An Ecozone is made up of different characteristics that

make this part of Canada different and unique.

Ecozones

Ecozones

Vegetation

Wildlife

Human Use

Landforms

Soil

Drainage

Climate

Fill in the figure below.

2. Climate and Weather

Weather is the day-to-day characteristics of

temperature, precipitation and wind.

Climate long-term patterns of weather

Canada’s Weather

October 3, 2005

3. This map below is a weather map. It shows the conditions for one day.

4. Canada’s Climate • There are 6 main factors that make

Canada’s climate different.

LOWERN

L = LatitudeO = Ocean CurrentsW = WindE = ElevationR = ReliefN = Nearness to Water

LOWERN

L = Latitude:• 1. The distance (north and south) from the equator (0o).

• 2. Regions close to the equator are warmer since direct sun’s rays produce more heat.

• 3. Latitude determines if a region is hot or cold.

O = Ocean Currents

• 1. Ocean currents bring warm or cold water to new places

• 2. If the ocean current is warm then it will heat the air above it.

• 3. If the ocean current is cold then it will cool the air above it.

LOWERN

W = Wind:• 1. Wind moves hot and cold air to other parts of the world.

• 2. If there is no wind, our weather wouldn’t change very much!

E = Elevation:• 1. Elevation: refers to the height above sea level.

• 2. The higher up you are the colder it gets.

LOWERN

R = Relief:• 1. Relief: refers to physical features such as mountain ranges (i.e. big difference in elevation).

• 2. Mountains act like a barrier to air masses.

LOWERN

LOWERN

N = Nearness to Water:

• 1. Regions that are close to oceans and large lakes have different climates.

• 2. In the summer water remains cooler than the land and when wind blows, it brings cool air over the land.

• 3. In the winter water keeps its heat and when wind blows, it bring warm air over the land.

LOWERN

5. Continental and Maritime Climates • A region that is close to a large body of water (ocean or large lakes) has a Maritime Climate.

• A region that is NOT close to a large body ofwater has a Continental Climate.

Canada’s Weather

October 25, 2004

LOWERN

Continental and Maritime Climates

Continental Climate Maritime Climate

So, Canada has different Climates because of….

L =

O =

W =

E =

R =

N =

Latitude

Relief

Elevation

Wind

Nearness to water

Ocean Currents

How does climate affect us?

1. A Drought (no rain, very dry period) can destroy crops and soil.

2. Major snow/rain storms can cause major transportation problems3. Climate affects the vegetation, soil and

wildlife (animals).4. Climate also affects certain industries in

Canada like farming and forestry.

5.Turn over your page to do the next section.

Four Types of Precipitation:

• Rain, Snow, Hail, Sleet

Chinook:

A warm wind from the Rocky Mountains that quickly warms Alberta’s temperatures. It is also called the “snow eater” because it can raise temperatures by 21C in 4 minutes!

Temperature Range

= Highest Temperature – Lowest Temperature

Climate GraphsA Climate Graph shows the average temperatures and precipitation (rainfall), for each month for a region or city.

A Climate Graph should have…1. Title of region or city

4. Months at the bottom

2. Temperature

(oC) in a red line 3. Precipitation (mm) drawn in blue blocks

5. Average Annual temperature (oC) & Total annual precipitation (mm)