Module 4: Climate

Module 4: Climate

What is climate?

• Climate is the average of weather patterns in an area over a long period of time.

• Different climate zones all over Earth.

• A climate zone is an area that has similar average temperatures and precipitation throughout. 

Can you name the climate zones?

polar zone, tropical zone, temperate zone

Temperate Climate Zone

The temperate zone is located between the tropical and polar zones. The southern temperate zone includes the southern parts of South America, Africa, and Australia.

Polar Climate Zone

The polar climate zone includes the areas of Earth near the North and South poles. The northern polar zone includes parts of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Tropical Climate Zone

The tropical zone extends about 1600 miles on both sides of the equator. This zone includes the equator and the northern parts of South America and Australia.

Multiple Choice

What climate zone is South Carolina?

• temperate

• polar

• tropical

Multiple Choice

Which climate zone is described by moderate weather conditions with temperatures and precipitation varying greatly depending on location?

• temperate

• polar

• tropical

Multiple Choice

What climate zone is most likely being described if the average temperature is -2 °C (28 °F) with about 100 mm of precipitation a year?

• polar

• temperate

• equator

Latitude

The climate of an area is influenced by how much sunlight it receives. Areas that receive many hours of sunlight in a day have different climates compared to areas that receive only a few hours of sunlight.

If you look at Earth from space, you will see that the sun's rays are closest to areas near the equator. These areas receive the most sunlight compared to other areas. As you move north or south of the equator, the sun's rays become farther away, so these areas receive less sunlight. 

The latitude of an area is its distance north or south of the equator. 

Multiple Choice

Areas located at high latitudes (far from the equator) receive ______ sunlight than places at low latitudes (close to the equator).

• less

• more

Multiple Choice

The farther from the equator the _______ it is.

• hotter

• colder

Multiple Choice

The equator is an __________ line around the middle of Earth.

• imaginary

• long

• water

Multiple Choice

Temperatures closest to the equator are _______ than temperatures further from the equator.

• hotter

• colder

• equal

Multiple Choice

The climate zone closest to the equator is the .....

• tropical

• temperate

• polar

Multiple Choice

As the latitude ________the temperature decreases. Temperatures decrease as you move away from the equator because there is less direct sunlight hitting these areas.

• increases

• stays the same

• decreases

Elevation

Elevation is the height of an area that is above sea level. At the bottom of a mountain near the ocean, you are at a low elevation because you are close to sea level. As you climb the mountain, you go higher and higher up in elevation because you are moving farther away from sea level.  

Multiple Choice

The higher the elevation the ______ the temperature.

• colder

• warmer

Earth Is a System

Earth is a huge system that is made up of many interacting systems: land, water, organisms, and air. Specifically, these interacting systems are the geosphere (land), the hydrosphere (water), the biosphere (organisms), and the atmosphere (air). All of these systems interact with each other to make Earth a place where life can exist.

Geosphere

'Geo' means earth. The geosphere contains solid and molten rock, soil, sediments, mountains, and continents.

Atmosphere

'Atmo' means air or vapor. The atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding Earth. It contains a mixture of gases including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and carbon dioxide.

Hydrosphere

'Hydro' means water (as a solid—ice, liquid—water, or gas—water vapor, like clouds). The hydrosphere is the layer of Earth that includes all the water in the forms of rivers, lakes, oceans, and clouds.

Biosphere

.

'Bio' means life. The biosphere contains all the living things on Earth

Multiple Choice

Which of Earth's systems cannot exist without all of the other systems?

• biosphere

• geosphere

• atmosphere

Multiple Choice

Which of Earth's systems has a big impact on the weather conditions?

• geosphere

• hydrosphere

• atmosphere

• biosphere

Multiple Choice

The interaction of the ________ with water and organisms that are no longer living produces soil.

• geosphere

• atmosphere

• hydrosphere

Multiple Choice

The _______ protects life on Earth in the biosphere by keeping some of the harmful ultraviolet rays out while allowing other light rays to warm Earth.

• atmosphere

• biosphere

• geosphere