Weather and Climate PDF

## Theme 3 ### The Earth - Its Geographical Features ### Weather And Climate Use Cordova Smart Class Software on the smart board in class to make learning enjoyable. (Digital Learning – NEP Guidelines) Look at the given pictures and guess the climate of the place. Talk in class how you enjoy th...

## Theme 3 ### The Earth - Its Geographical Features ### Weather And Climate Use Cordova Smart Class Software on the smart board in class to make learning enjoyable. (Digital Learning – NEP Guidelines) Look at the given pictures and guess the climate of the place. Talk in class how you enjoy these climates. ### WEATHER How can we define weather? Weather is defined as the condition of air, temperature, wind, air pressure, rainfall and humidity in the atmosphere at a given place and time. Weather keeps changing. We may experience different weather conditions in the morning, afternoon and evening. A sunny day may suddenly become cloudy and windy. **Climatic Regions Of The World** | Region | Description | |--------------------|-------------------------------------------------| | Arctic Circle | very cold | | Taiga | cold and dry | | Prairies | hot and wet | | Mediterranean | hot and wet | | Tropic of Cancer | warm and wet | | Equator | very hot and wet | | Tropic of Capricorn | very hot and dry | | Savannah | hot and dry | | Pampas | hot and wet | | Mediterranean | warm and wet | | Tundra | very cold | | Steppes | cool and dry | | Desert | very hot and dry | | Tropical Monsoon | hot and wet | | Equatorial | very hot and wet | | Antarctic Circle | very cold | ### Weather affects our daily activities. We choose our clothes and food according to the weather. Weather results in seasons when it remains unchanged for a particular period of time in a year. India experiences mainly three seasons – summer, monsoon and winter. The cycle of seasons repeats itself every year. ### CLIMATE Weather condition that prevails over a vast area and for a long period of time is called climate. Places are said to have dry, hot, wet or cold climate if they have the same weather conditions for a very long period of time (approximately 30 to 40 years). Different places in the world have different types of climate. Countries like Canada, Norway, Sweden and Russia are very cold while several parts of India, Myanmar, China, Bangladesh and Indonesia are hot and humid. The regions with similar climatic conditions have similar ways of life too. Climate also affects our way of life. Our clothing, housing, transportation and the food that we eat are all influenced by the climate of the place we live in. **Factors that influence climate :** * latitude or distance from the Equator * altitude or height above the sea level * distance from the sea * direction of winds * humidity and rainfall ### Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) –Tick (√) the correct answers. (Remembering) 1. The condition of air, temperature, wind, air pressure, rainfall and humidity in the atmosphere at a given place and time is called * (a) climate * (b) weather √ * (c) season 2. Weather conditions that prevail over a vast area and for a long period of time are called the * (a) climate * (b) weather √ * (c) year 3. The climate of a place is influenced by its * (a) longitude * (b) Equator * (c) latitude √ * or distance from the Equator. **Latitude Or Distance From The Equator:** The Earth's surface is heated by the rays of the Sun. Places located on or near the Equator receive direct rays of the Sun while places near the two poles receive the slanting rays of the Sun. These rays of the Sun have to travel through a greater distance. Hence, they lose most of their heat as compared to direct rays that travel a shorter distance and hence retain most of their heat. So the closer a place is to the Equator, the hotter is its climate. The closer a place is to the poles, the colder is its climate. **Altitude Or Height Above The Sea Level:** The rays of the Sun heat the surface of the Earth. This heated surface then heats the atmosphere. Places at higher altitudes receive lesser heat than those places that are at lower altitudes. Hence, the temperature at higher altitudes is lower than that of the plains. The temperature decreases as the height of the land increases. This is the reason why hill stations are cooler than plains even in summers. Most peaks in the Himalayan mountains remain snow-covered even during summers. For example, Darjeeling (at a height of around 6,700 feet above the sea level) is cooler than Delhi which is at a height of around 708 feet above the sea level. **Distance From The Sea (Places near the sea, for example, Mumbai and Kolkata are neither very hot nor very cold throughout the year. They have a moderate climate. Whereas places far away from the sea have an extreme climate, i.e., they are very hot in summers and very cold in winters. s. In summer, the land gets heated faster and warms the air above it. This warm air rises, making way for the cooler air from the sea to blow in. This cool breeze, coming from the sea, cools the land near the coast. In winter, the sea loses heat slowly and therefore, it remains warm. This warm air rises and blows towards the land and makes it warm. **Humidity:** When air has a large amount of moisture or water vapour in it, it leads to humidity. Humid air also affects the climate of a place. It is one of the main reasons of rainfall. The amount of rainfall and the season, influence the climate of the place. Areas near the coast are very humid. Places with cold climate experience snowfall instead of rainfall. **Direction Of Winds:** Winds have a great effect on the climate of a place. Depending from where the winds originate, they maybe cool, hot, dry or full of moisture. Winds blowing from desert areas are hot and dry while those blowing from the sea are cool and moist. For example, Delhi is hot in summer due to the dry and hot winds blowing from Rajasthan. In winter, cold winds from the Himalayas cause a cold wave in northern India. Coastal areas get more rain. Winds play a major role in the formation of clouds that cause rain. Winds that blow over oceans and seas carry moisture. These moist winds rise up and cool to form water droplets that fall down as rain. When winds reach a mountain, they are forced to rise. As they rise, they cool and form water droplets that cause rain. Hence, it rains more in mountain areas. ### A. Write [T] for true and [F] for false statements. (Remembering) 1. Places near the poles receive direct rays of the Sun. [F] 2. The closer a place is to the Equator, the hotter is its climate. [T] 3. Places at higher altitudes receive more heat than those at lower altitudes. [F] 4. Places near the sea have a moderate climate. [T] 5. Places with cold climate experience snowfall instead of rainfall. [T] 6. Winds doesn't have any role in the formation of clouds. [F] ### B. Circle the correct options. (Remembering) 1. The closer a place is to the poles, the colder is its climate. 2. The temperature decreases (increases according to the decreasing height of the land. 3. When air has a large, small amount of moisture or water vapour in it, it leads to humidity. 4. Winds that blow over oceans and seas carry humidity/moisture ### Discuss: Organise a group discussion on the likes and dislikes about various kinds of weather and climate.