CEW - What Affects Climate? Lesson

Factor

Latitude is the location on the Earth's surface running North and South from the Equator. Places with a high latitude (farther away from the equator) receive less radiation from the sun and are colder than places at a low latitude or closer to the equator. So distance from the equator affects the climate of a place.

The elevation of a place is defined as the height above sea level. Generally the climate grows colder as the altitude or elevation increases. As a general rule the average temperature drops 2 degrees Celsius for every 1,000 feet of altitude. Denver is 5,000 feet in altitude and is 1 degrees Celsius lower than if it was found at sea level. Because of this, the mountains surrounding Denver have snow near their peaks even in the summer. If you live near the mountains you can see the snow belt creep down the mountain as temperatures decrease until it reaches your own altitude.

Large bodies of water can help control air temperatures of the surrounding regions due to its higher specific heat than air. Land near large bodies of water (such as lakes and oceans) will typically have more precipitation than what usually occurs inland.

Ocean currents can either be cold or warm; and are the paths that the ocean water takes. Ocean currents traveling away from the equator tend to be warmer, warming the air above it, and then that air will move onto land. The currents flowing towards the equator tend to be cooler, so the air masses moving over those currents get cooled, cooling the areas that it flows over.

The topography of the land can influence the climate as well. Mountains are natural barriers to the movement of wind. They are colder than the surrounding flatlands because temperature decreases with elevation. This can create a tropical climate at the base of a mountain with snow at the top. Mountains are wetter on the windward side because of this temperature difference. Winds will carry moist air up and it cools as it rises higher. As air gets colder it becomes less dense allowing water to condense and precipitation to occur. The leeward side of the mountain is drier because the wind loses all of its moisture on the windward side.

Valleys, such as Death Valley, tend to be warmer than the flat land that surrounds it. As air descends into the valley it warms and settles there.

Vegetation includes all plants in a given area and covers about 20% of the Earth's surface. Plants are constantly processing and releasing water vapor that can have an effect on the amount of precipitation in a given area. Plants also absorb and emit energy that is used to drive weather. All types of plants play a role in both the water cycle and the earth's energy balance, affecting weather and climate.

Winds blow in distinct directions, which causes predictable wind patterns. These predictable changes are what helps move warm and cool air around the globe and contributes to our changing seasons. Winds move warm air masses from the ocean onto land, and can bring moisture with it. Winds can also move warm air masses into cooler areas and affect the total amount of radiation and precipitation an area receives.