World Climates

Weather vs. Climate

Weather: the condition of the air and the

sky from day to day

Climate: the average weather over many

years

Weather

• Weather is measured by precipitation and

temperature.

• Temperature is how hot or cold the air is!

Precipitation

• Precipitation is water that falls to the

ground as rain, sleet, hail, or snow.

4 Factors that Affect Climate

1. Latitude

2. Landforms

3. Wind

4. Water

Climate and Latitude

• Climate depends on location.

• Low latitudes, generally, have hot

climates.

• High latitudes have cold climates.

Climate and the Water Cycle

1. Water evaporates from bodies of water

or land areas.

2. The water forms clouds.

3. As the moist air rises it cools and drops

its moisture in the form of precipitation.

4. The cycle begins again!

Climate and the Water Cycle

Climate and Wind

• Wind moves heat and moisture between

different parts of the Earth.

• Wind follows regular patterns.

• Winds create ocean currents.

• Currents are like big rivers in the oceans.

Wind Patterns

Climate and Water: Oceans

• Oceans gain or lose heat slowly, so they

keep temperatures mild near the coast.

• Ex: It is always a little warmer here in the

winter than in central Massachusetts.

Ocean’s Cooling and Warming

Effects

• Water takes longer to heat or cool than

land.

• As the air and land heat up in the summer,

the water remains cooler. Wind blowing

over the water cools the nearby land.

• This is why it is cooler at the beach during

the summer.

Ocean’s Cooling and Warming

Effects Continued

• In the winter, the water remains warmer

than land.

• This is why coastal areas will get rain

when other areas get snow.

Oceans Continued

• Oceans help distribute Earth’s heat.

• Generally, warm water moves away from

the equator and cold water moves toward

the equator.

Gulf Stream and North Atlantic

Current

• In the Atlantic Ocean the Gulf Stream and

the North Atlantic Current carry warm

water from the tropics toward western

Europe.

• That gives western Europe a warmer

climate than other regions at the same

latitude.

North Atlantic Current

Landforms and Climate: Mountains

• Mountains also affect climate.

• The higher the elevation the colder the

climate.

Raging Storms

• Wind and water also create dangerous

storms.

• Tropical Cyclones: Intense wind and rain

storms that form over oceans in the

tropics.

• In the Atlantic Ocean, these are called

hurricanes.

Hurricanes

Hurricane Katrina

Tornadoes

• Tornadoes are funnel like clouds of wind

that can move up to 200 miles an hour.

Climate and Vegetation

Five Types of Climates

1. Tropical (wet and dry)

2. Dry (Arid)

3. Temperate Marine

4. Temperate Continental

5. Polar

• Each Climate has its own

vegetation!!!!

Polar

• Polar Climates are cold all year around.

• There are two main types of polar regions.

• Tundra: is an area of cold climate and low-lying vegetation. Tundra vegetation includes mosses, grasses, and low shrubs that bloom during the brief, cool summers.

• Ice Cap/ Pack Ice: Around the poles, thick ice caps form on land. No vegetation can grow there.

Polar Regions: Ice Cap

Polar Regions Tundra

Marguerite Bay, Mountains, Valleys and a glacier along the

Fallieres Coast, part of Graham Land. Antarctic Peninsula

Dry- Semi Arid Climates

• Arid and Semi-Arid climates have very hot

summers and generally mild winters.

• They get very little rain. The driest areas

have little or no vegetation.

• Semi-arid climates get a little more rain

and support shrubs and grasses.

Sahara Desert

Mojave Desert, USA

Australian Desert

Semi-Arid Savanna

•In the tropics, there are two main climates. Both are hot.

•A tropical wet climate has year round rainfall.

•A tropical dry climate has two seasons: a rainy season and a dry season.

This climate supports grasslands and scattered trees.

Tropical Climates

Temperate Marine Climates

•Temperate Marine climates are found in the

middle latitudes, usually near coastlines.

•There are three types: Mediterranean,

marine west coast, and humid subtropical.

Marine West Coast and Humid

Subtropical

• Receive plenty of rainfall.

• In the humid subtropical rain falls mainly in

the summer.

Mediterranean

• Rain falls mostly in the winter.

• Receive less rain than the marine west coast and

humid subtropical

Temperate/ Humid Continental

Climates • Summer temperatures are moderate to

hot, but winter can be very cold.

• Massachusetts has a humid continental

climate.

• Region supports grassland and forests.

Vegetation Zones

• Tropical Rainforest

• Tropical Savanna

• Desert

• Desert Scrub

• Mediterranean Vegetation

• Temperate Grassland

• Deciduous Forest

• Coniferous and Mixed Forest

• Tundra

• Highland

• Ice Cap/ Pack Ice

Tropical Rainforest

• Found in a Tropical Wet Climate

• 1000’s of different types of plants grow

here.

• Different layers of vegetation.

• The Canopy is the uppermost layer.

Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Savanna

• Located in Tropical Dry climates.

• Not as much rainfall.

Desert

• Little to no vegetation.

Desert Scrub • Vegetation in a desert that needs little

water. Found in semi-arid regions.

Mediterranean Vegetation

• Includes grasses, shrubs, and small trees

• Must hold water from winter rains to

survive warm, dry summers.

Temperate Grasslands • Found in semi-arid and humid continental

climates.

• Usually have tall grasses and other plants.

• Sometimes called prairies.

Deciduous Forest

• Found in Marine West Coast, humid subtropical

and humid continental climates.

• Deciduous means trees that lose their leaves in

the fall.

Coniferous and Mixed Forest

• Coniferous trees produce cones to carry

their seeds. They usually have needles not

leaves.

Tundra • Tundra vegetation includes mosses,

grasses, and low shrubs that can with

stand brief summers.

Ice Cap/ Ice Pack

• No vegetation. Found in Polar areas.

Highlands

• Varies with elevation

Mount Washington

6, 288 ft