Geo Weather and climate

Atmosphere and Climate Change

Weather vs Climate

Weather and Climate

• Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place at a particular moment. (Short-term)

• Climate is the long-term weather conditions.

• Example: Picture Seattle, Washington and Phoenix, Arizona - These two cities may have the same WEATHER (rainy) on one day but their climates are much different.

• Seattle, Washington Climate: cool and moist

• Phoenix, Arizona Climate: hot and dry

Greenhouse Gases

• HERE ARE THE FIVE MAJOR GREENHOUSE GASES!!!!

• Carbon Dioxide- burning fossil fuels

• Methane- Cattle, coal-mines

• Water Vapor- formed from evaporation

• CFCs- BAD BAD BAD!! Chlorofluorocarbons (No longer used, HURTS our ozone layer!)

• Nitrous Oxide- Burning organic material / burning fuels in industries

Multiple Choice

The long-term, average conditions of the atmosphere for a location.

• Weather

• Climate

Look at the chart...

What is the main greenhouse gas being emitted into our atmosphere?

Open Ended

Why do we have weather forecasts but not climate forecasts?

The Greenhouse Effect

• Earth is similar to a greenhouse

• The Earth's atmosphere acts like the glass in the atmosphere

• Sunlight streams through the atmosphere and heats the Earth.

• As this heat radiates up from Earth's surface, some of it escapes into space.

• The rest of the heat is absorbed by gases in the troposphere and warms the air.

Factors that Affect Climate

• Elevation / Altitude

• Prevailing Global Wind Patterns

• Topography

• Effects of Geography

• Surface of the Earth

Elevation / Altitude

In the troposphere climatic conditions become colder as altitude increases. “Life zones” on a high mountain reflect the changes, plants at the base are the same as those in surrounding countryside, but no trees at all can grow above the timberline. Snow crowns the highest elevations.

Multiple Choice

What is the main greenhouse gas being emitted into our atmosphere based on the previous graph?

• Nitrous Oxide

• Carbon Dioxide

• Water Vapor

• CFCs

Copy and paste the following link and watch the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sg9sCOXFIk

Prevailing Global Wind Patterns

There are 3 major wind patterns found in the Northern Hemisphere and also 3 in the Southern Hemisphere. These are average conditions and do not essentially reveal conditions on a particular day. As seasons change, the wind patterns shift north or south. So does the intertropical convergence zone, which moves back and forth across the Equator. Sailors called this zone the doldrums because its winds are normally weak. Latitude and angles of the suns rays. As the Earth circles the sun, the tilt of its axis causes changes in the angle of which sun’s rays contact the earth and hence changes the daylight hours at different latitudes. Polar regions experience the greatest variation, with long periods of limited or no sunlight in winter and up to 24 hours of daylight in the summer.

Open Ended

Name two facts about two DIFFERENT layers of the atmosphere that the previous video named.

Be specific!

Open Ended

Google Search it...

What is the difference between direct sunlight and indirect sunlight?

How does it affect climate?

Troposphere

• The first layer of the atmosphere

• The lowest layer to Earth

• Weather occurs in the troposphere

• This layer contains the air we breathe

Topography

The Topography of an area can greatly influence our climate. Mountain ranges are natural barriers to air movement. In California, winds off the Pacific ocean carry moisture-laden air toward the coast. The Coastal Range allows for some condensation and light precipitation. Inland, the taller Sierra Nevada range rings more significant precipitation in the air. On the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, sinking air warms from compression, clouds evaporate, and dry conditions prevail.

Stratosphere

• Contains the ozone layer (ozone layer helps protect us from harmful UV rays)

• This is where planes fly

• Calm and stable layer

• The second layer of the atmosphere

Open Ended

Google Search it...

Give a specific example of how topography can affect climate.

Mesosphere

• The third layer of the atmosphere

• This is the coldest layer

• Commonly, meteors burn here!

Effects of Geography

The position of a town, city or place and its distance from mountains and substantial areas of water help determine its prevailing wind patterns and what types of air masses affect it. Coastal areas may enjoy refreshing breezes in summer, when cooler ocean air moves ashore. Places south and east of the Great Lakes can expect “lake effect” snow in winter, when cold air travels over relatively warmer waters.

In spring and summer, people in Tornado Alley in the central United States watch for thunderstorms, these storms are caused where three types of air masses frequently converge: cold and dry from the north, warm and dry from the southwest, and warm and moist from the Gulf of Mexico - these colliding air masses often generate tornado storms.

Thermosphere

• The fourth layer from Earth

• The air is very thin here

• Temperatures get extremely hot here

• Contains the ionosphere (where atoms are ionized)

Open Ended

Google Search it...

How do large bodies of water affect climate?

Surface of the Earth

Just look at any globe or a world map showing land cover, and you will see another important factor which has a influence on climate: the surface of the Earth. The amount of sunlight that is absorbed or reflected by the surface determines how much atmospheric heating occurs. Darker areas, such as heavily vegetated regions, tend to be good absorbers; lighter areas, such as snow and ice-covered regions, tend to be good reflectors. The ocean absorbs and loses heat more slowly than land. Its waters gradually release heat into the atmosphere, which then distributes heat around the globe.

Multiple Choice

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

• Stratosphere

• Mesosphere

• Thermosphere

• Troposphere

Multiple Choice

Which area would absorb more solar radiation?

Ozone Layer

• A thin part of Earth's atmosphere

• The ozone layer absorbs almost all of the sun's harmful UV rays (ultraviolet radiation)

• Ultraviolet light is harmful to organisms because it can damage the genetic material in living cells.

• Located in the stratosphere and is HIGHLY concentrated

• This is a shield and acts like sunscreen for Earth :)

Open Ended

In two sentences describe what the ozone layer is and why it is helpful.