CLIMATE AND WEATHER

A N I N T R O D U C T I O N T O O U R T O P I C

Ardeen Intendencia
INTRODUCTION

CONTENT TODAY

Climate and Weather

Microclimates

Climate Classification

Influence of Climate
CLIMATE AND
WEATHER
The climate is based on long term trends and
is measured over years whereas weather is
short term and changes rapidly. Climate is the
averaging of atmospheric conditions over
longer periods of time. Weather describes the
state of the atmosphere, the degree to which it
is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear
or cloudy. Weather generally refers to day-to-
day temperature and precipitation activity.
 A region’s weather patterns, usually tracked for at
least 30 years, are considered its climate. Climate
also determines what type of houses people build in
a particular region, the plants and animals that
inhabit in a location, and even the livelihood of the
people and community.
WEATHER
The term weather describes the state
of the atmosphere at a given point in
time and geographic location.
Temperature, the amount and form of
airborne moisture, cloudiness, and
strength of wind are all different
components of our weather. The
interaction between air pressure,
humidity, wind, cloudiness and
temperature impact on weather
conditions.
Both weather and climate are the result of the
interaction of several Earth systems; 1) the
movement of moisture in the water cycle that
evaporates ocean water into the air where it
condenses into travelling clouds or storms that
eventually cause rain or snow; 2) the movement
of heat that begins at the sun-soaked equator
and moves warm air toward the north and south
poles; and 3) the movement of the oceans hat
takes icy-cold water from the poles to the tropics,
warming or cooling the air above the water.
These factors, including the greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere, combine to form the high- and
low-pressure systems and the climate of the
location you live in. To understand the complex
interactions and patterns of weather and climate,
scientists collect as much observational data as
they can on precipitation, temperatures,
humidity, and other atmospheric conditions.
MICROCLIMATES
Of course, no climate is uniform. Small variations, called microclimates, exist in every
climate region. Microclimates are largely influenced by topographic features such as
lakes, vegetation, and cities. In large urban areas, for example, streets and buildings
absorb heat from the Sun, raising the average temperature of the city higher than
average temperatures of more open areas nearby. This is known as the “urban heat
island effect.”

Large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada, can also
have microclimates. Cities on the southern side of Lake Ontario, for example, are cloudier
and receive much more snow than cities on the northern shore. This “lake effect” is a
result of cold winds blowing across warmer lake water.
CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION
In 1948, American climatologist Charles Thornthwaite developed a climate classification
system that scientists still use today. Thornthwaite’s system relies on a region’s water budget
and potential evapotranspiration. Potential evapotranspiration describes the amount of
water evaporated from a vegetated piece of land. Indices such as humidity and precipitation
help determine a region’s moisture index. The lower its moisture index value, the more arid a
region’s climate.

The major classifications in Thornthwaite’s climate classification are microthermal,

mesothermal, and megathermal.

Microthermal climates are characterized by cold winters and low potential

evapotranspiration. Most geographers apply the term exclusively to the northern latitudes of
North America, Europe, and Asia. A microthermal climate may include the temperate climate
of Boston, Massachusetts; the coniferous forests of southern Scandinavia; and the boreal
ecosystem of northern Siberia.
CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION

Mesothermal regions have moderate climates. They are not cold enough to sustain a layer of
winter snow, but are also not remain warm enough to support flowering plants (and, thus,
evapotranspiration) all year. Mesothermal climates include the Mediterranean Basin, most of
coastal Australia, and the Pampas region of South America.

Megathermal climates are hot and humid. These regions have a high moisture index and
support rich vegetation all year. Megathermal climates include the Amazon Basin; many
islands in Southeast Asia, such as New Guinea and the Philippines; and the Congo Basin in
Africa.
KÖPPEN CLASSIFICATION
Although many climatologists think the
Thornthwaite system is an efficient, rigorous way
of classifying climate, it is complex and mapping
it is difficult. The system is rarely used outside
scientific publishing.

The most popular system of classifying climates

was proposed in 1900 by Russian-German
scientist Wladimir Köppen. Köppen observed
that the type of vegetation in a region depended
largely on climate. Studying vegetation,
temperature, and precipitation data, he and
other scientists developed a system for naming
climate regions.
KÖPPEN CLASSIFICATION
According to the Köppen climate
classification system, there are five
climate groups: tropical, dry, mild,
continental, and polar. These climate
groups are further divided into climate
types. The classification scheme includes
tropical, dry, temperate, continental and
polar zones.
INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE
Clothing
Clothing, for example, is influenced by climate.
Indigenous Arctic cultures of Europe, Asia, and North
America, for example, developed warm, durable, fur
and animal-skin clothing. This clothing was
necessary for survival in the icy climate near the
North Pole. Many parkas worn by Arctic peoples are
not only insulated, but waterproof. This combats
both the frigid temperatures and precipitation found
in polar climates.

Lightweight, papery tapa cloth, on the other hand, is

part of many cultures in the warm, humid climates
of Polynesia, in the South Pacific. Tapa cloth was
traditionally made from dried leaves, coconut fibers,
and breadfruit bark. Tapa cloth is delicate and loses
strength when wet, which would be deadly near the
poles but only inconvenient near the equator.
Shelter
Climate also influences how civilizations construct
housing. For instance, the ancient Anasazi people of
southern North America built apartments into tall cliffs.
The sheltered, shady area kept residents cool in the hot,
dry desert climate.

The yurt is a part of the identity of many cultures across

the windy, semiarid steppe of Central Asia. Yurts are a
type of original “mobile home,” a portable, circular
dwelling made of a lattice of flexible poles and covered in
felt or other fabric. Yurts protect residents from fierce
winds, and their portability makes them an ideal
structure for nomadic and seminomadic herding cultures
on the grassland. the South Pacific. Tapa cloth was
traditionally made from dried leaves, coconut fibers, and
breadfruit bark. Tapa cloth is delicate and loses strength
when wet, which would be deadly near the poles but
only inconvenient near the equator.
Agriculture
The development of agriculture was very dependent
on climate. Ancient agricultural civilizations, such as
those in Mesopotamia and India, flourished where the
climate was mild. Communities could grow crops every
season, and experiment with different types of crops,
livestock, and farming techniques.

The mild, Mediterranean climate in which the Roman

Empire developed, for instance, allowed farmers to
cultivate crops, such as wheat, olives, grapes, barley,
and figs. Livestock included cattle, sheep, goats, pigs,
and even honeybees.
Agriculture
Like the ancient Romans, ancient cultures of the
Amazon Basin in South America were also able to
develop agricultural practices. The chief domesticated
trees in the Amazon were mostly harvested for food
and medicine: Brazil nuts, Inga ynga fruit (commonly
known as “ice-cream beans”), Amazon tree grapes, abiu
(another tropical fruit), and cacao fruits (whose seeds
are known as cocoa beans).

Today, farmers are still in tune with the climate. They

plant certain crops according to the expected amount
of rainfall and the length of the growing season. When
the weather does not follow the typical climate
pattern, it can mean hard times for farmers and higher
food costs for consumers.
FUN FACT
QUIZ TIME
1. IT IS THE AVERAGING OF ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS OVER
LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.
A. CLIMATE
B. WEATHER
C. ATMOSPHERE
D. WEATHER CONDITION

2. IT DESCRIBES THE STATE OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

A. CLIMATE
B. WEATHER
C. ATMOSPHERE
D. WEATHER TYPE
3. THESE ARE SMALL VARIATIONS OF CLIMATES.
A. MACROCLIMATES
B. MICROCLIMATES
C. MACROWEATHERS
D. MICROWEATHER

4. IT RAISES THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE CITY HIGHER

THAN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES OF MORE OPEN AREAS
NEARBY.
A. URBAN WARM ISLAND EFFECT
B. RURAL WARM ISLAND EFFECT
C. RURAL HEAT ISLAND EFFECT
D. URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT
5. THE KÖPPEN CLASSIFICATION SCHEME INCLUDES WHAT
ZONES.
I. TROPICAL
II. MESOTHERMAL
III. MICROTHERMAL
IV. ICY

A. I AND III
B. II AND III
C. I AND IV
D. I ONLY
TRUE OR FALSE

6. THE “LAKE EFFECT” IS A RESULT OF WARM WINDS BLOWING ACROSS COOLER

LAKE WATER.

7. POTENTIAL EVAPORATION DESCRIBES THE AMOUNT OF WATER EVAPORATED

FROM A VEGETATED PIECE OF LAND.

8. TODAY, FARMERS ARE STILL IN TUNE WITH THE CLIMATE. THEY PLANT
CERTAIN CROPS ACCORDING TO THE UNEXPECTED AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AND
THE LENGTH OF THE GROWING SEASON.
9. HIS SYSTEM RELIES ON A REGION’S WATER BUDGET AND
POTENTIAL EVAPOTRANSPIRATION.

10. HE PROPOSED THE MOST POPULAR SYSTEM OF

CLASSSIFYING CLIMATES.
THANK YOU