Guiding Questions: Climate Notes

Section 14.1 What is Climate?

1.Define climatology.
- Study of Earths climate and factors that
affect the past, present, and future
climatic changes.
2.What factors does climate include in
addition to average weather conditions?
- Annual variations
3.Give two examples of how climatic data
can be used.
- Warmest and coldest an area has been
- Average temperatures.
4.Why must we exercise caution when using
normals to predict weather?
- Weather conditions on even given day
can differ widely from normals
5.What factors cause climate?
- Latitude, topographic effects, and air
masses.
6.Why are coastal areas cooler in the
summer than inland areas?
- Water has high specific heat
7.Describe the relationship between
temperature and altitude.
- Lower atmosphere generally decrease
with altitude.

8.Figure 14-3 depicts what effect of

orographic lifting that we discussed last
Friday? (HINT: return to those notes!)
Section 14.2 Climate Classification
1.Name the system used to classify climates.
What factors does it consider?
- Koeppen classification system
2.List the six main climate types.
- Tropical, mild, dry, continental, polar,
and high elevation.
3.What climate type do we live in? List its
characteristics.
- Mild humid subtropics
4.What is a microclimate? Give an example.
- Localized climate that differs from main
climate. Ex. Washington, D.C.
5.What is the heat island effect and where
does it occur?
- Concrete building and asphalt in cities
store heat making it warm than
surrounding rural areas.