What is Weather

Weather is the daily state or condition of the atmosphere. Weather is described in temperature, the absence or presence of precipitation(rain), the type of rain, atmospheric pressure, and direction and intensity of winds.

What is Climate

Climate is the average yearly pattern of weather. This includes, rain patterns, amounts, and annual temperatures. Climate cannot be experienced by walking outside; to experience climate, one must live in an area for over a year. Average also hide extremes(for example, if an area has a average temperature of 50 degrees, the high could bee 100 and the low could be 0).

Factors that influence climate:

1. pressure and wind

2. ocean currents

3. mountain barriers

4. latitude

5. altitude

6. land and water distribution(how close to a body of water)

7. storms

Winds

Winds influence climate by being what brings moist or dry air to an area. Winds may be warm or cold depending on the direction it blows from. They also affect the travel of storms and ocean currents(somewhat). More On Wind

Ocean Currents

The rotation of the earth on its axis causes the waters of the earth, particularly the oceans, to move. This movement creates a circulating system. Warm water currents come from the equator while cold water currents come from the poles. More about Ocean Currents.

Mountain Barriers

Mountain Barriers affect climate by forcing moisture-bearing winds to rise and release participation on the “windward”(the side where the wind hits) side of the mountain. The other side of the mountain usually has an arid climate. The air becomes compressed, and therefore warmer and drier.

(The severity of these effect depend on the altitude of the mountain!)

Latitude

Latitude influences climate with temperature and air pressure. The closer you are to the poles, the colder and thinner the atmosphere is going to be. The closer you are to the equator, the hotter it’s going to be. This is because the earth’s tilt causes sunlight to hit earth indirectly, which causes uneven temperatures. More on Latitude

Altitude

Altitude affect climate in multiple different ways. Firstly, as altitude increases wind speed decreases. This is because the atmosphere gets thinner the higher your elevation. Secondly, areas with high altitude are always cold. This is because when the air’s pressure and density decrease, it is not able to hold in moisture which is key for retaining heat. Lastly, areas with high altitude have less oxygen and carbon which affects lifeforms. More on Altitude

Land and Water Distribution

The closer a piece of land is to a body of water, the more humid it is. It is also prone to more storms and natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. Land not close to water tends to be dry with fewer water-related events.

Storms

Typically referred to as the “climatic control factor”, storms have a major affect on an area’s precipitation. This greatly affects the yearly climate pattern. Storms that only happen in a certain area, or happen frequently in a certain area, are part of the area’s yearly climate pattern.

Sources

Sciening

Britannica

National Geographic

In-class notes