SEPTEMBER 20 - THURSDAY- CLIMATE AND WHAT INFLUENCES IT...

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEATHER AND CLIMATE...

WEATHER - day to day changes in the air...people can check it "daily."
- measured by temperature (how hot and cold the air feels) and by precipitation(water that falls to the ground...rain, sleet, hail, or snow)

CLIMATE - average weather of a place over many years...

Climates are different in the low, middle and high latitude regions because latitude affects temperature. Landforms, such as mountains, affect climates in neighboring areas.

WIND/WATER:
Without wind and water, the Earth would overheat...wind and water help spread the sun's heat.

How many of you know the old Bob Dylan song....Blowin' in the Wind?
THE BLOWING WINDS...
EARTH'S ROTATION - creates wind...moves in an east-west direction...see page 35(wind patterns)
2 FACTORS make air move in a north/south direction:
a.)Hot air rises and circulates toward regions where the air is not as hot
b.) Cold air sinks and moves toward regions where the air is warmer
The movement of air keeps the Earth from overheating.

OCEAN CURRENTS:
Ocean currents- created by Earth's rotation...ocean currents are like fast-moving rivers in the oceans.
Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Current....carries warm water to the British Isles
Peru Current - cold water from Antarctica moves towards the equator

Large Bodies of Water:

Remember our discussion of how large bodies of water warm and cool the areas around it?
We compared Iron Mountain to Marquette...winter/summer...be able to explain the process...see page 40.

Hurricanes- storms(wind and rain) form over the tropics of the ATLANTIC...
Typhoons - similar storms which take place in the PACIFIC