2 - Factors Influencing Climate (Summary)

Factors Influencing Climate Factors Influencing Climate SummarySummary

Latitude.Latitude. Pressure systems and wind.Pressure systems and wind. Ocean currentsOcean currents Distance from the sea (continentality)Distance from the sea (continentality) Altitude.Altitude.

LatitudeLatitude

What is latitude and What is latitude and how does it effect how does it effect climate?climate?

Tropical climate zone.Tropical climate zone. Temperate climate Temperate climate

zone.zone. Polar climate zone.Polar climate zone.

Pressure Systems and WindPressure Systems and Wind

Where is the tropical rainforest and where are the deserts?

Ocean CurrentsOcean Currents

Continentality – Distance from the Coast

How does distance from the coast affect temperature?

The oceans and the land warm up and cool down at different speeds. Basically the oceans take longer to warm up and longer to cool down.

Compare the climate graphs of; Brest in France, Bratislava in Slovakia, Volgograd in Russia.

Brest

BratislavaVolgograd

°C

7.4 8.8 12.

1 14.

6 15.

9 15.

8 14.

0 11.

5 8.8 7.4 6.0 6.2 °C

DecNovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan

0.9 4.8 10.

4 15.

8 19.

6 20.

3 18.

4 15.

0 10.

4 4.6 0.4

-1.3

Dec

Nov

OctSepAugJulJunMay

AprMar

Feb

Jan

Bratislava

Brest

-4.9-0.2 7.5 15.

4 22.

4 23.

8 21.

5 16.

5 8.5 -2.9 -8.3 -8.2 °C

DecNovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan

Volgograd

AltitudeAltitudeHow does altitude effect climate

and thus vegetation?

Climate and VegetationClimate and Vegetation

Ecuador Case StudyEcuador Case Study

Ecuador – What would we Ecuador – What would we expect the climate and expect the climate and vegetation to be like?vegetation to be like?

Ecuador – on the equator right

underneath the inter-tropical convergence

zone

This was taken in Ecuador

AltitudeAltitude Altitude is the height above sea levelAltitude is the height above sea level As altitude increases – for example as we As altitude increases – for example as we

go up a mountain – air pressure go up a mountain – air pressure decreasesdecreases

As a result of these changes temperature As a result of these changes temperature also decreases – 2-3 degrees C every also decreases – 2-3 degrees C every 300m300m

Altitude and mountains also affect Altitude and mountains also affect precipitation (why?) and wind (how?)precipitation (why?) and wind (how?)

A

B

B

A

Vegetation ChangesVegetation Changes

A

B

Cotopaxi mountain (5987m), permanent snow and high altitude

alpine tundra (4000-5000m)

Andean mountain cloud forest (Mindo area 1600 – 2200m

Highland scrub (Paramo, 3200-4000m)

Inter-Andean agricultural land (Machachi area 2300-3200m)

Lowland tropical rainforest e.g. Santo Domingo are or upper Amazon Basin – Rio

Napo - (0-1500m)

Esmeraldes, coastal tropical mangroves

Climate and Vegetation of Ecuador – Andes cross section

Cotopaxi (5987m)

ResearchResearch You need one example of a plant and one You need one example of a plant and one

animal from the desert climate and the same animal from the desert climate and the same for the tropical rainforest. for the tropical rainforest.

For each you must describe and explain the For each you must describe and explain the main features of the plant/animal and how main features of the plant/animal and how these are adapted to the climatic conditions.these are adapted to the climatic conditions.

Also, for each climate zone research an Also, for each climate zone research an indigenous people and explain how they are indigenous people and explain how they are adapted to the climatic conditions.adapted to the climatic conditions.