Weather and Climate

Have you ever asked yourself why in Juarez is so hot during the summer while in Mexico city is raining all the time? Or why in some areas is full of forests while others are covered with deserts? Let's find out the mysteries of climate.

Sun and Climate

We already learned that Earth is surrounded by the atmosphere, which holds a combination of gases called air, it has many layers which protect us from sun rays. The layer closest to earth is the one that determines weather. When you go out from your house and you say Oh! what a beautiful day, warm and sunny! you are describing weather. It refers to the unpredictable changes in air that take place over a short period of time.

If I ask you how is summer in Juarez or El Paso, you might say that summers here are usually very hot, well, this answer is describing climate. climate is the usual, predictable pattern of weather in an area over a large period of time.

Let's ask ourselves, what causes climate? The original source is the sun. It gives energy and light that all the plants and animals need to live. Sun's rays warm the air, water and land on our planet. Warm gases and liquids are lighter than cool gases and liquids, because they are lighter, warmer gases and liquids rise. then wind and water carry this warmth around the globe, spreading the sun's heat.

Let's also remember that earth's revolution and earth's tilt also affect climate because of the angle at which the sun's rays hit the earth. 

Wind Effect on Climate 

W      When the air moves is called wind. During a year winds follow patterns, they move east and west or  north and south. Analyze the following image. 

Warm winds are marked in red, Cool winds are marked in blue

Remember that warm air rises and cold air falls, thus, the warmer winds near the the Equator rise and move north and south toward the poles of the Earth. The colder winds from the poles sink and move toward the Equator. Since the Earth is rotating, this causes the winds to curve and be in constant motion in many directions. 

Ocean Currents 

Winds can also move water, this is called currents, they carry warm or cool water through the world's oceans. These currents affect the climate of land areas. 

Warm currents tend to move along the Equator or from the Equator to the Poles, cold ones carry only cold water toward the Equator. 

Take a look at the current called Gulf Stream, it goes from Gulf of Mexico along east coast of North America, it crosses Atlantic Ocean toward Europe where is called North Atlantic Current. When it blows over there it brings warn weather to western Europe leaving Canada with a not-so-warmer climate. This is the effect of ocean currents in climate. 

Activity #8

Create a chart like this one. Write at least two details that explain how each force contributes to climate. 

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