Tuesday, September 10, Tuesday, September 10, 20132013

The Plan:

1. Warm Up: In your notebooks, write down the definition for climagraph (alt. climograph):a graph that shows the average temperature and precipitation in a place over a year. The bars equal precipitation, and the line represents temperature. After writing the definition, look at this climagraph and try to guess the location of this world city based on the climate data.

2. Review Factors of Climate

Weather vs ClimateWeather vs Climate• Weather: the daily

(short term) condition of the atmosphere. Includes temperature and precipitation

ClimateClimate• Climate: Average

weather condition measured over an extended period of time (30 years)

World Climate RegionsWorld Climate Regions

Factors Affecting Climate

• Four Major Factors influence Climate (Remember Yesterday?)

–Latitude

–Wind and Ocean Currents

–Elevation

–Continentally and topography (landforms, distance from water)

LatitudeLatitude• °N or °S of

equator• Equator = direct

rays = hot• Poles = very

indirect rays = cold

• Biggest effect on climate!!

Latitude: Earth Sun Latitude: Earth Sun RelationsRelations

Wind Currents

• Wind distributes the sun’s heat through convection, or the transfer of heat.

• Air moving from

high to low pressure

zones impacts climate by circulating Hot and Cold air!

Air PressureAir Pressure 1. Caused by unequal heating of earth’s surface

2. Low pressure = warm, moist air → rises & forms clouds →storms

3. High pressure = cold, dry air → sinks → stable and clear weather

Ocean CurrentsOcean Currents70% of earth is water!

Flow in circular paths like wind currents:

Warm currents carry water from low to high latitudes,

Cool currents return cooled water from high to low latitudes.

La Niña and El Niño

El niño a warm ocean current that flows off the west coast of South America every few years. An El Niño event changes weather patterns around the world.

La niña a cool ocean current that flows off the west coast of South America every few years. Changes weather patterns around the world.

Elevation • Increase in elevation causes a drop in

temperature!

• 3.5 degrees F per 1000 feet!

Landforms/Mountain Barriers• Air pushes against a mountain (blue)

• This (blue) air rises and cools down, forming clouds.

• Clouds = Rain

• The side facing

the wind gets all

love.

Real Life Example

Bishop, CA has an arid climate with an average of 5.02 inches of precipitation falling per year

Sequoia National park receives between 26-45 inches per year, depending on elevation.

Real Life Example

Hydrosphere & Atmosphere

SpheresSpheres• LITHOsphere- upper

mantle and crust. This is the part we live on!

• HYDROsphere- all water elements (oceans, seas, rivers)

• ATMOsphere- all air elements

• BIOsphere- all spheres combined

Plate Tectonic Plate Tectonic TheoryTheory

• Internal Forces:o Plate Tectonic

Theory states that Earth’s crust is a group of big pieces that move in four ways:

o Spreado Subductiono Collisiono Sliding

Plates Plates Sliding=EarthquakesSliding=Earthquakes

•Violent Movement of the earth

•Intensity measured by the Richter Scale

• Measured from 1-10

•Highest Recorded:1960 in Chile (9.5)

•Focus- actual location of earthquake

•Epicenter- place on the crust it is felt

Plates Colliding=FoldsPlates Colliding=FoldsNeither plate gives causing the plate to buckle and fold.

Mountains form!

Plates Spreading-Ocean Floor Plates Spreading-Ocean Floor

SpreadingSpreading

•Magma forces plates apart

•Ocean water cools the melted rock, forming a new floor

•http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/slip3.html

Plate subduction= Plate subduction= VolcanoesVolcanoes

As plates crash, one plate is forced under the other.

When oceanic and continental plates collide, a volcanic zone is created

Ring of Fire- A rim around the Pacific Ocean where the majority of active volcanoes are located

Can cause a Tsunami.

Ring of FireRing of Fire

Basics before the Basics before the activity activity

• Inner Core- solid iron

• Outer Core- liquid iron and nickel

• Mantle- home to liquid rock called magma

• Crust- outer shell of the earth

Collision

Spread

Sliding Subduction

Plate Activity Plate Activity

Step 1

Step 2Step 3

It should look something like this, but better.

1 2

3 4