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Overview. Air Temperature Air Pressure & Winds Ocean Currents Moisture in the Atmosphere Climate Climate Regions Climate Change. Air Temperature. Solar energy Insolation Sun angle Number of daylight hours Amount of water vapor Cloud cover Land vs. water Elevation above sea level
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Overview • Air Temperature • Air Pressure & Winds • Ocean Currents • Moisture in the Atmosphere • Climate • Climate Regions • Climate Change Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Air Temperature • Solar energy • Insolation • Sun angle • Number of daylight hours • Amount of water vapor • Cloud cover • Land vs. water • Elevation above sea level • Degree & direction of air movement Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Earth inclination • Axis of the earth tilts at ≈ 23.5° • Rotation once every 24 hours • 21 June / summer solstice • Vertical rays of the sun at 23.5 ° N • Tropic of Cancer • Northern hemisphere tilted towards the sun • 21 December / winter solstice • Vertical rays of the sun at 23.5 ° S • Tropic of Cancer • Equinoxes on March 21 & September 21 Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Reflection & Reradiation • Clouds & light surfaces reflect energy • Reradiation also contributes to lost energy • Water stores more energy than land • Land heats & cools more rapidly • Water heats & cools more slowly Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
The Lapse Rate • 6.4°C per 1000 meters • 3.5°F per 1000 feet • Temperature inversions • Cooler air trapped below warmer air • Can contribute to smog problems Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Air Pressure & Winds • Air pressure is higher near the earth’s surface • Pressure measured by a barometer • Pressure gradient forces air to blow from high to low pressure areas • Convection • Warm air rises • Cool air sinks Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Land & sea breezes • Warmer air over land replaced by cooler air over water • Mountain & valley breezes • Cooler air in mountains sinks into valley (often at night) • Warmer air in valleys rises into mountains (often during the day) • Coriolis effect • Wind veers towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Global Air-Circulation Pattern • Equatorial low pressure • Northeast trades • Westerlies • Subpolar low • Polar easterlies • Polar high Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Ocean Currents • Roughly corresponds to global wind direction patterns • Differences in water density also cause movement • Coriolis effect • Landmasses are a barrier to currents Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Moisture in the Atmosphere • Precipitation • Rain, sleet, snow, or hail • Supersaturation leads to droplets if condensation nuclei are present • Relative humidity Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Types of Precipitation • Convectional precipitation • Orographic precipitation • Cyclonic, or frontal precipitation • Air masses Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Storms • Midlatitude cyclones • Hurricanes • Typhoons • Blizzards • Tornadoes Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Climate • A generalization based on daily & seasonal weather conditions Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Soil Formation • Geology • Climate • Topography • Biology • Time Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Soil Horizons • O-horizon • A-horizon • E-horizon • B-horizon • C-horizon • R-horizon Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Soil Properties • Composition • Organic & inorganic • Texture • Proportion of sand, silt, & clay • Structure • Size, shape, and alignments of clumps • Nutrients • Acidity or alkalinity Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Natural Vegetation • Succession • Natural Vegetation Regions • Tropical rain forest • Mediterranean or chaparral • Semidesert • Desert • Prairie / steppe • Deciduous woodlands • Coniferous woodlands • Tundra Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Climate Classification • Köppen Climate Types • A • B • C • D • E • H Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Tropical Climates (A) • Tropical Rain Forest (Af) • Savanna (Aw,Am) Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Dryland Climates • Hot Deserts (BWh) • Midlatitude Deserts & Semideserts (BWk, BS) • Steppe Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Humid Midlatitude Climates • Mediterranean (Cs) • Cold, wet winters & dry, hot summers • Humid Subtropical (Cfa) • Marine West Coast (Cfb) • Humid Continental (Dfa,Dfb) Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Subarctic & Arctic Climates • E • Tundra Getis, Getis, & Fellmann
Climate Change • Long cycles • Quicker changes • Small changes in upper-air wind movements • Volcanic eruptions • Human activity Getis, Getis, & Fellmann