Introduction to Climate and Weather

Question 1

Weather

Answer 1

• Day to day and sometimes minute to minute condition of the atmosphere.

ex. hot, sunny, cold, rainy, humid, dreary, cloudy, snowy

Question 2

Climate

Answer 2

Long time weather patterns. Climate is very predictable.

Ex. In Toronto we know it will be cold in January and hot in July

Question 3

Continental climate

Answer 3

Characteristics of central Canada and North America.

• Has low precipitation (dry)
• Located away from water bodies
• Recieve less than 1000 mm of precipitation*
• Have a large temperature range that is >25 degrees celsius*
• Hot summers and cold winters.

Question 4

Maritime climate

Answer 4

Characteristic of coastal regions particularly on the east and west coasts of Canada and North America.

• High precipitation
• Close to water bodies
• Recieve greater than 1000 mm.*
• Have a small temperature range that is less than 25 degrees celsius.
• Cool summers and warm winters, few extremes of temperature.

Question 5

Does latitude have a great effect on climate?

Answer 5

Yes.
- Places with lower latitudes have warm climates
- Places with higher latitudes have colder climates

Question 6

What are the sun beams like in each latitude?

Answer 6

In the lower latitudes, the sun beams are shorter and closer together in the area they hit.

In the higher latitudes, the termination points are further apart and they are a bit weaker from a longer travel to Earth.

Question 7

Three major currents affect the climate of Canada:

Answer 7

1. North Pacific (warm)
2. Labrador current (cold)
3. Gulf stream (warm)

Question 8

Where do warm and cold currents originate?

Answer 8

• Warm currents originate near the equator and move into cooler waters further north.
• Cold currents originate at the poles and move towards lower latitudes.

Question 9

What do currents do to the air above it? How does air and currents affect coastal land?

Answer 9

• Currents warm or cool the air above it and the air warms or cools the land.
• Currents affect primarily the first 10-15 km of coastal land.

ex. On Canada’s East coast, the cold Labrador current and the warm Gulf stream collide to create some of the foggiest conditions on Earth!

Question 10

Elevation and Relief

Answer 10

• A factor that affects climate
• Occurs in Western Cordillera and Appalachian Highlands
• Condensation starts to form at 800m.

*The temperature drops 0.6 degrees celsius for every 100m you go up when the air is moist
* The temperature drops 1 degree celsius for every 100 m you go up when the air is dry

Question 11

Wind and Air masses

Answer 11

• A factor that influences climate
• Zones of separation between different air masses are called fronts
• Cold fronts are the leading edges of a cold air mass
• Warm fronts are the leading edges of warm air masses
• Wind is a movement of air from a high pressure system to a low pressure system

Question 12

Relationship between wind and air masses

Answer 12

Wind pulls the air mass from an area of high pressure to low pressure, releasing precipitation along the way