Review
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1.What four factors determine Climate?
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Latitude, Geography, Prevailing Winds, Ocean Currents
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2. Define Climate:
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Climate is the average weather conditions in a certain
area over a long period of time.
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3. How is Climate different from weather?
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Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at
particular time and place. Climate is the average
weather conditions in a certain area over a long period
of time.
Review
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4. On November 18th, 2014, 85 percent of the United States had temperatures
below freezing.
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Weather
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5. Global average temperatures have increased by 1 degree in the past
century.
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Climate
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6. California is in its third year of its worst recorded drought.
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Climate
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7. Buffalo, New York got more than 6 feet of snow between November 18 and
the 20th in 2014.
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Weather
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8. August, September, and October 2015 all had record highs for temperature.
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Climate
Review
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9. What does Latitude determine?
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Temperature
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10. Describe why the poles are colder than the equator.
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The poles receive less direct sunlight than the equator.
o
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11.o What would happen to Chicago’s Climate if its latitude moved from 40 to
10 .
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Chicago’s climate would be warmer all year-round.
o
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12.o What would happen to Chicago’s Climate if its latitude moved from 40 to
80 ?
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Chicago’s climate would be colder all year-round.
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13. Why is it winter in Australia when its Summer in the United States?
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Australia receives less direct sunlight when the United States is having its
summer because of Earth’s Tilted axis.
Review
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14. What do Prevailing Winds determine?
Temperature and Moisture
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15. What temperature and moisture qualities of wind
would blow if the prevailing wind formed over warm
ocean water?
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Warm and Wet
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16. What temperature and moisture qualities of wind
would blow if the prevailing wind formed over polar
land?
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Cold and Dry
Review
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17. What does geography determine?
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Temperature and Moisture
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18. As elevation increases, _______________ generally decreases.
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Temperature
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19. Mount Kilimanjaro's latitude is close to the equator but yet it is covered in
snow year round why is this?
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A climate of an area is also determined by elevation. As elevation increases,
temperature decreases. The summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is very high so its
temperature drops.
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20. Why can one side of a mountain range be lush with vegetation and the
other side covered in desert.
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As a prevailing wind pushes over a mountain it releases precipitation on one
side of the mountain making it lush. When the wind reaches the other side
there is little moisture left in the wind.
Review
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21. How do ocean currents affect climates?
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They carry warm and cold air to different locations.
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22. Why are temperatures milder in Iceland than in Greenland.
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The gulf stream brings warm water to the ocean around Iceland. This warm
water heats the air, making temperatures milder.
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23. Based own the graph above, What month was the warmest? What month
was the coldest?
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January was the warmest month and June was the coldest month.
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24. Based on the Graph above what hemisphere is this location in? How do
you know?
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The location is in the southern hemisphere because the warm summer
months are in December, January, and February and the cool winter months
are June, July, August.
Intro to El Niño
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
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Floods and mudslides in Ecuador, droughts and wildfires
in Australia, and extreme California rainstorms – could all
of these events be triggered by the same thing? Yes they
can. It’s the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a
combination of changes in the ocean and atmosphere that
affect weather in many areas of the world.
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Normally, trade winds move water at the ocean surface
from the eastern tropical Pacific towards the western
Pacific. This creates upwelling of cold nutrient-rich water
off the coast of Peru and Chile, which supports a diversity
of marine life. The western Pacific is in a low pressure
system and has wet weather. The eastern Pacific, in a high
pressure system, is dry. But every 3 to 7 years the
atmosphere and ocean change during El Niño and La
Niña events – the two extremes of ENSO.
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During El Niño, air pressure rises in the western Pacific and falls in the central
and eastern Pacific. Without the strong pressure gradient, the trade winds
weaken. Without the trade winds there is less upwelling near the coast of South
America and the warm and nutrient-poor water of the western Pacific spreads
east, piling up water in the eastern tropical Pacific. Not as much marine life
can survive in the warm water as can in the cool nutrient-rich waters. The warm
water in the Pacific evaporates faster than cool water, leading to more water
vapor in the air which can cause high humidity and storms in areas that are
usually dry.
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During La Niña, the cold phase of ENSO, the trade winds grow stronger across
the Pacific because the low pressure over the western Pacific strengthens, as
does the high pressure over the central and eastern Pacific. This causes more
upwelling of ocean water off the coast of Peru and Chile, making the surface
water of the eastern tropical Pacific unusually cold.
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Both El Niño and La Niña events can have far-reaching effects on the weather.
Intense rainstorms and flooding, extreme droughts, the strength of the Atlantic
hurricane season, and winter storms in many areas of the world are affected by
ENSO events. ENSO may also have an impact on the North Atlantic Oscillation
as it has an effect on the Arctic troposphere. These impacts are called
teleconnections.
Reflection Questions
1.How often do El Niño and La Niña events change?
Every 3-7 years
2.What happens during an El Niño year?
There is less upwelling near the coast of South America and the warm
and nutrient-poor water of the western Pacific spreads east, piling up
water in the eastern tropical Pacific. This causes an increase in high
humidity and storms in the Eastern Pacific.
3.What happens during an La Niña year?
Trade winds grow stronger causing more upwelling of ocean
water off the coast of Peru and Chile, making the surface
water of the eastern tropical Pacific unusually cold.
4. How can El Niño and La Niña effect weather and climate?
Both El Niño and La Niña events can have far-reaching effects on the
weather. Intense rainstorms and flooding, extreme droughts, the strength
of the Atlantic hurricane season, and winter storms in many areas of the
world are affected by ENSO events
Image 1
Most of the warm water is in the western Pacific, Most of the
cold water is in the Eastern Pacific. This oscillation is La Niña
Image 2
Most of the warm water is in the Eastern Pacific, Most of the
cold water is in the Western Pacific. This oscillation is El Niño
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Understanding El Nino
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Describe what El Nino is:
A phase in which; Equatorial Pacific Water heats
up,surface wind decreases and rainfall increases in
central and eastern pacific.
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Describe the change in precipitation to the United
States during an El Nino year.
Wetter than average in the southern half of the
United States and Dryer than average in the
Northern Half of the United State
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Describe the change in temperature to the United
States during an El Nino year.
Below average temperatures in the Southern United
States, and warmer than average part of the country