Climate• Climate is the average weather over a long period of time– Weather is the current condition

of the atmosphere– Factors affecting weather/climate

• Latitude … amount of insolation• Global wind patterns• Altitude• Precipitation patterns• Proximity to large bodies of water

Greenhouse Effect• The greenhouse effect is a

process where Earth traps heat within its atmosphere.– Natural process that is essential

for life on Earth!– Greenhouse gasses: CO2, CH4

(methane), & H2O– The energy budget refers to

Earth’s to the amount of energy entering and leaving Earth’s atmosphere• Currently Earth has a +budget

– Earth is heating!!!

Latitude and Climate

• 3 Cell system– Polar Zone

• 90o – 66.5o

• Cold dry air sinks and moves toward the temperate zone

– Temperate Zone• 66.5o – 23.5o

• Wide variations in temperatures• Cold moist air rises at the polar interface

and sinks at the tropics

– Tropical Zone• From 23.5o to the equator• Warm moist air rises at the equator

completing cell

Heat Transport• Air masses– Dense cold air masses sink

while warm moist air masses rise• Creates weather and wind• Global wind patterns driven by

latitude and air mass density

Heat Transport

• Ocean currents– Driven by the Coriolis effect

• Turns water clockwise in the northern hemisphere

• Brings cold water down the western US and warm water from the equator up the eastern coast of the US

– Deep ocean currents are driven by density• Brings nutrients to the surface

Land Masses• Coastal mountains create

different climates on the windward (ocean side) and leeward sides (land side)– Windward is marked by

cloud formation and precipitation

– Leeward is dry creating a “rain shadow” desert