The Global System's Effect on Climates
The global pattern of climate is affected by:
* latitude
* land and sea
* relief
* ocean currents
Latitude
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The Equator receives greater amounts of solar heating than latitudes
further north or south. Places therefore nearer the Equator are much
warmer than those closer to the Poles. Nearer the Poles precipitation
will be more variable with lower temperatures. More will fall as snow,
covering the ground for long periods in winter.
The amount of solar energy received by each hemisphere varies because
of the tilt of the Earth and its orbit around the sun. This gives
summer and winter seasons. Places nearer the Poles have greater
differences between summer and winter in temperature and
precipitation.
At the Equator air, warmed from below, becomes less dense and is
forced to rise as strong convection currents, creating low pressure at
the surface (ITCZ). Convectional currents of warm, moist air cool to
give heavy, daily thunderstorms
Strong, steady winds converge to fill the low pressure from the north
and south, but the spinning of the Earth diverts the winds slightly to
the right in the northern hemisphere and they become the north-east
Trade Winds. In the southern hemisphere winds are diverted to the
left, producing the south-west Trade Winds.
Air in the upper atmosphere flows away from the Equator and cools.
Cooling air becomes denser, heavier and descends back to the surface
on the polar sides of the 'Cell', causing zones of high pressure at
about 30° north and south of the Equator (sub-tropical high pressure
zone). Descending a...
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...han those in Central Europe.
Prevailing winds from the south west, passing over the ocean current
are warmed and pick up large amounts of moisture. The precipitation,
caused when the air is forced to rise over mountains or at fronts,
provides the British Isles with a reliable precipitation all year.
Cold ocean currents from colder polar waters have a contrasting
effect. Those flowing south along coasts in the northern hemisphere
keep summer temperatures cooler and the air drier than normal for that
latitude. Coastal fogs occur when warmer air from over the land is
cooled by the cold water.
In tropical areas warm ocean currents, such as the Kuro Siwo which
flows north towards Japan, are the source of the large amounts of
energy and moisture that can result in the development of intense
depressions or typhoons.
South west winds are blocked by mountains in the west coast. Ireland has a temperate maritime which is connected with the sea. It is modified by the North Atlantic Current and has mild winters and cool summers. In the summertime the temperature averages out to be about 60 degrees fahrenheit. In the winter time the temperature usually is at about 40 degrees fahrenheit. Ireland is constantly humid and mostly overcast. Ireland also has a wet mild climate. Winds and the ocean
Elevation plays a major role on Prince Rupert and Prince George because the two locations have a large difference in elevation it affects the temperature. Prince Rupert is located 54 m above sea level yet Prince George is located 676 m above sea level, making a difference of 622 m. The elevation would cause a difference in temperature because the more the elevation increases, the more the temperature falls. This is why Prince Rupert’s average temperature is higher than Prince George’s. For instance, Prince Rupert's average temperature is 7.7 C however Prince George’s is 3.2 C. In conclusion, this is why elevation has a large effect of the two locations climates.
It’s been said by many and thought by others, countless times before. “It’s not that bad. The media and these environmentally obsessive individuals are over exaggerating the negative global climate change impacts”. After all the planets warming has potential to produce positive outcomes as well. It has even been argued that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant; rather it is an essential component for photosynthesis, a process that indirectly supports human life deeming the greenhouse effect as normal. Furthermore the warming of the planet would result in less harsh and cold winters; in turn this would mean fewer deaths, predominantly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Environmentally this could potentially produce greener rainforests and enhanced plant growth in the Amazon, increased vegetation in northern
Surface current are found in the upper four hundred meters (400m) and makes up about ten percent (10%) of ocean (Briney, n.d.). Surface ocean currents are as a result of friction between the water and atmosphere interface. The wind exerts a force or stress to the ocean surface and causes the water to move. The winds that most affect the oceans’ currents are the Westerlies which produce belts of ocean currents that flow east in the mid-latitude and the Trade winds which generate currents that flow to the west in tropical latitudes. These winds are mainly a result of warm air from the tropics moving towards the poles. The direction of the current is not the same as the direction of the wind but it is deflected at a forty five degree angle. This deflection is resulted from the earth’s rotation on its axis called the Coriolis force/ effect. Coriolis force and constrains by continental land masses cause surface currents to develop into an alm...
...ry that is very demanding of krill and their habitat. The fisherman catch so much krill at once that the krill cannot keep up with the reproduction and the number of krill is decreasing every week. People should monitor how much krill they are catching so they don’t extinct the animal.
“In the last three decades, the United States has had an average of 80% consumption of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil; all of which contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases” (Josef). All over the world, climate is varied; however, that is not the problem. The problem is that our climate and weather patterns are changing and leaving disaster and catastrophe in its wake. The common question of debate is whether humans are the main cause of this climate change, if it is solely a natural occurrence, and what can we do about it? “Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind
The currents at the surface of the ocean are split in to two categories, tidal currents and surface currents. Tidal currents occur around land masses and are influenced mainly by the gravitational pull of our sun and moon. They change rapidly but predictably and contribute to surface currents. Surface currents occur over different areas of earth’s ocean. Two main factors affecting the surface currents are wind and the Coriolis Effect. The Coriolis Effect explains how the rotation of the earth seems to cause a deflection of anything moving above the earth’s surface. It is this effect that causes winds and water in the northern hemisphere to appear to deflect to the right and in the southern hemisphere to deflect to the left. One of the major surface currents is the Gulf Stream. Water in around the Caribbean is warmed by the sun and then carried north and east along the coast North America. These sun warmed waters release their stored energy into the westerly winds and Northern Europe benefits by having a much milder winter than t...
diverse change in weather patterns caused by the jump in temperature worldwide, as well as
For a hurricane to form, the ocean temperature must be warmer than twenty-six degrees Celsius, or eighty degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the air near the oceans surface must be filled with moisture. The seawater that is warmed by the heat from the sun evaporates to form vast storm clouds. As the warm air rises, the cooler air replaces it thus creating a wind. The rotation of the earth bends the wind inward causing it to rotate and spiral upward with a great amount of force. Around the Equator, the spin is the fastest. There, it can be faster than six hundred miles per hour.
Normal weather patterns are when low atmospheric pressure is over northern Australia and Indonesia, and when high atmospheric pressure is over the Pacific Ocean. Winds move east to west over the Pacific. The east flows of the trade winds carries the warm surface waters to the west, and bring rainstorms to Indonesia and northern Australia. To the coast of Ecuador and Peru, warm surface water is pulled west, and the cold water beneath pulls up to replace it. This is called an upwelling.
There is widespread agreement in the scientific community that the climate is changing and it has likely received contributions from humans in the form of increased carbon emissions. The Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that there is ninety percent certainty that human activity has been the primary cause of temperature rises seen since 1950; if the climate rises by more than two degrees Celsius, scientists predict dire consequences to be faced by humans and the world (McMichael and Lindgren, 2011, p. 402). Changes in climate, no matter how small, bring with it changes in other seemingly unrelated aspects of life. As current research suggests, climate change will have negative effects on human health and nutrition, increasing disease states while having a negative effect on the world food supply. Both of these effects will have negative implications on the quality of life for people living around the globe. Climate change is a global matter, so policy on climate change should consider the health impacts it brings since climate change will ultimately affect the wellbeing of everyone living on this planet. It is therefore the responsibility of every individual to take measures that will help slow down the rate of global warming that is currently going on.
Climate change is evidenced through shifts in the weather patterns such as winds, humidity and temperatures over certain durations. Natural climate changes occur less frequently and they are triggered by factors related to geographical aspects as well as solar radiation. The earth’s movement on the orbit triggers changes in climate, causing some areas to have higher temperatures than usual, while others are significantly cold depending on the position of the earth on the orbit. The heat from the sun causes changes in the stratospheric ozone and it increases the amount of greenhouse gases. Heat from the oceanic crust also contributes to warming as a result of episodic hydrothermal venting (Liao & Sandeberg, 2012).
Global Warming is a condition caused by greenhouse gases and human activities. The increased concentration of greenhouse gases due to activities such as deforestation and fossil fuel burning is causing the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans to warm up. As a result of this, global warming has some serious effects in the shape of extreme weather, species extinctions, and rising sea levels. These effects can contribute to the changes that are taking place all over the world, most of which are dangerous enough to pose a threat to the survival of life on Earth in the future.
Climate change is manifested in; variations in minimum and maximum temperature, frequent and extensive droughts, high intensity rainfalls and floods, seasonal and regional pest and disease prevalence leading to conflicts for pasture and water resources, high food insecurity; encroachment into