Global Climates and Biomes Chapter 4 Case Study: Floods

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Global Climates and Biomes

• Chapter 4

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Case Study Floods, Droughts, Famines

• Where in the world does this study take place?
• Explain how heavy rains led to lack of drinking
  water.
• How was the weather in this area different from
  usual?

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• Why are children most vulnerable to lack of
  water?
• Why were there problems in northern Kenya when
  the rains returned?
• Explain the global process that determines
  rainfall patterns.

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Weather and Climate

• Weather
• Definition
• Conditions include
• Measured over hours or days.
• Climate
• Average weather that occurs in a given region
  over long periods - decades.
• Regional differences in climate determine
• Climate is what we expect, weather is what we
  get. Mark Twain.

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Earths Atmosphere

• 5 layers of gases held in place by pull of
  gravity.
• Troposphere
• Stratosphere

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Earths Atmosphere

• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere
• Exosphere

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Patterns that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Unequal Heating of Earth
• Formation of Convection Currents
• Earths Rotation
• Earths Tilt and Seasone

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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Unequal Heating of Earth

• Angle of suns rays.
• Amount of surface area receiving sunlight.

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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Reflection of Solar Energy
• Albedo

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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Atmospheric Convection Currents
• Properties of Air
• Density
• Movement of air
• Water Vapor Capacity
• Warm air holds more
• Saturation point

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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Adiabatic heating and cooling
• Latent heat release

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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Formation of Convection currents
• Global patterns of air movement determined by
  unequal heating of earth and based on properties
  of air in the atmosphere.
• Hadleys Cell

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ITCZ Intertropical Convergence Zone

• Area where the ascending branches of Hadley cells
  converge.
• Area of most intense sunlight, dense clouds,
  thunderstorms.
• Not fixed in latitude
• Changes with the seasons following the path of
  most intense sunlight.
• 23.5N Tropic of Cancer
• 23.5S Tropic of Capricorn

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Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Formation of Convection Currents

Polar Cells Easterlies Ferrel
Cells Westerlies Hadley Cells Tradewinds
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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Earths Rotation and Coriolis Effect

181 mph
898 mph
1,038mph
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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Earths Tilt and Seasons

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Processes that Influence Earths Climate and
Weather

• Ocean Currents
• Circulation of ocean water at surface and deep
  ocean.
• Determined by

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Gyres

• Patterns of water circulation.
• Redistribute heat in ocean.

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Trash Vortex

• YouTube
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vFTurihxSTnIfeature
  related

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Upwellings

• West coast of continents. Surface currents
  diverge from each other.
• Deep waters rise and replace water that was moved
  away. Brings up bring up nutrients from ocean
  bottom.

Ocean bottom contains large populations of
producers.
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Thermohaline Circulation
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Heat Transport

• Ocean currents can affect the temperature of
  land.
• Compare England to Canada at same latitude.
• Global warming concern
• Melting of glaciers in Northern Hemisphere
• Potentially stop Thermohaline circulation.
• Results

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El Nino-Southern Oscillation

• ENSO
• Every 3 7 years, interaction between atmosphere
  and ocean cause surface currents to reverse
  direction.

Decreases productivity reduces fish populations
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Rain Shadow Effect
Leeward Side
Windward Side