Earth's Systems and Climate

• The cycling of water through Earth's systems is driven by energy from the sun and gravity
• Motions and interactions of air masses influence changing weather conditions
• Unequal heating and Earth's rotation cause atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns, which create regional climates

Key Terms

• Latitude: Coordinate specifying the north–south position of a point on the Earth's surface
• Longitude: Coordinate specifying the east–west position of a point on the Earth's surface
• Direct Sunlight: Solar radiation that travels straight to the Earth's surface
• Indirect Sunlight: Solar radiation that is scattered or diffused before reaching the Earth's surface
• Heat Capacity: The amount of heat required to change an object's temperature by a certain amount
• Altitude: The height of an object or point in relation to sea level or ground level
• Prevailing Winds: Winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on the Earth's surface
• Convection Current: A current in a fluid that results from convection
• Thermohaline Current: A part of the large-scale ocean circulation that is driven by global density gradients created by surface heat and freshwater fluxes
• Ocean Conveyor Belt: A global-scale circulation pattern in which density-driven forces and gravity combine to sink cold, salty water in the North Atlantic and then return warmer water to the surface in other parts of the ocean
• Rain Shadow: A dry area on the leeward side of a mountainous area
• Precipitation: Any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity
• Condensation: The change of the physical state of matter from gas phase into liquid phase
• Evaporation: The process of a substance in a liquid state changing to a gaseous state due to an increase in temperature and/or pressure
• Glaciers: A slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains or near the poles
• Fronts: A boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the primary cause of meteorological phenomena

Weather vs. Climate

• Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place
• Climate is the average weather conditions in a place over many years
• Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get

Thermal Energy Transfer

• Thermal energy transfers through conduction, convection, and radiation
• Thermal energy transfers from warmer to cooler objects

Water Cycle

• Water changes state between liquid, solid (ice), and gas (water vapor)
• Energy flows during the water cycle, e.g., evaporation requires energy input
• Pressure and density change as water moves through the cycle

Latitude

• Latitude influences weather, as it affects the angle of sunlight and temperature

Prevailing Winds

• Prevailing winds are driven by pressure gradients and the Coriolis effect
• Prevailing winds impact weather by distributing heat and moisture

Ocean Currents

• Ocean currents are driven by wind, density differences, and the Earth's rotation
• They impact weather by transporting heat

Heat Capacity

• Land and sea breezes are affected by heat capacity: Land heats and cools faster than water
• Relationship between temperature, density, and pressure influences these breezes

Altitude

• Altitude impacts temperature; temperature decreases with increasing altitude
• Higher altitudes are generally cooler due to lower air pressure

Mountains

• Mountains impact weather by forcing air to rise, leading to cooling, condensation, and precipitation
• Mountains create rain shadows on their leeward sides

Temperature Relationships

• Temperature's relationships with other variables: arrows to indicate increase/decrease:
  • Temperature increase = altitude decrease
  • Temperature decrease = altitude increase

Fronts

• Fronts are boundaries between air masses: Cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, occluded fronts
• Different types of weather are caused by fronts, e.g., storms, drizzle

Pressure Systems

• Pressure systems impact fronts: Pressure influences their movement and intensity