<p> Weather and Climate</p><p>1. Weather- is the condition of the bottom layer of the earth’s atmosphere in one place over a short period of time</p><p>A description of weather usually mentions temperature, moisture or precipitation.</p><p>Atmosphere- a multilayered band of gases, water vapor, and dust above the earth.</p><p>Green house effect- is the trapping of the suns solar radiation inside the earth’s atmosphere.</p><p>2. Climate- is the term for the weather patterns that an area typically experiences over a long period of time.</p><p>Weather and climate are related but not synonymous.</p><p>Rotation and Revolution Rotation- is the earths movement on it’s axis -the earth is tilted at 23 ½ on it’s axis</p><p>Revolution- is one complete orbit around the sun. - one revolution occurs every 365 ¼ days - to account for the ¼ ;every four years we make the year 366 days (Leap Year), we add a day in February Seasons The earth’s tilt means that the sunlight strikes different parts of the planet more directly. This causes the season to change.</p><p>Solstices- when the sun appears directly overhead at the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer -summer (June 21) when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closer to the sun -winter (December 21) Southern Hemisphere is tiled closer to the sun</p><p>Equinoxes- the sun, at noon, appears directly overhead at the Equator. - spring (March 21) - fall (September 23) - on these dates the lengths of day and night is nearly equal everywhere on earth</p><p>Latitude and Climate</p><p>Geographers use latitude, or distance from the Equator to divide the world into zones.</p><p> Tropical zones (low latitudes)-are measured from 23 ½ degrees north and south latitude  Temperate zones (middle latitudes)-are measured from 23 ½ - 66 ½ degrees north and south latitude  Polar zones (high latitudes)-are measured from 66 ½ degrees North and south latitude to the poles. Distributing the Sun’s Heat</p><p>Convection- the transfer of heat from one place to another - warm gases and liquids rise - cooler gases and liquids sink</p><p>Distributed 2 different ways- (wind and water) - warm from the equator to the poles - cold from the poles to the equator</p><p>1. Wind -Rising warm air creates areas of low pressure -Falling cool air causes areas of high pressure</p><p>Coriolis effect- is the deflection of the winds from the equator and the poles.</p><p>Doldrums- the area near the equator which has light winds Horse latitudes- 30 North and South latitude, calm</p><p>Trade winds- blow toward the equator, between the doldrums and horse latitudes</p><p>2. Water (Currents) -currents carry warm water from the equator to the poles -wind and Coriolis effect influence the circular patterns of currents in the oceans Precipitation</p><p>Humidity- is the amount of water vapor contained in the Atmosphere</p><p>Precipitation- is all forms of water that fall from the atmosphere onto the earth’s surface.</p><p>-forms as air temperature changes -warm air absorbs more moisture than cool air -when the air cools the vapor condenses into liquid -tiny droplets of water gather together to form clouds -precipitation occurs when more water collects in the clouds than they can hold</p><p>1. Convectional Precipitation -occurs when humid, hot air rises and cools, losing water. Most common near the Equator</p><p>2. Orographic Precipitation -when warm moist air is forced upward over high landforms, it cools, forms cloud and loses water (rain or snow)</p><p>3. Frontal Precipitation -two fronts (air masses) meet -warm air is forced up by heavier cool air, the warm air cools and frontal precipitation forms</p>