Climate

• Climate


  The general pattern of the weather that occurs for a region over a number of years
• Weather


  Changes in the atmospheric condition over a brief period of time such as a day or a week
• Factors affecting climate


  • Latitude
  • Altitude
  • Ocean currents
  • Topography
• Latitude


  • The further we go from the equator, the temperature drops and the cooler it gets
• Altitude


  • Temperature decreases with increasing altitude at an average rate of 6.5°C for every 1000m increase in altitude, as the atmosphere receives less heat through terrestrial radiation
• Ocean currents


  • Continuous and directional movement of ocean created by the wind friction, water density, earth's rotation, solar energy, and gravity variation in different parts of the ocean
• Topography


  • The difference in elevation and mountain ranges determine the distribution of precipitation on earth
• Greenhouse effect


  The natural warming process of the Earth that results when gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the earth that would otherwise escape into space
• Global warming


  Caused by several factors such as man-made, anthropogenic, or natural. One example of natural causes is the released of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Burning fossil fuels is one of the man-made causes of global warming resulting to pollution
• Climate change


  A long-term change in the average weather patterns. It is incorporated with the two phenomena, the global warming and large – scale change in weather patterns
• El Niño


  A lengthy warming in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. This natural phenomenon occurs at irregular intervals of two to seven years and lasts for nine months or two years at most
• La Niña


  The opposite climatic disturbance to El Niño. This natural phenomenon may but does not always follow El Niño events. It may last for nine to twelve months but in some cases, it lasts for two years
• The climate is the average weather over many years.
• Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place.
• Leeward, refers to the side or direction that is sheltered or protected from the wind
• Windward, refers to the side or direction facing into the prevailing winds
• Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air
• El Niño - is a lengthy warming in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean
• La Nina - is an unusually cold period in the central and western tropical Pacific ocean
• Topography is the study of the land surface. In particular, it lays the underlying foundation of a landscape.