What is climate?
The average, year-after-year conditions of temperature, precipitation, wind, and clouds in an area.
What do both weather and climate depend on?
The transfer of thermal energy and water into and out of the atmosphere
How is temperature related to precipitation?
Temperature changes cause evaporation and precipitation.
What four things affect temperature?
Latitude, altitude, distance from large bodies of water, and ocean currents
Latitudes close to the equator have ___________ climates than latitudes farther from the equator.
Warmer
Where is the tropical zone?
Near the equator (between 23.5*N and 23.5*S)
Where are the polar zones?
At the poles (66.5*N to 90*N and 66.5*S to 90*S)
Where are the temperate zones?
Between the polar and tropical zones (23.5*N to 66.5*N and 23.5*S to 66.5*S)
What is the temperature like in the tropical zone? Why?
Warm year round because it receives direct or nearly direct sunlight all year
What is the temperature like in the temperate zones? Why?
Warm or hot in summer and cool or cold in winter because the sun's rays are more direct in summer and less direct in winter
What is temperature like in the polar zones? Why?
Cool or cold all year because the suns rays always strike at a low angle
How does altitude affect temperature?
The higher up you go, the colder it gets. The temperature in the troposphere decreases about 6.5*C for every 1 km increase in altitude.
What is a marine climate?
Climates that have relatively mild winters and cool summers because of their proximity to oceans
What is a continental climate?
A climate that has more extreme temperatures because they are far from large bodies of water
Why does proximity to oceans or large lakes affect temperature?
Water heats up and cools down about five times more slowly than land.
How do ocean currents affect temperature?
The temperature of the current affects the air temperature above it.
