Unit 7 Intro to Climate and Sustainability

Unit 7:
Climate and Sustainability

Climate and Sustainability

• Climate is affected by our sustainability practices

  • For example recycling or using renewable resources

  • In this unit we will learn

    • Human induced climate change

    • Urban heat islands

    • Natural induced climate change

    • Natural Resources

    • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

​What is the difference between weather and climate?

North Carolina Climate and Weather

Today we are experiencing weather in the 50s

Weather

Humid climate
Very warm summers and moderate winter

​Climate

Factors that Affect Climate

• Temperature and Precipitation

• Latitude

• Wind patterns

• Elevation

• Topography

• Bodies of water

• Ocean currents

• Vegetation

• El Niño

• Seasonal Winds

Factors Used To Describe Climate

•Temperature and Precipitation are the

2 major factors used to describe

climate

Latitude

• One of the most important factors that

determines a region’s climate is latitude.

• Different latitudes on Earths surface receive

different amounts of solar energy.

• Solar Energy determines the temperature

and wind patterns of an area.

• affects humidity, precipitation, temperature and clouds.

Wind Patterns

• Elevation: the higher the

elevation, the colder the
climate.

• Topography: topographic

features such as mountains
play an important role in the
temperature and precipitation
that falls over an area.

Elevation & Topography

• Ocean currents: warm or cold

currents combined with winds blowing
from the ocean to the shore can affect
the climate.

• Vegetation: can affect both

temperatures and humidity patterns in
an area because it influences how
much energy is absorbed and
reflected.

Ocean currents and Vegetation

El Niño - 1 Major Natural Event

• El Niño is the warm water change of the El

Niño-Southern Oscillation or ESNO,

• Occurs every 3-10 years

• Causes surface water temperature along the

west coast of South America to rise.

• During El Niño typhoon, cyclones, and floods

may occur in the Pacific Ocean region and
Southeastern US

​Köppen Climate Classification

• Divides climates into five main climate groups

  • The groups are based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature.

  • The five main groups are A (tropical), B (arid), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar) then a seasonal precipitation subgroup (the second letter)

Köppen Table

Example:
North Carolina is Cfa

Multiple Choice

You visit South Carolina and on a brochure it states "Hot, humid summer conditions with annual rainfall ranging from 40 to 90 inches" What is the brochure describing?

• Weather

• Climate

• Forcast

Multiple Choice

What climate would you find at the equator?

• Polar

• Dry

• Tropical

• Continental

Multiple Choice

What is climate?

• The average weather in a place over a  long time

• The same as weather

• The reason for deserts near some  mountains

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

Weather stays the same all the time.

• True

• False

Exit Ticket

Go back to Canvas to complete the assignment on Koppen classification system