Climate
What is the scientific study of climate
Climatology
The study of weather
Meterology
…are caused by the differences in the heating and cooling of land and water.
convection currents
affect the direction of tropical weather systems (hurricanes)
create a barrier to air moving inland from the ocean
mountains
Overall weather over a long time
climate
Day to day conditions of the atmosphere: temperature, precipitation, and other factors
weather
a wind pattern that goes E to W in tropical zone (near equator)
trade winds
large streams of surface seawater that circulate warm and cold water
ocean currents
height above sea level
elevation
energy from the sun converted to heat
solar energy
an imaginary line that runs through the center of the Earth from pole to pole
Earth's Axis
wind pattern that moves west to east in the temperate zones
Westerlies (westerly winds)
is an ocean current that brings warm water from the tropics toward the polar region. It brings warm moist air with it, influencing the Atlantic shoreline of the United States
Gulf Stream
often hotter than rural areas because building surfaces and roads absorb the heat more
Cities/Urban areas
caused by the tilt of Earth on its axis as it revolves around the sun
seasons
an imaginary circle around the center of the Earth, halfway between North Pole and South Pole
Equator
a wind pattern that moves NE / SE to W in polar zones
Polar Easterlies (Easterly winds)
is an ocean current that brings cold water from the North Pole down toward the equator. It brings cold moist air with it, influencing the Pacific shoreline.
California Current
a dry area on the downward (leeward) side of the mountain
rain shadow
climate that is warm year round
tropical climate zone
is the climate zone that is warm in the summer and cool in the winter (we live in this zone).
temperate
a high speed high altitude airstream blowing W to E
Jet Streams
The climate zones that are the coldest because they are the farthest from the sun.
Polar
Winds that blow inland, off the ocean
prevailing winds