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The role of climateEcology unit 3 lecture 1
What is climate?
• Climate: average, year-round conditions in a region
• Weather: the day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere
Greenhouse effect
• Heat from the sun warms the earth, then is reflected away at night.
• Gases in the atmosphere (CO2 , CH4, H2O vapor) maintain the earth’s temperature by reflecting heat back towards the surface
Latitude and climate
• The tilt of the earth causes uneven heating• Tropical , temperate, and arctic climate zones
radiate from the equator to the poles
Heat transport
• Heated air rises, then descends as it cools, creating winds
• Prevailing winds bring warm or cold air to a region
Ocean currents• Wind blowing over the
oceans and different water temps. within an ocean create oceanic currents.
Land masses
• Continents or mountain ranges can block air or water movement
• Rain shadows form on the downwind side of mountain ranges, creating deserts
• Why are there different climate zones on the earth?
• How do the atmosphere and the oceans transport heat from the equator to other regions?
• How do the gases in our atmosphere warm our planet?