Latitude and Climate: Higher Latitude, Colder Climate Quiz and Flashcards

Study Notes

Latitude and Climate

Latitude measures how far north or south a place is from the equator, and is measured in degrees.
Places closest to the equator (0º latitude) receive more concentrated, direct energy from the sun.
Areas at higher latitudes (farther from the equator) receive energy from the sun that is spread over a larger area and is less concentrated.
Lower latitudes tend to have warmer climates than higher latitudes.

Altitude and Climate

Altitude affects local climate, with temperatures becoming cooler as altitude increases.
This is due to air density, with air molecules being spaced farther apart at higher altitudes, making the air less dense.
At lower altitudes, air molecules are closer together, making the air more dense, and trapping heat, resulting in warmer temperatures.

Bodies of Water and Climate

Bodies of water take a long time to heat up or cool down compared to the surrounding land.
This helps keep nearby temperatures from becoming too extreme.
In winter, heat from bodies of water warms the air above, which then blows over the land, warming it.

Description

1Temperature is affected by latitude, altitude, distance from large bodies of water, and ocean currents. 2Latitude describe how far north or south a place from the equator. It is measured in degrees. The places closest to the equator (Oº latitude) receive more concentrated, direct energy from the sun than those farther from the equator. In areas of higher latitudes (farther from the equator), energy from the sun is spread over a larger area and is less concentrated. Places with lower latitudes tend to have warmer climate than those at higher latitudes. 3Altitude affects local climate. As the altitude increases, the temperature become cooler. This has to so with air density or how close or far apart air molecules are from each other. Air molecules are held together by gravity. The higher up they are, the harder for gravity to hold them together. At higher altitudes. Air molecules are spaced farther apart, meaning the air is less dense. At lower altitudes, air molecules are closer together, meaning the air is more dense. The air better to trap heat, so temperatures are warmer. 4Bodies of water take a long time to heat up or cool down compared to the land around them. This helps keep the temperatures of the nearby from becoming too extreme. In winter, the heat from the bodies of water warms the air above it. The air then blows over the land and warms it. In summer, bodies of water cool the air above them, which blows over the land nearby and cools it. 5Oceans make up about 70 ‘percent of Earth’s surface. Within the oceans are massive flows of water called ocean currents. Ninety percent of ocean currents are cold deep-water currents. Cold currents begin in the polar regions and bring cool water towards the equator. The remaining 10 percent of ocean currents are warm surface currents. Warm currents start in the tropics and bring warm water into cooler regions. These currents either warm or cool the climates of land areas nearby.