1st period
Notes
Key Ideas:
Earth is characterized by patterns of temperature and percipitation.This is driven by Earths rotation, heating of the earth by the sun, and earths geographic features.
· Explain the forces that drive gloabal circulation patterns and how those patterns determine weather and climate: Unequal heating of the Earth by the Sun, atmospheric convection currents, the rotation of the Earth and the Coriolis effect, Earth's orbit around the sun on a tilted axis, and ocean currents. The tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation causes the seasonal changes in temperature and percipitation as earth orbits the Sun.
· Describe the major terrestrial biomes: Differenciated by temperature and percipitation and by plant growth from that are adapted to these conditions. Three group, those in cold, temperature (grassland/cold), and tropical seasonal.
· Describe the major aquatic biomes: Aquatic biomes characterized by their physical characteristics, including salinity, depth, and water flow.
Checkpoint Q&A:
· What is the difference between weather and climate? Weather is the short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area. These conditions include humidity, temperature, clouds, percipitation with speed, and atmospheric pressure. (Time scale of seconds-days) On the other hand, Climate is the average weather that occurs in a given region for a long period of time-typically several decades.
· What effect does Earths rotation have on atmospheric circulation and ocean currents? Unequal heating of the Earth by the Sun, atmospheric convection currents, the rotation of the Earth and the Coriolis effect, Earth's orbit around the sun on a tilted axis, and ocean currents. The tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation causes the seasonal changes in temperature and percipitation as earth orbits the Sun.
· In what ways are the atmospheric and oceanic currents similar? Different?