climate

• Weather: day-to-day characteristics of temperature, rain, cloud cover, and wind.
• Climate: long-term weather patterns
• Six major factors that determine the climate that exists in any particular location: Latitude, ocean currents, wind, elevation, relief, and nearness to water.
• Latitude: the distance north and south from the equator
• Latitude determines if a region is hot or cold
• Ocean currents: bring warm or cold water to new places
• Air Mass: Large volume of air that takes on the climactic conditions of the areas in which it forms.
• Elevation: refers to the height above sea level.

  The higher up you are the colder it feels, As air rises, the pressure decreases = air expands/cools
• Relief: refers to the shape of the surface

  of the land (high/low)
• natural vegetation: the plants that would grow in an area with no human interface
• dry climate soils: soils that develop where calcification is the dominant soil-forming process
• wet climate soils: soils that develop where leaching is the dominant soil-forming process
• soil profile: the three different layers that exist in the soil beneath the surface of the ground. Each layer has a particular combination of physical, biological, an chemical characteristics.
• annual temperature range: temperature of the warmest month subtracted from the coldest month
• continental climate: climate in areas far away from bodies of water. Extreme temperatures and low precipitation <1000mm
• Maritime climate: Climate in areas near large bodies of water. Mild winter/cool summers and high precipitation >1000mm
• weather vs Climate: Weather is the day-to-day characteristics of temperature, rain, cloud cover, and wind while climate is the long-term weather patterns
• if the ocean current is warm, it will heat the air; if it is cool then it will cool the air above
• wind moves hot and cold "airmasses" to other places
• if there was no wind the weather would not change
• air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure ( moving air = wind)
• Wind belts: well-established patterns of low and high pressure areas
• mountains act like a barrier to air masses
• nearness to water: regions that are close to oceans and large lakes have different climate
• in the summer water remains cooler than the land and when the wind blows, it brings cool air over the land.
• in the winter water keeps its heat and when wind blows, it brings warm air over the land.
• Topsoil: dark thick layer. Large quantity of nutrient-rich organic material.
• subsoil: less fertile and contains less organic matter. Harder and more compact
• parent material: starting point for most soil development. maybe mineral rock or organic material
• calcification: when there is a dry climate, water-carrying dissolved minerals move upwards toward the soil. Water evaporated leaving behind mineral deposits
• leaching: during a wet climate, water from excess rainfall moves downward through the soil removing all minerals.
• Tundra: - second largest vegetation
• Tundra

  • second largest vegetation region
  • located in Canada's artic
  • the surface is permanently frozen- permafrost
  • treeless because of low summer temperatures and short growing season
  • soil has low level of nutrients
• Boreal and Taiga:

  • largest vegetation region
  • dominated by a sparely populated community of plants that survive cool short summers and long cold winters
  • most common coniferous trees. Evergreen is very shallow.
  • region is poorly drained
  • bigger trees more common in southern region eg. deciduous.
• Mixed Forests:

  • has both coniferous and deciduous
  • pine and spruce are found in the same area as maple and oak.
  • transition zone
  • located southern East Canada like southern Ontario and quebec
  • has abundant and regular precipitation
  • humus from leaves creates fertile soil suitable for farming
• Deciduous Forest:

  • located in southwestern Ontario
  • northern limit to many deciduous tree species
  • The area has been cleared for farming; only patches are left
  • hot summers, mild winters, and precipitation occur throughout the year.
  • soil content is fertile and ideal for farming.