EARTH SCIENCE REVIEWER: CLIMATE AND GLOBAL SYSTEMS

WEATHER (what we get) - is the outdoor condition of the moment; what we see and experience;
conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time that can change within minutes or hours;
The main elements that influence weather conditions are the sun, the atmosphere, and the hydrologic
cycle.

CLIMATE (what we expect) – is how the atmosphere behaves over a long period of time and space
that has an average weather pattern over decades; The simplest analysis of climate uses data about
temperature and rainfall or precipitation. It is caused by the unequal distribution of heat from the sun.

DEFINITION OF TERMS:

Weather forecasts - tells us the predicted temperature and the possibility of rain.

Precipitation - the generic term for all forms of condensation falling back to earth like rain, snow, hail, or mist.

Hydrologic Cycle - the continuous movement of water between the earth and the atmosphere.

Meteorology - is the study of the atmosphere that came from the Greek word meteoros or "things high up" or lofty things.

Meteoros – in modern term meteorology, it refers to clouds, winds, rain, and weather events are things up high or lofty

things. The field of study is meteorologia.

Coriolis Force - the curving or deflection of rotating objects. (Northern Hemisphere = deflects right; Southern Hemisphere = deflects left)

CLIMATOGRAM/S - is a visual representation which shows annual highs, lows, averages, and ranges
of temperature as well as precipitation for a specific city, province, or region. A climatogram gives
the general climate of a region; Temperature appears as a graph line and rainfall as a bar graph; tells
us what to expect at given months.

In the Manila climatogram, we see that the

highest temperatures occur in April and May
while the lowest temperatures arc in the
months of January and December. Rainfall is
highest in August and lowest in February.

3 TYPES OF HEAT TRANSFER:

CONVECTION CURRENT – is the movement of fluid

(either gas or liquid); it is the movement of heat
wherein cold air sinks and warm air rises

CONDUCTION – requires direct contact to transfer

thermal energy

RADIATION - transfer of energy with the help of

electromagnetic waves meaning it does not need
any material and thus, travel in space
 EARTH’S TEMPERATURE ZONES

- The average monthly temperatures around the globe vary according to the latitude, location,
season, and the number of hours of daylight.

TEMPERATE ZONE TORRID OR TROPICAL ZONE

- has mild temperatures - the hottest or warmest part of
and enjoys the 4 seasons the earth because they get more
(summer, autumn, spring, sunlight
and winter)

FRIGID OR POLAR ZONE

- coldest part of the
planet; characterized by cold
average temperatures and the lack
of a warm season.

 INSOLATION is the amount of heat absorbed by the earth's surface in a given amount of
time. Insolation is higher as the incident sun rays tend to be more perpendicular. The more
slanted the incident rays, the lower the insolation. (90 ° rays = higher insolation)

PRESSURE BELTS - determines the direction/origin of the wind (low pressure belts = 30°-60° ; high
pressure belts = 30°-90°)

 Equatorial Low (Doldrums) – has extremely low pressure with calm conditions; the zone of
convergence of trade winds from two hemispheres from sub-tropical high pressure belts; The
doldrums (meaning boredom) is a region of clear skies but with hot, humid, slowly rising air
wherein there is little or no wind.
 Subtropical High (Horse Latitudes) - the subsiding air from the equatorial region which
descends after becoming heavy, is warm, dry and steady; prevailing winds blow from the
horse latitudes to the doldrums in both north and south hemispheres therefore, most of the
deserts are present along this belt in both hemispheres.
 Subpolar Low - easterly winds generated by the polar high converge with westerly winds from
the subtropical high, at the subpolar low pressure belt; Weather here is often very unsettled,
with extensive cloud cover.
 Polar High - strong, dry winds blow from the northeast in the northern hemisphere, and from
the southeast in the southern hemisphere; areas of high atmospheric pressure

CONTROLLING FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE GLOBAL SYSTEMS THAT AFFECT CLIMATE

 Distance from the Equator (Latitude)
 Distance from the Oceans
(Continentality)
 Topography of the Land (Relief)
 Altitude above sea level (Elevation)
Climatologists measure and predict rainfall in different regions
of the earth. Aside from air temperature, other factors control
the amount of rainfall over a given region: trade winds, winds
laden with humidity, ocean currents, and belts of converging and
ascending winds. Because of the temperature differences among
the latitudes, there are various wind systems around the globe.
PREVAILING WINDS

 TRADEWINDS – steady and persistent; winds that blow from east to west in both north and
south hemispheres; helps sailing ships to cross the world's oceans for centuries. As prevailing
winds in the tropics, they steer the tropical cyclones that are born over the Pacific, Atlantic,
and Indian oceans
 Northeast Trade Winds – winds blowing from northeast (subtropical to equator)
 Southeast Trade Winds – winds blowing from southeast
 EASTERLIES – are winds that blow from the east that are cold and dry and are usually weak
and irregular. . They move from the high pressure regions of the north and south poles toward
the low pressure belts at 60° latitude.
 WESTERLIES - are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes. They blow from southwest in
the northern hemisphere and from northwest in the southern hemisphere (or simply winds
that blows from the west). From the high pressure belt of the horse latitudes, they move
eastward toward the poles. They frequently change in speed and direction which increases
the latitude at the same time.

EFFECTS OF PREVAILING WINDS

 Distributes large amounts of solar energy across the world

 Causes a variety of precipitation such as snow and rain
 At the 30° where the cold dry air descends, deserts form

 AIRMASS – are huge body of air (amihan and habagat) that are originally from one area and
are classified according to properties; moves from a high pressure region to a low pressure
region
 Continental Arctic (cA) – from arctic and Antarctic regions; bitter cold and extremely
dry in winter; cool and dry during summer
 Continental Polar (cP) – from over dry lands; dry and cold in winter; mild and dry
during summer; from Central Europe
 Continental Tropical (cT) – from over deserts and plains, North Africa; mild and dry in
winter; hot and dry during summer (dry but hotter)
 Maritime Polar (mP) – high moisture but colder; characterized by cold and dry
weather with low stratus clouds and precipitation; from Greenland
 Maritime Tropical (mT) – characterized by a very hot, humid and sticky weather; from
the atlantic

TYPES OF CONVECTION CURRENT:

HADLEY CELL – are the largest cells; winds blow over the surface from 30° N toward the equators; in
here, the warm and less dense air rises to a height about 18km and spreads out underneath the
tropopause that acts as a lid to the lowest part of the atmosphere and contains all of the weather. The
warm air spreads out, gradually cooling and sinking before descending back to the surface and flowing
back to the equator; named after George Hadley who discovered them in the 18th century.

FERREL CELL – between the Hadley and Polar Cell; flows in the opposite direction between the two
cells, acting like a gear and transports heat from the equator to the poles as well as resulting in semi-
permanent areas of low and high pressure; 30°-60° N/S ; named after William Ferrel, an American
meteorologist who explained the cell's existence in 1856

POLAR CELL - are the smallest cells; cold dense air descending in the polar regions flows at low levels
about 60° to 70° North or South, as the air leaves the polar regions, it starts to warm and rise,
returning to the poles at high levels.
PRESSURE DIFFERENCES IN DIFFERENT SEASONS

Seasons alternate between the two hemispheres.

Winter in the northern hemisphere means it is summer
in the southern hemisphere. The extremes of seasons
are winter and summer. In summer, surface
temperatures are high. Warm rising air creates low
pressure. In other words, regions experiencing
summer have low pressures. Cold air tends to descend,
creating high pressures. Regions in winter have high
atmospheric pressures.

MONSOONS - are masses of air blowing from cold to warm regions; Regions in winter have high
atmospheric pressures while region in summer have low pressures. Therefore, the monsoons blow
from cold winter regions to hot summer regions. Monsoons are initiated by differences in sea and land
temperatures. A seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the
southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon ), or from the northeast
between October and April (the dry monsoon ).

 SOUTHWEST MOONSOON (HABAGAT) – occurs from June to October; has hot/warm

and moist/humid air that originates from the Indian ocean that may provoke typhoons
 NORTHEAST MOONSOON (AMIHAN) – occurs from November to February; has cold
and dry air that originates from Siberia that may slow down typhoons because they
don’t have any moisture

The habagat brings rain and floods while the amihan brings us cold, pleasant winds, and chilly mornings.

OCEAN CURRENTS - Any continuous flow of water along a definite path within the ocean. The path
of the flow may be horizontal, parallel to the surface or vertical, with waters moving up and down.
As ice forms at the poles, the salinity of the water increases; When temperature and salinity
increases, the density of the water increases

CAUSES OF OCEAN SURFACE CIRCULATION CURRENTS

 Solar Radiation - heats up the ocean surface

 Wind - blow over the oceans. The ocean surface is pushed in the same direction as the
prevailing winds.
 Gravity - pulls accumulated water down the slope from the slightly higher level. This pull
starts the flow over the ocean.
 Coriolis Force - the flow curves to the right in the northern hemisphere. This curving or
deflection brings the water into circular patterns.
 CAUSES OF PEEP WATER CIRCULATION CURRENT

 THERMOHALINE – is the combination of salinity and temperatures that makes water heavier
causing it to sink toward the bottom (thermo - heat and haline - salt). When warm water
meets cold water, the heavier cold water sinks. More saline or salty water sinks below the
less saline water.
 GYRES – are the circular patterns created during ocean surface circulation (Northern
Hemisphere = clockwise ; Southern Hemisphere = counter-clockwise); influences world
climates, keeping temperatures warmer in winter and in the cooler latitudes in Europe and
North America.
 North Pacific Gyre
 South Pacific Gyre
 North Atlantic Gyre
 South Atlantic Gyre
 Indian Ocean Gyre

 THERMOHALINE CURRENTS – causes the conveyor belt motion; oceanographers estimate

that the cycle of the conveyor belt takes about 1 000 years to make one cycle.
 OCEANIC CONVEYOR BELTS - is the mechanism for the global heat exchange. Heat is
transferred from the equator to the cold regions. Air in the higher latitudes absorbs heat
from the warm waters. The temperature in cold regions thus, does not drop too low.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF CLIMATES

- The world's climates are classified according to the Koppen Climate Classification System (first
proposed by Vladimir Koppen in 1900).

 Tropical Climates (Classification A)- are found between 20° N latitude to 20° S
 Dry Climates (Classification B) – are found between 200 to 300 N and 200 to 300 S
 Mild Mid-Latitude Climates (Classification C) - extend from 30° to 50° latitudes in both
hemispheres
 Cold Mid-Latitude Continental Climates (Classification D) - climates range from warm
to cool
 Polar Climates (Classification E) - have extremely cold winters and cold summers

CLIMATES AND BIOMES

Middle Latitude
Tropical Rainforest Deserts Grassland Deciduous Forest Taiga Arctic Tundra
(MLDF)

The tropical rainforest is a
hot, moist biome found near
Earth's equator; Constant
warmth and abundant
moisture of the tropical
rainforest provides a suitable
environment for about 15
million species of plants and
animals; Covers 6% of the
earth’s surface.
Depending on its altitude and
latitude, a desert can be very
hot or very cold. The desert is
an arid region with little flora
or fauna. Its plants and
animals have to survive in an
environment with little water.
Reptiles and cacti have
adapted to the desert
environment.
Grasslands have different
names and varying
characteristics in different
continents: prairies of North
America, steppes of Asia,
pampas of Argentina, veld of
South Africa, and savannah of
Australia. Grasslands are
found on every continent
except Antarctica; Grassland
vegetation is predominantly
grass of various kinds, both
short and tall
From Latin decidere to fall
down or fall off. They are
most colorful in autumn. They
are bare in winter to protect
themselves and to conserve
water. Heavy spring rainfall
helps leaf buds sprout back
and by summer the biome is
green once again;
characterized by heavy
precipitation and nourishes
an abundant and highly varied
fauna.
It is also called the boreal
forest which means the
northern forest; has warm,
moist, and short summers
followed by long, cold, and
dry winters. The trees in
taigas are coniferous trees
like pines, firs, and spruces.
These trees grow needles and
stay green throughout the
year, which explains why they
are also called evergreens.
The coldest of all the biomes,
has very limited species
diversity. Its name derives
from a Finnish word, tunturi,
which means a treeless plain.
Ellie plants that have adapted
to these very cold conditions
have a short growing season.
These are mosses and lichens.
The tundra only exists in the
circumpolar regions.
THE PHENOMENON OF EL NIÑO – happens in the entire pacific ocean wherein the eastern part is
warmer and abundant in precipitation while the western part is colder and has less precipitation. El
Niño is Spanish for the Baby Jesus. The phenomenon was named so because it comes at about
Christmas. La Niña, Spanish for 'the little girl', is the cold counterpart of El Niño. La Niña also brings
extremes of weather.

 WINDWARD SIDE - exposed to the prevailing winds.

 LEEWARD SIDE - protected from the prevailing wind.

The west side of the ANDES (longest mountain range in the world) would be in a windward location and the
east side of the Andes would be a leeward location.

LONG-TERM CLIMATIC CHANGES

A good example of climatic change involves glaciers, which have alternately advanced and retreated
over the past 2 million years. At times, much of Earth’s surface was covered by vast sheets of ice.
During these periods of extensive glacial coverage, called ice ages, average global temperatures
decreased by an estimated 5°C. Global climates became generally colder and snowfall increased,
which sparked the advance of existing ice sheets. Ice ages alternate with warm periods—called
interglacial intervals—and Earth is currently experiencing such an interval.

SHORT-TERM CLIMATIC CHANGES

While an ice age might last for several million years, other climatic changes occur over much shorter
time periods. The most obvious of these are seasons, which are short-term periods of climatic
change caused by regular variations in daylight, temperature, and weather patterns. The variations
that occur with seasons are the result of changes in the amount of solar radiation an area receives.