Earth's Climate System Lesson PDF

Weather Refers to the atmospheric conditions for a specific place at a specific time Meteorologists Climate Refers to the average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time (at least 30 years)  Weather Weather describes atmospheric conditions for...

Weather Refers to the atmospheric conditions for a specific place at a specific time Meteorologists Climate Refers to the average weather conditions that occur in a region over a long period of time (at least 30 years)  Weather Weather describes atmospheric conditions for local areas over a short period of time. Weather conditions include: Temperature Type and amount of precipitation Wind speed Humidity Atmospheric pressure Presence of fog, mist, or cloud cover Weather can change dramatically from one day to the next.  What causes weather? Weather is caused by the interactions between the movements of water, air, and energy from the sun.  Climate Climate describes the average weather conditions for large regions over a long period of time, usually 30 years. Climate is classified into climate zones: Factors Affecting Climate Why do climate zones exist? The climate in a region is caused by a variety of factors: Latitude (distance from the equator) Altitude (height above sea level) Land formations Ocean or air currents Proximity to large bodies of water  Latitude & Insolation Insolation is the amount of solar radiation received by a region of the Earth’s surface. This varies depending on latitude and affects the climate of a region. The Earth and The Sun Energy from the Sun is the single most important factor that affects climate on Earth Some of the Sun’s energy is… absorbed by land and oceans absorbed by clouds reflected by clouds reflected from Earth’s surface The amount of energy that is reflected or absorbed depends on the albedo of different surfaces → a measure of how much solar radiation is reflected off a surface.  Balance of Energy on Earth As the Earth absorbs solar energy from the Sun, it is converted to thermal energy → heat. As it warms, Earth releases energy back into the air. Earth both absorbs and emits energy. Earth’s Climate System Earth has a global climate system which includes air, water, land, and living things and is powered by the sun. Components of Earth’s Climate System: 1. Atmosphere (air) 2. Hydrosphere (water) 3. Lithosphere (land) 4. Biosphere (living things) The Spheres of Earth