Tropical Climates Zone

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2 Tropical Climates Zone

3 RAIN FOREST CENTRAL AFRICA, SOUTH AMERICA (AMAZON), CENTRAL AMERICA, S.E. ASIA HUMID/WARM ANNUAL RAINFALL 200 CM TYPE #1: TROPICAL

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6 DESERT N. AFRICA (SAHARA) & S.W. ASIA < 25 CM OF PRECIPITATION/YEAR HOT DAYS, COLD NIGHTS SAVANNAH GRASSLANDS/DROUGHT RESISTANT SHRUBS WET/DRY PERIODS AVE. RAINFALL 50 CM

7 Mid Latitude Climates Zone

8 TYPE #2 MID LATITUDE AVE. MAX TEMP. < 18* C IN WINTER, MIN TEMP. > 10* C IN SUMMER MARINE WEST DENSE FORESTS, MILD SUMMER/WINTER FREQUENT RAINFALL NARROW TEMP. RANGE STEPPE COLD/DRY WINTER, WARM/WET SUMMER DROUGHT RESISTANCE VEG PRECIPITATION< 40 CM LARGE TEMPERATURE RANGE

9 HUMID CONTINENTAL WIDE VARIETY OF VEG, EVERGREENS,/HIGH HUMIDITY ANNUAL PRECIPITATION > 75 CM LARGE TEMP. RANGE HUMID SUBTROPICAL - BROAD LEAF & EVERGREENS/ HIGH HUMIDITY ANNUAL PRECIPITATION ~ CM LARGE TEMP. RANGE MEDITERRANEAN BROADLEAF & EVERGREENS, LONG/DRY SUMMER & MILD/WET WINTER ANNUAL PRECIPITATION ~ 40 CM SMALL TEMP. RANGE

10 TYPE #3 POLAR SUBARCTIC - EVERGREENS, SHORT/COOL SUMMERS, LONG/COLD WINTERS ANNUAL PRECIPITATION CM LARGEST ANNUAL TEMP. RANGE TUNDRA TREELESS, 9 MO. OF BELOW FREEZING ANNUAL PRECIPITATION 25 CM POLAR ICECAP LITTLE/NO LIFE, TEMP. < FREEZING YEAR ROUND, HIGH WINDS LOW ANNUAL PRECIPITATION

11 LOCAL CLIMATES MICROCLIMATE CLIMATE OF SMALL AREA RURAL, URBAN, SUBURBAN AFFECTED BY ELEVATION PROXIMITY TO WATER MAN-BUILT STRUCTURES

12 MICRO CLIMATE DEFINED THE CLIMATE OF A SMALL AREA THAT DIFFERS FROM THE CLIMATE OF THE SURROUNDING AREA IS CALLED A MICROCLIMATE. LOCAL CLIMATES CAN VARY GREATLY BASED ON SUCH FACTORS AS TOPOGRAPHY, ELEVATION, MOISTURE, WIND, SOIL, AND VEGETATION.

13 URBAN HEAT ISLAND A BUILT-UP AREA WHICH IS CONSISTENTLY HOTTER THAN ITS SURROUNDINGS, PARTICULARLY IN SUMMER. MANY CITIES EXHIBIT A HEAT ISLAND EFFECT, WITH SEVERAL DEGREES BETWEEN THE CENTER OF THE CITY AND SURROUNDING FIELDS. HEAT ISLANDS WERE FIRST NOTICED IN THE 1800S. IT IS BELIEVED TO OCCUR BECAUSE THE HEAT IS ABSORBED BY THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE OF AN URBAN AREA

14 MICROCLIMATE

15 HIGHLAND CLIMATES AS ELEVATION INCREASES, TEMPERATURE DECREASES MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS HAVE LARGE VARIATIONS IN TEMP/PRECIP OVER SHORT DISTANCES

16 LARGE BODIES OF WATER AFFECT CLIMATE REDUCE RANGE OF TEMPS BECAUSE OF SPECIFIC HEAT OF WATER INCREASES PRECIPITATION NEARBY LAKE EFFECT SNOW

17 LAKE EFFECT SNOW LAKE-EFFECT SNOW IS PRODUCED DURING COOLER ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WHEN A COLD AIR MASS MOVES ACROSS LONG EXPANSES OF WARMER LAKE WATER, WARMING THE LOWER LAYER OF AIR WHICH PICKS UP WATER VAPOR FROM THE LAKE, RISES UP THROUGH THE COLDER AIR ABOVE, FREEZES AND IS DEPOSITED ON THE LEEWARD (DOWNWIND) SHORES

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19 CHAPTER 22.3: CLIMATE CHANGE

20 HOW DO WE KNOW IF THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING?

21 STUDYING PAST CLIMATES ICE CORES SHOWS GAS CONCENTRATIONS OF THE ATMOSPHERE, HIGH CO2 = WARM CLIMATE

22 SEA 18 FLOOR SEDIMENTS 18 O CONCENTRATION, HIGH O = COOL WATER

23 FOSSILS STUDYING PAST CLIMATES CONT. POLLEN, LEAVES, ANIMALS BROAD LEAVES MEANS WARM CLIMATES, WAXY LEAVES MEAN COOL CLIMATES TREE RINGS THIN RINGS MEANS COOL WEATHER, THICK RINGS MEAN WARM WEATHER SPELEOTHEMS (CAVE DEPOSITS, STALACTITES & STALAGMITES

24 SPELEOTHEMS CAVE DEPOSITS STALAGMITES & STALACTITES HIGH C = EL NINO EVENTS, LOW O = HURRICANES

25 STUDYING PAST CLIMATES CONT. GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS COMPUTERS USED TO SIMULATE CLIMATE CONDITIONS BASED ON AVAILABLE DATA

26 SO WHAT CAUSES CLIMATE CHANGE?

27 POSSIBLE CAUSES ARE - PLATE TECTONICS AS CONTINENTS MOVE, WIND FLOW & OCEAN CURRENTS CHANGE AND AFFECT TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION

28 ECCENTRICITY: EARTH S ORBIT CHANGES BECOMES MORE OR LESS ELLIPTICAL TILT: VARIES BETWEEN *, THE GREATER THE TILT THE MORE ENERGY THE POLES RECEIVE

29 PRECESSION: EARTH ALSO WOBBLES ON ITS TILT THIS HAPPENS AS A CYCLE OF EVERY ~100,000 41,000 AND 26,000 YEARS

30 HUMAN ACTIVITY: EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION, INDUSTRY RELEASING CO2 INTO AIR LAND USE DEFORESTATION REMOVES NATURAL CO2 FROM VEGETATION VOLCANIC ACTIVITY: SULFUR/ASH RELEASED INTO ATMOSPHERE, REFLECTS BACK SUNLIGHT INTO SPACE (COOLING EFFECT)

31 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

32 GLOBAL WARMING GRADUAL INCREASE IN GLOBAL TEMPERATURES, 1* C/100 YEARS LEADS TO INCREASE IN EVAPORATION AREAS BECOME DRIER, ICE AT POLES MELT, SEA LEVELS COULD RISE SEA LEVEL CHANGES 2-4*C THIS CENTURY, THERMAL EXPANSION OF OCEANS, SHORELINES TO SHIFT INLAND

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34 HOW CAN WE REDUCE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING? INTERNATIONAL LAWS TO REDUCE POLLUTION INDIVIDUALS CAN REUSE, REDUCE, AND RECYCLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, FUEL EFFICIENT CARS/HYBRIDS

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