CLIMATE QUEST

1. CLIMATE QUEST Understanding Climate & Weather Presented by: Teacher-Social Science Class: VII B

2. Climate is the average weather usually taken over a 30-year time period for a particular region and time period and hence it is the average pattern of weather for a particular region. • Climate encompasses the temperatures, humidity, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorological factors in a given region over long periods of time. The climate of a location is affected by its latitude, terrain, altitude, persistent ice or snow cover, as well as nearby oceans and their currents What is CLIMATE ?

3. Atmosphere: The atmosphere covers the Earth. It is a thin layer of mixed gases which make up the air we breathe. This thin layer also helps the Earth from becoming too hot or too cold. • Oceans: Oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth's surface. Their large size and thermal properties allow them to store a lot of heat. • Land: Land covers 27 percent of Earth's surface and land topography influences weather patterns. What makes up our climate system?

4. Ice: Ice is the world's largest supply of freshwater. It covers the remaining 3 percent of Earth's surface including most of Antarctica and Greenland. Ice plays an important role in regulating climate, because it is highly reflective. • Biosphere: The biosphere is the part of Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans that supports any living plant, animal, or organism. It is the place where plants and animals, including humans, live. What makes up our climate system?

5. Weather is a set of all the phenomenaoccurring in a given atmosphere at a given time. Weather phenomena lie in the hydrosphere and troposphere. Weather refers to current activity, as opposed to the term climate which refers to the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. • On Earth, common weather phenomena include wind, cloud, rain, snow, fog and dust storms. What is WEATHER ?

6. The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time. • Weather consists of the short-term (minutes to months) changes in the atmosphere. In most places, weather can change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day, and season-to-season. Climate, however, is the average of weather over time and space. An easy way to remember the difference is that climate is what you expect, like a very hot summer, and weather is what you get, like a hot day with pop-up thunderstorms. Difference between Climate & Weather

7. The most important factors affecting climate around the world are: • Distance From The Sea (Continentality) The sea affects the climate of a place.  Coastal areas are cooler and wetter than inland areas. Clouds form when warm air from inland areas meets cool air from the sea and the centre of continents are subject to a large range of temperatures.  • Ocean Currents Ocean currents can increase or reduce temperature Factors affecting Climate

8. Direction of Prevailing Winds: Winds that blow from the sea often bring rain to the coast and dry weather to inland areas. • Relief: Climate can be affected by mountains • Proximity To The Equator: The proximity to the equator affects the climate of a place.  The equator is hotter because the sun has less area to heat.  It is cooler at the north and south poles as the sun has more area to heat up.  It is cooler as the heat is spread over a wider area.  Factors affecting Climate

9. El Nino El Nino, which affects wind and rainfall patterns, has been blamed for droughts and floods in countries around the Pacific Rim.  El Nino refers to the irregular warming of surface water in the Pacific.  The warmer water pumps energy and moisture into the atmosphere, altering global wind and rainfall patterns.   The phenomenon has caused tornadoes in Florida, smog in Indonesia, and forest fires in Brazil. Factors affecting Climate

10. Human Influence • The factors above affect the climate naturally.  However, we cannot forget the influence of humans on our climate.  We have been affecting the climate since we appeared on this earth millions of years ago.  In those times, the affect on the climate was small.  Trees were cut down to provide wood for fires.  Trees take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.  A reduction in trees will therefore have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  • The Industrial Revolution, starting at the end of the 19th Century, has had a huge effect on climate.  The invention of the motor engine and the increased burning of fossil fuels have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  The number of trees being cut down has also increased, meaning that the extra carbon dioxide produced cannot be changed into oxygen.  Factors affecting Climate

11. Students are required to: • Collect information on the climate of Bangalore and the climate here 50 years ago • Compare the present climate with the climate of the location 50 years ago • Evaluate if there has been a change in the climate and the pros and cons of this climate change • Formulate strategies to reverse harmful climate changes if any • Present and share findings through creation and distribution of brochures, role plays and presentations Climate Quest: Plan of Action

12. QUESTIONS? Thank You