Overview
Climate and the Hydrosphere
PSC 152
Climate
Definition from vocabulary
The general weather and seasonal patterns
What is climate?
What influences the local climate?
What influences the global climate?
How does the hydrosphere affect the climate?
Climate Classifications
Classification based on:
Temperature
Average
Range (Minimum, Maximum)
Seasonal variation
Moisture
Humidity
Precipitation
Classification Systems
Koeppen Climate System is common
5 major categories
Each Category has sub-groupings
~22 sub-groupings total
Climate Map
Simplified Classification
We can also use a very simplified description of
climates
Examples of Climates
Data sheets from Climate Diagnostics Center,
Average Temperature
(hot, cold, or moderate)
Average Precipitation
(moist, dry, or moderate)
Causes of climate
The climate of a location is determined by many
factors …
What do you think is the biggest factors in
determining local climate?
Simple Examples
What climate type would you expect to find in a high
latitude location surrounded by land?
What climate type would you expect to find in a mid
latitude location surrounded by water?
Other climate influences
Latitude
Proximity to water
Elevation
Ocean currents
Prevailing wind direction
Local geography
Vegetation
Global Climate
What influences the climate across the whole
Earth?
Greenhouse effect
Deep ocean currents
Remainder of video segment
Global warming
Interactions
Definition …
Video clip
Other ways that the hydrosphere affects the rest of
Earth …
What causes it …
Will it continue …
Some possible consequences…
El Niño Video clip 1 Video clip 2
Droughts Video clip
Hurricane Video clip
In class activity
In groups on 2
Think about all you have learned about the Earth,
its spheres, and their affects on each other
Answer the following questions
In class activity
List one specific way that the hydrosphere …
affects the geosphere.
affects the atmosphere.
affects the biosphere.
List one specific way that the hydrosphere is affected by …
the geosphere
the atmosphere
the biosphere