Factors that Influence Climate

1. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors: • Latitude • Distance from the equator • Angle of suns rays • Why do we have seasons?

2. Latitude is at work here; what other factors? Patterns? Temperature Animation Latitude

3. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors: • Latitude • Altitude Temperatures fall by 6 °C with every 1000 m gained in elevation

4. Often said that: ``altitude mimics latitude’’ What does that mean? Altitude Swiss Alps http://traumwerk.stanford.edu/archaeolog/2005/12/some_effects_of_altitude_and_c.html

5. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors • Latitude • Altitude • Oceanic Circulation • currents

6. Ocean circulation • Global conveyor • Including surface currents such as Gulf stream that influence climate

7. El niño View animations

8. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors • Latitude • Altitude • Oceanic Circulation Other important factors • Atmospheric Circulation • Winds • Cold air sinks • Compresses and warms • Warm air rises • Expands and cools

9. Atmospheric circulation • Arrows show direction of winds near ground • Winds are angled because of Earth’s rotation (coriolis effect) • Air at 60 deg N and S rises, most going toward the poles, where it gets cold and sinks. So, poles are cold and dry.

10. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors • Latitude • Altitude • Oceanic Circulation Other important factors • Atmospheric Circulation • Solar activity Radiation Animation • Solar maximum • 11 year cycle

11. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors • Latitude • Altitude • Oceanic Circulation Other important factors • Atmospheric Circulation • Solar activity • Volcanic activity • Lots of ash and CO2 • O2 and water create atmospheric haze

12. volcanoes • sulfur dioxide can remain in atmosphere for 3 years, forming haze that reflects sunlight, cooling the planet • Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 had that affect

13. 1815: Mt. Tambora erupts • 1816: Year without a summer

14. Factors that Influence Climate 3 main factors • Latitude • Altitude • Oceanic Circulation Other important factors • Atmospheric Circulation • Solar activity • Volcanic activity • Topography • Shape of the land • Rain shadow

15. How does the Earth gain heat? • The Sun

16. What accounts for the Earth’s temperature? • Energy balance • Electromagnetic energy (light, UV, IR) from the Sun enters the Earth’s atmosphere • Electromagnetic energy is radiated back to space

17. 3 waysfor transfer of heat energy • Radiation: electromagnetic waves (such as light from the sun) travel through space • Convection: warm gases or liquids rise, cool, and fall • Conduction: warm body transfers heat directly to a colder body

18. Earth’s Greenhouse Effect

19. The greenhouse effect • One of the main reasons Earth has a livable climate • Not in doubt • Greenhouse gases: ``Trap’’ heat that is radiated from the earth’s surface and re-radiate it. • Water vapor – main greenhouse gas • Carbon dioxide • Methane -- 26 times CO2’s heat-trapping ability • Nitrous oxide – 216 times CO2’s heat-trapping ability

20. Why the interest in CO2? • Increasing rapidly in the atmosphere • Plays a big role high in the atmosphere, where it is quite dry—i.e., little water vapor.

21. Greenhouse gases • Carbon dioxide: released when biomass (wood) or fossil fuels are burned • Methane: released when organic waste decomposes in landfills; by livestock; during processing of fossil fuels • Water vapor: evaporation from ocean.

22. The Carbon Cycle

23. Albedo = how much light an object or surface reflects Light ice reflects Dark land absorbs Some of the Sun’s energy is reflected back to space