Weather and Climate in Canada. October 2 nd, 2017

Transcription

1 Weather and Climate in Canada October 2 nd, 2017

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3 Big Ideas How are climate and weather in Canada influenced by geography? How do weather and climate affect the lives of Canadians?

4 Weather and Climate Weather refers to the condition of the atmosphere over a short period of time Climate refers to the condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time Weather can change quickly, climate changes slowly Meteorologists vs. Climatologists

5 Atmospheric Conditions How do we describe weather? Precipitation - rain, snow, sleet, hail or a mixture Wind hot air rises, cool air rushes in to replace it Clouds condensed water vapour Fog Clouds on the surface of the earth Extreme Weather: Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tornados, Electrical Storms

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7 Factors affecting weather & climate 1. Latitude 2. Elevation 3. Winds and Air Masses 4. Proximity to large bodies of water 5. Ocean Currents 6. Physical Features: Barriers & Throughways

8 Weather & Climate (cont d) Oct 3 rd, 2017

9 Consider the location of these cities/towns What might the weather and climate by like there? What factor s might affect the weather/climate? Tuktoyaktuk Alert Windsor Haida Gwaii Kelowna

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11 Factors affecting weather & climate 1. Latitude 2. Elevation 3. Winds and Air Masses 4. Proximity to large bodies of water 5. Ocean Currents 6. Physical Features: Barriers & Throughways

12 Ocean Currents

13 Air Masses Continental (c) dry Maritime (m) wet Arctic (A) very cold Polar (P) cold Tropical (T) - warm

14 Three Types of Precipitation Relief Precipitation caused by winds carrying air up over a mountain barrier Convectional Precipitation caused by the sun heating the earth s surface and the hot surface heating air above it Frontal Precipitation caused by moving masses of warm and cold air

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16 Climate & Culture We know that geography affects climate, how does climate affect culture?

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18 Vancouver and surrounding areas (Temperate West Coast)

19 Temperate West Coast Vancouver Largest city in BC 631,486 people in the city 2,463,431 in Greater Vancouver Area Consistently ranked in the top 5 best cities to live in in the world Why?

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22 The Arctic

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24 High C Low C Arctic Bay, Iqaluit Latitude - 73 N Continually inhabited for over 5000 years Population January February March April May June 2-3 July 8 3 August 4-1 September -4-8 October November December Year

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26 The Arctic Canada s northernmost regions are characterized by such extreme cold that simply staying alive is the ultimate challenge. Reliance on nature essential for survival Very sparsely populated, people drawn there for unique reasons Celebrated in famous literary works Robert Service poem The Cremation of Sam McGee Jack London short story To Build a Fire.

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30 Natural Vegetation & Wildlife October 5 th, 2017

31 Canadian Ecosystems Plant and animal life in Canada has developed in the context of our weather and climate Recreate Natural Vegetation Regions of Canada map Note that lines between regions represent transition zones

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33 Tundra Place of limited vegetation and cold, dry climate found in the artic region A thin layer of soil above the Permafrost (permanently frozen soil) warms up just enough for mosses, lichens, low bushes and arctic grasses to grow. Above the tree line, which separates this region from the boreal forest. Very few trees can grow above this line Home to arctic fox, caribou, muskox and a variety of non-migratory and migratory birds.

34 Boreal Forest Largest vegetation zone in Canada Follows mostly the same borders as the subarctic climate region Dense forest, mainly coniferous Very large and diverse animal populations Bear, Deer, Moose, Beaver and more

35 Mixed Forest A large vegetation zone between the boreal forest and the small deciduous forest of Southern Ontario A large variety of trees both coniferous and deciduous; In New Brunswick we have the Acadian Forest, one of the most diverse types of forest in the world Also home to a the greatest variety of species and largest numbers of them. Logging operations are very prevalent in this region and threaten biodiversity of the forest

36 Grasslands Found in the semi-arid prairie Tall gross grows abundantly due excellent soil and climate conditions Almost no trees, little cover for large animals Small deer and antelope are common Bison used to roam the prairie in the millions, slaughters to the brink of extinction Gophers are the most common critter

37 Mountain Varied elevations result in varied vegetation in the mountains Fauna include goats, sheep, bears and cougars

38 West Coast Forest Warm temperatures and high precipitation allow the growth of temperate rainforest Tree Species include Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar Fauna similar to mountain region

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40 Jasper National Park

41 Fryatt Valley

42 Jasper National Park - Alberta Situated astride Mountain & Subarctic Climate Zones Mountain & Boreal Ecozones Landforms Mountains Canyons Glaciers Rivers/Waterfalls Lakes Enormous biodiversity

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44 Moose: A Year in the Life of a Twig Eater Make Lists 1. What other animal life in Jasper National Park is depicted in the film 2. What are the biggest threats to the moose s survival? 3. What do the moose require to survive?

45 Parks Canada Assignment Research and report upon a National Park in Canada. Include the following in your report A map Brief overview of when/why/how the park was established Discussion of how the park relates to: Landform region Climate Region Vegetation Region Charts showing: Average highs and lows in temperature for each month Average precipitation for each month Graphs based on those charts Discussion of influences on weather/climate in that park Description of flora & fauna found in the park What attracts visitors to the park Something else you found interesting