CEW - Climate and Extreme Weather Conditions Module Overview

EARTHSYSTEMS_OverviewBanner.png 

Climate and Extreme Weather Conditions

climateandextremeweather.pngWith the movement of heat energy around the Earth comes the added effects of the water cycle. Variations in temperature and precipitation create different climates; and regions with similar climates are known as biomes. While relatively stable, climates in areas can fluctuate according to changes in the variables that produce them. This module serves as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the conditions necessary to produce different climates, as well as how variations of these conditions can affect or alter global climates.

Essential Questions:

  • How do varying temperatures and precipitation combine to produce climate regions on Earth?
  • What are the conditions that generate extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms) and the hazards associated with these events?
  • In what ways can changes in global climate be affected by variations in the Earth/sun relationship and atmospheric composition?

Key Words:

  1. Climate- is defined as the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period
  2. Climate map- a chart which shows a geographic's average distribution of monthly, annual, etc values of climatic variables (i.e. temperature, precipitation, humidity, etc.)
  3. Climate zone- a division of the Earth's climates into general climate zones according to average temperatures and average rainfall
  4. Elevation- height above sea level
  5. Hurricane- a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean, with a wind of force 12 on the Beaufort scale (equal to or exceeding 64 knots or 74 mph)
  6. Monsoons- land and sea breezes over a large region that change direction with the seasons
  7. Precipitation- forms of water such as ice, sleet, snow, rain, or hail that fall from clouds and reach Earth's surface
  8. Temperature- the average amount of energy of motion in a molecule of a substance
  9. Tornado- a rapid, whirling, funnel-shaped cloud that reaches down from a storm cloud to touch the Earth's surface, leaving a destructive path
  10. Tsunami- a giant wave caused by an earthquake on the ocean floor
  11. Typhoon- a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans
  12. Vegetation- includes all plants that grow in an area

EarthSystems_OverviewBottomBanner.png IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR OPENSOURCE