Feb 4/10

Feb 4

For attendance: Tell me your favorite animal

Rock Cycle

The ideas we talked about in yesterdays lesson also contribute to the different types of rocks we see around the world.

Rock Cycle Activity

Work through the interactive activities and instructions on your google classroom "Rock Cycle Assignment"

Draw a quick sketch in your notes of the rock cycle and how each type of rock is formed.

Canada's Regional Diversity

If you were to drive across Canada from coast to coast and visit all areas of each province, you would find a large diversity of landforms

Physical Regions of Canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrTIC7T-mw

Landforms of Canada Video Clips

Climate Regions

Weather vs Climate

CLIMATE CHANGE/GLOBAL WARMING

Is it really happening?

Let's break off into groups and have a smaller discussion about what we think is happening with climate change. Feel free to do some quick research during this time too. We will come back and have a poll about whether we think it is happening or not.

Poll

Do we think Global Warming is really occurring?

• Yes

• No

Remember that just because we are getting snow doesn't mean that Global Warming must not be happening. The amount of snow we have received compared to other years as well as the average overall temperature change over the years indicates that it is happening.

But did you know that Global Warming is part of a natural phenomenon. The Earth goes through ages of hot and cold (ex. ice age). We have come out of an ice age so naturally we go towards the warming period.

BUT the problem is, is how QUICKLY we are warming.

Because of the increase in the human population there is a snowball effect that adds to the increased pace of global warming.

EX. More humans= more cars= more fuel burned and put into the atmosphere

We will discuss this more in out Environmental Issues unit however!

Vegetation Regions in Canada

Canada is a large country that stretches for thousands of Kilometers from the west coast to the east Coast; and for thousands of kilometers from our southern border to our northern coast. Although we will be looking at regions divided by similarities in landforms, climate and vegetation, it is often helpful to understand Canada's regional diversity by grouping the provinces together.

The West Coast

British Columbia's coast is fortunate to have the most temperate climate in Canada. Warm airstreams from the Pacific Ocean keep the vegetation growing and the populace happy. Here, the Red Cedar trees are known to be between 300 and 500 years old with many reaching heights of 300 feet (25 story building). It rarely snows in the low-lying areas (Vancouver has no snow plows), and the Coastal Range and the Rocky Mountains block the Pacific air from the Prairies. The moist air leaves the coast over the mountains, so it cools and falls on the western slopes in heavy amounts of rain and snow. The valleys between the mountain ranges experience hot summers almost completely devoid of precipitation. There is even a desert there. Logging and tourism are two of the strongest industries in BC.

The Prairies

The Canadian Prairies extend east from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes (Alberta to Manitoba). The land is flat with rolling hills, few lakes or forests in the Southern part. Farming is out in force in these regions. Cattle farms or “Ranches” and crop farms (wheat and other grains). Cold winters and humid, hot summers are the norm, with a tolerable amount of snow and rain. Spring showers and temperate autumn weather makes the Prairies one of the top graingrowing areas of the world. Oil production is rapidly taking hold in this region as well, especially in the northern Alberta “tar sands” at Athabasca. The Calgary Stampede is a famous cowboy rodeo held every summer.

Great Lakes- St Lawrence Region

Over half the population of Canada lives near the Great Lakes or along the St. Lawrence River. This region of the Canadian shield has an abundance of lakes, rivers, forests and many of Canada’s largest cities. This region is often referred to as the Windsor- Quebec City corridor. Winter is very snowy and wind-chilled, with temperatures dropping to - 40, while summers are humid (+40 and higher with humidex) and longer than elsewhere in Canada. Rainfall is sufficient to sustain some of the best farming areas in Canada. Manufacturing and shipping are two of the biggest industries here, with farming, logging, and the public sector (government workers) playing a large force as well 

Atlantic Canada

This region features one of the most rugged and most variable climates anywhere in the country. The Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia Newfoundland have climates that are greatly impacted by the ocean currents. In winter, temperatures can vary wildly as Arctic air is replaced by maritime air from passing storms. In the space of a week in January, Maritmers, (especially N.S. and NFL) can have 1 meter of snow on a Sunday, and by Friday grass can be seen. Snowfall is relatively heavy, and fog is often present in spring and at the onset of summer. July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. In Ottawa, the average Temperature is 24-30 degrees.

The North

North of the Prairies and the populated Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region, is a vast boreal forest reaching almost to the Arctic Ocean. This forest consists almost exclusively of Coniferous trees (cone bearing trees). This area is snow-covered most of the year, and summer lasts approximately two months. Above the tree-line lies the Arctic. Here, temperatures rise above freezing only a few weeks a year, and the ground remains permanently frozen. This is called permafrost. Places like Baffin Island will see snow up until May and then again in September. Here a hot day in July would be 18 degrees. Forestry has always been a strong contributor to industry in the Southern region but mining (diamonds and oil exploration) in the High Arctic is rapidly gaining a stronghold.

Types of Climates

Arid Dry climates

Warm/Moist Climates

Cool/moist Climates

Polar Climates

Climate sculpts the landscape through heat, cold, humidity, light and wind. In Canada, the variety of landscapes shows the diversity of our climate.

In the north, low precipitation and cold temperatures favour permafrost and suppress vegetation growth, resulting in treeless tundra.

South of the tundra, on the Canadian Shield, summers are short and warm, and winters are long and cold. Annual precipitation is abundant, allowing coniferous forests to establish and grow.

On the Pacific coast, the combination of heavy rainfall and mild temperatures year round supports temperate rain forests.

On the Prairies, the large number of days of sunshine affects the development of the agricultural landscape.

In the Maritimes, the Atlantic Ocean moderates the climate such that winters are generally long and mild, and summers are short and cool. These conditions help in the development of forests.

Finally, around the Great Lakes and alongside the St. Lawrence River as far downstream as the city of Québec, the climate is characterized by relatively warm summers and cool winters, moderated by surrounding water bodies. These conditions are suitable to the development of mixed wood and broadleaf forests.

Factors that Control Climate Change

Climate has a variety of components, such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction, humidity, sunshine, type of clouds, cloudiness, evaporation, lightning, visibility and atmospheric pressure. ream.

Importance of Climate in Canadian Life

Climate plays a major role in several sectors of the Canadian economy. Every winter, snow removal uses up a major part of almost every city's budget. Agriculture depends on temperature and the right amount of humidity and precipitation to produce abundant crops. The tourism industry depends on snow for ski resorts and winter festivals. Climate also has an influence on the building industry: low winter temperatures necessitate buildings with insulated walls and windows. Finally, because of the climate, Canadians are among the world's largest users of energy.