1.Define climatology. - The study of Earths climate and the factors that affect past, present, and future climatic changes. 2.What factors does climate include in addition to average weather conditions? - Annual variations of temperature, precipitation, wind, and other weather variables. 3.Give two examples of how climatic data can be used. - It can indicate the warmest and coldest temperature ever recorded for a location - It can be used by companies to decide where to locate new facilities - It can also be used by people who have medical conditions that require them to live in certain climates. 4.Why must we exercise caution when using normals to predict weather? - Weather conditions on any given day might differ widely from normals. - Normals only apply to the specific place where the meteorological data were collected.
5.What factors cause climate?
- Latitude, topography, closeness of lakes and oceans, availability of moisture, global wind patterns, ocean currents, and air masses. 6.Why are coastal areas cooler in the summer than inland areas? - Water heats up and cools down more in coastal areas. Large bodies of water affect the climates of coastal areas. 7.Describe the relationship between temperature and altitude. - Temperatures in the lower atmosphere generally decrease with altitude. Thus, mountain climates are usually cooler than those at sea level. In addition, climates often differ on either side of a mountain. 8.Figure 14-3 depicts what effect of orographic lifting that we discussed last Friday? (HINT: return to those notes!) - Adiabatic cooling causes rain on the windward side of the mountain. Adiabatic warming occurs on the other side of the mountain, creating a warm desert climate. Section 14.2 Climate Classification
1.Name the system used to classify climates.
What factors does it consider? - Koeppen Classification system. It considers climates using averages monthly values of temperature and precipitation. It also takes into account thee distinct vegetation found in different climates. 2.List the six main climate types. - Tropical - Mild - Dry - Continental - Polar - High elevation 3.What climate type do we live in? List its characteristics. 4.What is a microclimate? Give an example. - A localized climate that differs from the main regional climate. 5.What is the heat island effect and where does it occur? - The presence of many concrete buildings and large expanses of asphalt can create heat islands, wherein the climate is warmer than in surrounding rural areas. Guiding Questions: Climate Notes
Section 14.1 What is Climate?
1. Define climatology. 2. What factors does climate include in addition to average weather conditions? 3. Give two examples of how climatic data can be used. 4. Why must we exercise caution when using normals to predict weather? 5. What factors cause climate? 6. Why are coastal areas cooler in the summer than inland areas? 7. Describe the relationship between temperature and 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? 2. List the six main climate types. 3. What climate type do we live in? List its characteristics. 4. What is a microclimate? Give an example. 5. What is the heat island effect and where does it occur?