooler
and forms clouds
• The clouds collect more water and
it rains
Ecosystems
• An ecosystem is a community of plants and
animals that interact with each other and
their non-living environment
• The types of plants and animals in an area
depends on climate, soil, rock type and relief
• Ecosystems vary greatly in size
• A very large ecosystem is called a biome
Equatorial Climate
• Located between 5 degrees north
and 5 degrees south of the Equator
• It is hot and wet year round
• Tropical rainforests grow in
equatorial climates
• Not all places near the Equator
have an equatorial climate some
high mountains have snow all year
Lianas
Vine-like plants that grow on large trees
to reach the canopy
Buttress Roots
Roots that stand above the ground to give support to the trees
Mediterranean Climate
• Located between 30 degrees and 40 degrees
north and south of the Equator
• On the west coasts of continents
• Summers are hot, sunny and dry, prevailing
winds blow from the land
• Winters are warm and wet because it is near
the coast and prevailing winds blow from the
sea
• Many trees have small waxy
leaves to reduce moisture loss
• Some trees have thick bark to
protect against the heat
• Very little grass because it is
too hot and dry
• Low scrub (small trees and
bushes) have quick life cycle
for a short growing season
Mediterranean • Many scrub have long roots to
Vegetation reach down for underground
water
Desert Climate
• Located between 10 degrees and 30 degrees north
or south of the Equator
• In the center or on the west coast of continents
• Deserts are very dry because prevailing winds
come from dry land and the air goes down instead
of up so clouds can't form
• Very hot in the summer and much cooler in the
winter
• Big difference between daytime and nighttime
temperatures
• Very few clouds and rain
Desert
Vegetation
• Plants and animals have
to adapt to very little
water
• Plants have to live
dormant (inactive) for
long periods of time
• Many of the animals are
nocturnal (only active at
night)
Cactus
• Have spikes instead of leaves to reduce
moisture loss and stop animals from eating
them
• Can store a lot of water
• Seeds can live dormant for years until it rains
• Shallow roots to soak up a lot of water when
it rains
• Thick, waxy skin reflects the sun's heat and
reduces moisture loss
• Located in the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
Polar Climate
• Very cool summers and extremely cold winters
• The temperature never gets up to 10 degrees
Celsius
• Very little precipitation
• The North and South Poles have 24 hours of
daylight in summer and 24 hours of darkness in
winter
• Very few plants and animals
• Being affected more than any climate by climate
change
Two Types of Polar
Climates
• Tundra: at least one month a
year the average temperature
is 1 degree Celsius or higher
• Ice cap: the temperature never
rises above 0 degrees Celsius
Volcanos and Earthquakes
• Volcanos and earthquakes often happen in
the same places called zones of activity
• The crust is the outer shell of earth
• The crust is not all one piece
• The pieces of the crust are called plates
• Where the plates meet are called plate
boundaries
• Volcanos and earthquakes usually happen at
plate boundaries
• The Ring of Fire is a region
around the Pacific Ocean
where many volcanos and
earthquakes occur
• The Plate boundaries of the
Pacific Plate cause volcanos
and earthquakes to be
common in the Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire
How Volcanos and
Earthquakes Happen
• Plates move towards each other
• Plates rub together causing earthquakes
• The friction from the plates rubbing together
melts rock (magma)
• Magma rises and causes volcanic eruptions
