Climate MKM, Department of Chemistry, BIT Sindri

Definition:

The intensity and duration of light, the temperature, the atmospheric conditions including the
humanity and wind velocity the quantity and pattern of precipitation etc, constitute the climate of
any place.

Climatic factors:

1. Light
2. Temperature
3. Humidity
4. Wind velocity
5. Rain fall

1. Light :

Light plays a key role in plants life. The structure, shape, physiology, development and other
essentials of plant are controlled by light.

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  Photosynthesis: - A very important role of light is photosynthesis. The light energy is
absorbed by chlorophyll and which transform this energy into carbohydrates.
 Effect on growth and structure:- Light is necessary for growth. It is seen that growth of a
plant is affected by the quality of light. Researchers here shown that red light gives maximum
height to plants whereas plants grow under blue light are small and compact. Green light
gives a medium effect on the plants. Thickness of the leaf increases with the intensity of light
the form of heat also depends upon intensity of light.

 Effect on flowers, fruits and seeds:- intensity of light has a remarkable effect on
development of flowers, fruits and seeds. Sunny days in general gives the highest
yield of fruits and grains and better production of seeds than in diffused or cloudy
light.
So it can be inferred that light is very necessary and must for plants as light
energy affects physiology, morphology, reproduction growth and survival of plants
and animals.
 Temperature:- Temperature regulates all chemical processes of metabolism and
various physical processes of plants changes in temperature may cause abnormalities,
like change in colour, size etc . Temperature can limit reproduction, development of
organism, and distribution of species. It affects the germination of seeds, flowering of
plants and fruit formation. Temperature also affects the growth rate in many plants
and animals. It is seen that a large number of small plants, grasses cannot tolerate high
temperature above 40° c. Few plants can tolerate high temperature in deserts. The
temperature at which species can survive in active state is known as maximum
effective temperature.
The temperature varies from place to place depending upon
rainfall, evaporation, wind velocity, humidity, soil formation, industries, population
and several other factors. Due to variation in temperature, soil temperature also varies
from place to place throughout the year. As the rate of transpiration is directly
proportional to temperature hence with increase of temperature, transpiration will
increase while decrease of temperature will decrease the rate of transpiration.

 Humidity:- Humidity can be defined as the maximum amount of moisture that can be
held by atmosphere, if temperature and pressure are kept constant. The relative
humidity is the ratio of real humidity and humidity at constant temperature and
pressure. Thus relative humidity varies if temperature or pressure changes and also
depends upon air velocity, soil vegetation and other factors. The humidity affects
reproduction and other behaviours of the organisms. Many animals change their
behaviour when humidity is high while some animals show greater activity at low
humidity.

 Wind velocity:- In general wind velocity affects flora and fauna of the particular
region. The transpiration of plant is directly proportional to wind velocity. It increases
with increase of wind velocity and decreases with decrease of wind velocity. Animals
are less effected than plants with change of wind velocity.

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  Rainfall:- The quantity of vegetation directly depends up on the rainfall, seasonal air,
weather and other geographical conditions. If rainfall is good, the vegetation is dense
while less vegetation in any region indicates the less rainfall than the normal limit.
Heavy rainfall causes destruction of vegetation.

Climate v/s Weather

---Weather is the day to day state of the atmosphere in a region, and its short term
(minutes to weeks) variation. Whereas climate is defined as statistical weather
information that describes the variation of weather at a given place for a specified
interval.

They are both used interchangeably sometimes but differ in their measure of time, and
trends that affect them.

---Weather is the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitations, cloudiness,

visibility and wind. In popular usage, climate represents the synthesis of weather, more
formally it is the weather of a locality averaged over some period (usually 30 years) plus
statistics of weather extremes.

Climate Weather
Definition Describe the average conditions Describe the atmospheric
expected at a specific place at a conditions at a specific place at a
given time. A regions climate is specific point in time. Weather
generated by the climate generally refers to day to day
systems, which has five temperature and precipitation
components, atmosphere, activity.
hydrosphere, cryosphere, land
surface and biosphere.
Components Climate may include Weather include sunshine, rain,
precipitation, temperature, cloud cover, winds, hail, snow,
humidity, sunshine, wind sleet, freezing rain, flooding,
velocity, phenomenon such as blizzards, ice stems,
fog, frost and hail storms over a thunderstorms, steady rains, from
long period of time. cold front or hot front, excessive
heat, heat waves and more.
Forecast By aggregate of weather By collecting meteorological data
statistics over period of 30 years. like air, temperature, pressure,
humidity, solar radiation, wind
speed and direction etc.
Determined by Aggregate weather statistics Real time measurements of
over periods of 30 years atmospheric pressure, temperature,
(climate normal) wind velocity and direction,
humidity, precipitation and other
variables.
Time period Measured over long period Measure for short term
Study Climatology Meteorology

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