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Understanding Climate and Geography

This document discusses physical geography and climate, summarizing that climate is defined by temperature, precipitation, and seasons, and is influenced by factors like latitude, elevation, wind patterns, and proximity to large bodies of water. It identifies three main climate zones - tropical, temperate, and polar - and describes various climate regions and weather phenomena around the world. Finally, it outlines some physical processes that shape the Earth's surface, and ways that human activities have impacted the environment through developments like dams, canals, and deforestation.

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Edward Ortega
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73 views33 pages

Understanding Climate and Geography

This document discusses physical geography and climate, summarizing that climate is defined by temperature, precipitation, and seasons, and is influenced by factors like latitude, elevation, wind patterns, and proximity to large bodies of water. It identifies three main climate zones - tropical, temperate, and polar - and describes various climate regions and weather phenomena around the world. Finally, it outlines some physical processes that shape the Earth's surface, and ways that human activities have impacted the environment through developments like dams, canals, and deforestation.

Uploaded by

Edward Ortega
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Physical Geography

Week 7
By
Mr. Jc Tugap
Climate
• Three common characteristics
that define climate
–Temperature
–Precipitation
–Seasons (hot/cold, wet/dry)
• Temperature is the degree of heat or cold
in the atmosphere
• Precipitation is the amount of
moisture falling at any given
moment. It can be in the form
of rain, sleet, snow, or ice.
• Elements that influence
regional climate patterns
–latitude--higher the latitude
the colder the climates
–wind
–elevation--higher and
colder
–proximity (closeness) to
water
• There are 3 latitude climate region

• Low latitude climates--from 0-30


degrees N and S latitude (tropical)
• Mid latitude climates--from 30-60
degrees N and S latitude
(temperate)
• High latitude climates—
from 60-90 degrees N and S
latitude (polar)
• Elevation is the height an area
is above sea level
• Water influences temperature
because it is slow to heat up or
cool down. It can also influence
precipitation.
• Elements that influence regional
climate patterns
• Wind currents--wind and ocean
currents help transfer heat from one
part of the earth to another.
• The process is known as convection
Wind also blows in curved lines
because the earth rotates Coriolis
Effect
• World Climate Regions
–Low latitudes-tropical wet tropical
wet and dry, arid, semiarid, and
highland
Middle Latitudes-semi-arid, arid,
Mediterranean, humid continental,
marine west coast, humid subtropical,
highland
High latitudes-subarctic, tundra,
icecap
• Weather phenomena
–Monsoons--South and
Southeast Asia (rainstorms)
–Typhoons--Pacific
Ocean—Similar to a hurricane
–Hurricanes--Atlantic Ocean
–Tornadoes--United States
• Effects of climate
–Crops
–Clothing--what needs to be
worn
–housing--type of building
–natural hazards--dangers
Physical and ecological
processes

• There are four processes which have


shaped the earth, Earthquakes,
Floods, Volcanoes, and Erosion
• These four processes have created
mountains, lakes, islands and have
caused tremendous amounts of
damage
Human’s impact on the environment

• Aswan High Dam--has helped control


the yearly flooding on the Nile River
but has destroyed agriculture
• Canals—man made waterway
• Reservoirs—areas of stored water
• Irrigation—water used for farming
How has the land changed due to
man
• Agricultural terracing has cut farms
into the sides of hills and mountains
in China and Southeast Asia
• The use of Polders has allowed the
Netherlands to reclaim millions of
acres of farmland from the sea
• Polder– land that has been taken
back from the sea by building a dam
and pumping the water out
• Deforestation—removal of all trees
from an area
• Desertification—the increase of
deserts by drought and over-farming
or over-grazing.
• Acid rain caused by pollution from
factories and cars has destroyed
monuments, cars, and major forests
• Pollution destroys wildlife, agriculture
and the land and sea. Examples are
Mexico City, Chernobyl, and oil spills
Influence of technology

• Agriculture--mechanization,
fertilizers
• Energy usage--fossil fuels,
nuclear
• Transportation--road building,
railways
• Airplanes--airport expansion,
noise
• Automobiles--parking lots,
suburbs
How does the environment impact on
humans

• Settlement patterns
• housing materials
• agricultural activity
• types of recreation
• transportation patterns

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