Geography and Climate PDF

Chapter Three: Geography and Climate About the Chapter The World climate is divided by geographers into different climate zones based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation. In this unit you will be introduced to these different climate zones. In lesson three you will...

Chapter Three: Geography and Climate About the Chapter The World climate is divided by geographers into different climate zones based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation. In this unit you will be introduced to these different climate zones. In lesson three you will be introduced to the ways that people living in cold places adapt to face the challenges of their climate. Chapter 3 Geography and Climate Lesson 1: World Climates Lesson 2: The Koppen Climate Classification Lesson 3: Adaptation to Different Climates: The Inuit People  Lesson 11 Lesson Chapter Chapter3:3:Geography Geographyand andClimate Climate World WorldClimates Climates Have Haveyou youever everwondered wonderedwhy whyone onearea areaofofthe theworld worldisisaadesert, desert, another anotheraagrassland, grassland,and andanother anotheraarainforest? rainforest?The Theanswer answerisis climate. climate. Before BeforeYou YouRead: Read: -What -Whatisisclimate? climate? -What -Whatare arethe thetwo twomajor majorfactors factorsthat thatdetermine determinean anarea’s area’sclimate? climate? -What -Whatare aresome someexamples examplesofofdifferent differentclimates climateswe wehave haveininthe the Arab Arabworld? world? A. A.Introduction Introduction Climate Climateisisthe thecondition conditionofofthe theatmosphere atmospherenear nearthe theEarth’s Earth’ssurface surface atataacertain certainplace placeon onEarth. Earth.ItItisisthe thelong-term long-termweather weatherofofthat that area area(at (atleast least3030years). years). Climate Climateincludes includesaageneral generalpattern patternofof weather weatherconditions, conditions,seasons seasonsand andweather weatherextremes extremeslike likehurricanes, hurricanes, droughts, droughts,ororrainfall. rainfall.Two Twoofofthe themost mostimportant importantfactors factorsdetermining determining an anarea’s area’sclimate climateare areair airtemperature temperatureand andprecipitation. precipitation. AAclimate climatezone zoneisisaaregion regionofofthe theworld worldininwhich whichthetheclimate climatecan can be bedefined. defined. The Theclassification classificationofofclimatic climaticzones zonesisisbased basedon onmaximum maximum and andminimum minimumtemperatures temperaturesand andthe thetemperature temperaturerange, range,as aswell well as asthe thetotal totaland andseasonal seasonaldistribution distributionofofprecipitation. precipitation. 65 65 Lesson 1 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate B- Factors Affect Climate There are several factors which affect climate. Some of these factors are summarized below: Latitude Latitude controls the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface of the Earth. The general rule for latitude is that the farther away from the equator you are the less energy that is reaching the ground at any point in time. Altitude Temperatures decrease with height. The air is less dense and cannot hold heat as easily. Winds If winds have been blown from a hot area, they will raise temperatures. If winds have been blown from cold areas, they will lower temperatures. Distance from the Sea Land heats and cools faster than the sea. Therefore coastal areas have a lower temperature range than those areas inland. On the coast winters are mild and summers are cool. In inland areas temperatures are high in the summer and cold in the winter. 66 Lesson 1 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate C- World Climates One way that geographers divide the Earth is by bands that are parallel to the equator. These bands help geographers describe the climate of the regions of the Earth. The nearer a place is from the equator, the warmer the climate is. The farther a place is from the equator, the colder the climate is. There are some imaginary circles used to describe the different climates of the Earth as follows: Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer lies to the north of the equator. Tropic of Capricorn Tropic of Capricorn lies to the south of the equator. Both of these circles are parallel to the equator and lie at a latitude of roughly 23.5 degrees. The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn mark the northern and southern boundaries of the region known as the Tropics. Figure 3.1 shows the Latitudes and Longitudes on a globe. 67 Lesson 1 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate Figure 3.1: Latitudes and Longitudes on a globe The Arctic Circle To the north of the equator there is an imaginary line called the Arctic Circle. Everything north of the Arctic Circle is called the Arctic Region. The lands of the Arctic Circle form a ring around the Arctic Ocean. Most of the Arctic Ocean stays frozen throughout the year. Packs of ice float on the surface of this ocean. This is called the polar ice cap. The North Pole is at the center of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is located about 67 degrees north of the equator. 68 Lesson 1 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate Figure 3.2: The Arctic Circle In the mid winter months in the Arctic region, the sun never rises and temperatures can easily reach lows of - 50º F in the higher latitudes. In the summer months the sun melts the seas and topsoil and is the main cause of icebergs breaking off from the frozen north and floating south. 69 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate The Koppen Climate Classification There are a number of different ways to classify the world’s climate zones. One of the most widely used systems of climate zones is the one classified in the early twentieth century by a German researcher called Koppen. Koppen breaks the world’s climate up into five major climate zones as follows: A - Tropical B - Temperate C - Dry D - Cold E - Polar Further subgroups are designated to distinguish specific seasonal characteristics of temperature and precipitation. These are summarized on the map below. Figure3.3: The Koppen Climate Classification 70 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate 1-Tropical Climate Zone Tropical climate is usually marked with hot and humid weather conditions. In this climate zone all months have average temperatures greater than 18° Celsius. Tropical climates are known for their high temperatures year round and for their large amount of year round rain. Tropical weather conditions are not as hot as the deserts. Two subgroups are used with this climate zone as follows: A-Dry Tropical The dry tropical climate can be characterized by scanty precipitations, extremely high daily temperatures 40-50 °C and cool (some times cold) nights with low temperatures (approximately 0 °C), because of the clear and cloudless sky. B-Wet-Dry Tropical There is a very wet season and a very dry season in this climate zone as a result of seasonal change that occurs between wet tropical air masses and dry tropical air masses. Rainforests are quite common in this climate zone. These rainforests are usually seen in Brazil, central Africa, Indonesia and northern Australia. 2- Dry Climate Zone This climate zone extends from 20-35° north and south of the equator. Dry climates are characterized by little rain and a huge daily temperature range. This climate zone occupies 26% of total global land area which is more than any other climate type. Two subgroups are used with this climate zone as follows: 71 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate A-Arid The dry arid desert climate is a true desert climate that occupies 12% of global land mass. Seasons in the arid desert are generally dry and hot, with few occurrences of rain during the winter. The heat peaks to extremes during the daytime because there are no clouds to shield the earth from the sun’s rays. B-Semiarid In the semiarid desert climate seasons are generally more defined than in the arid desert climate, with low rainfalls during the winter. This climate can be found in the deserts of North America, Europe, Russia, and northern Asia. 3- Moderate Climate Zone This zone is characterized by having a climate that is warm in the summer, cold in the winter, and moderate in the spring and fall. Three subgroups are used with this climate zone as follows: A- Mediterranean This is a wet-winter, dry-summer climate. Extremely dry summers are caused by the sinking air of the subtropical highs and may last for up to five months. The global position of this climate are central and southern California, coastal zones bordering the Mediterranean Sea, coastal western Australia and south Australia; Chilean coast, Cape Town region of South Africa. B- Humid Subtropical This climate zone is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. 72 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate C-Marine Wet Coast Marine wet coast climate is also called oceanic climate. This climate generally features warm, but not hot summers and cool, but not cold winters. 4- Continental Climate Zone This climate zone is characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby. Winter temperature is cold and there is a fixed period of snow each year. Summer temperature is moderate. Two subgroups are used with this climate zone as follows: A- Humid Continental This climate zone is characterized by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. B-Subarctic This climate zone is characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. 73 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate 5- Polar Climate Zone This climate zone is part of areas where permanent ice and tundra are always present. Only about four months of the year have above freezing temperatures. Three subgroups are used with this climate zone as follows: A- Tundra It is cold through all months of the year in this climate zone. Summer is a brief period of milder climates when the sun shines almost 24 hours a day. But even the sun can’t warm the tundra much. The short summer lasts only 6 to 10 weeks. It never gets any warmer than 45 or 50° F. Figure 3.4: Tundra Climate 74 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate B- Ice Cap In this climate zone the temperature never or almost never exceeds 0°C (32°F). The climate covers the areas around the poles, such as Greenland and Antarctica and the highest mountaintops. Figure 3.5: Ice Cap Climate Zone C-Highland Highland climates are cool to cold, found in mountains and high plateaus. Climates change rapidly on mountains, becoming colder the higher the altitude gets. This climate zone can be found in the Rocky Mountain range in North America, the Andean mountain range in South America, the Alps in Europe, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, the Himalayans in Tibet, and Mt. Fuji in Japan. 75 Lesson 2 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate Activity: Study the map below. Then answer the following questions. Figure 3.6: World Climate Zones 1-What are the different climate zones found in Africa? 2-What are the different climate zones found in Australia? 3-What are the different climate zones found in South America? 4-What are the different climate zones found in North America? 5-What is the major climate zone found in your country? 76 Lesson 3 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate Adaptation to Different Climates: The Inuit People A. Adaptation to Different Conditions Almighty Allah (Subhanahu Wa Tala) has created every living thing to adjust or adapt to different conditions. For example, Almighty Allah (Subhanahu Wa Tala) has created the polar bears with large and compact bodies with relatively small surface areas from which they can lose their internally Figure 3.7: Polar Bears produced heat. This helps polar bears cope with the cold climates. In addition, polar bears have heavy fur and fat insulation that help retain body heat. Humans have adapted to many different climate regions around the world by developing cultural patterns and technologies that help them adjust to extremes of temperature and humidity. 77 Lesson 3 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate B. Inuit People of the Arctic The Inuit (also called Eskimo) have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years. The Arctic is definitely a challenging climate for the Inuit to live in. The lands where the Inuit live are cold and harsh. They have long cold winters and short, cool summers. There is a lot of snow. On the average there are between 15 and 90 inches of snow each year. The snow doesn’t melt until spring, and winter storms can force people to remain inside for days at a time. The Inuit adopt different technologies and cultural patterns to adapt to their challenging climate as explained in this lesson. For transportation Inuit use a small boat called kayaks that can carry only one person. This boat is covered in seal skins. This way the man and the boat can be one water proof unit. Figure 3.8: Inuit kayaks 78 Lesson 3 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate The Inuit use kayaks for hunting. The best known transportation is the komatik or dogsled. The komatik has a light but sturdy frame on runners with reins. The reins are hitched up to six or more husky dogs. Figure 3.9: Komatik Inuit also use racket-shaped snowshoes which have leather straps across the frame which tie on their feet. Critical Thinking How have the Inuit developed technologies to help them adapt to the polar climate? 79 Lesson 3 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate The Inuit people hunt for their food. They eat primarily fish, sea mammals and a few land mammals. They hunt seals, especially the ring seal. They know where to go on the ice to find the seals. Figure 3.10: Seal Hunters The Inuit people also hunt caribou for food and for their skins for clothing and antlers for tools. Is there any plant life or vegetation in the polar region? For clothing Inuit people use fur because it is warm enough in such a cold place. The Inuit use the fur of the caribou, seals, and polar bear. Inuit people clothing consist of a coat, trousers, stockings, shoes or boots. In very cold weather two of each garment is worn. The Inuit use all different kinds of tools. They use tools for hunting, transportation, games, and making other things they need. The Inuit use a knife with a triangular stone blade and a wooden ‘T’ shaped handle for skinning animals. They also use a large bone needle shaped knife for cleaning skins. How have the Inuit developed tools to help them adapt to the polar climate? In Inuit’s culture, fathers carved blunt “story knives” out of walrus 80 Lesson 3 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate bone for their daughters. The girls then drew pictures in the snow with them and told stories about the pictures. How is this pattern of culture different from your culture? Inuit men and women do different things. Men are the hunters and home builders, while women prepare the food, work on skins and make clothing. How is the role of the Inuit women different from the roles of women in your society? Critical Thinking Inuit mothers carry their children everywhere on their backs until they are 3 years old. Why do you think they do so? Activities: Activity One: Interpreting painting Figure 3.11: Painting of the Inuit people Study figure 3.11. Then talk with your partner about how the Inuit people adapt to cold climate. 81 Lesson 3 Chapter 3: Geography and Climate Activity Two: Blanket Toss One game that the Inuit people play is called the blanket toss. Originally a large durable blanket was made by sewing together several walrus hides. The blanket was about 10 to 12 feet wide. One player would sit or stand in the middle of the blanket, and a group of twenty or thirty players would spread out around the blanket and toss the middle person high into the air. How is this game different from the games you play? 82 Lesson TERMS 3 AND VOCABULARY Chapter 3: Geography and Climate Atmosphere: The mixture of gases that surrounds some planets, such as the air which surrounds the Earth. Caribou: A large deer with long horns like branches. Precipitation: Water which falls from the clouds towards the ground, especially as rain or snow. Semiarid: A term that describes an area or climate with little rain but not completely dry. 83 Lesson Chapter 3: Geography and Climate 84