The document discusses several key factors that influence weather and climate through their impact on temperature: 1) Latitude - Places near the equator receive more direct sunlight and have higher temperatures, while areas further from the equator receive sunlight at an oblique angle and have lower temperatures. 2) Distance from bodies of water - Areas near large bodies of water like oceans have more moderate temperatures due to the water's ability to store and release heat more slowly than land. 3) Elevation - Temperatures generally decrease with increasing elevation, as there is less atmosphere above to trap heat near the ground.

1. What are the factors
responsible for the
changes in weather
and climate?
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ming/EnergyBalance/index.html

2. How Does Each Element
Influences Weather &
Climate?
• The nature of both weather and
climate is expressed using the same
basic elements.
• Changes in these elements are
responsible for the variation we
experience in our weather.

3. INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE
• Temperature is the variation in the presence
or absence of heat (hotness or coldness).
• What determines the temperature of a place?
– It is determined by the amount of heat absorbed
and reabsorbed from the ground upwards.
• What therefore influences the amount of heat
places receive?

4. THE EARTH’S HEAT (ENERGY)
BUDGET

5. FACTORS INFLUENCING
TEMPERATURE
• Latitude
• Earth’s Revolution
• Distance from the sea
• Ocean currents
• Altitude
• Cloud cover
• Microclimates

6. Places away
from the
Equator have
lower
temperatures
Heat from the
sun reaches
the Earth at an
oblique angle
The heat is
spread
over a
larger area
Heat from the
sun reaches
the Earth at a
more direct
angle
Places near the
Equator have
higher
temperatures
The heat is
concentrated
over a
small area
LATITUDE

7. EARTH’S REVOLUTION

8. EARTH’S REVOLUTION
Places that are tilted
towards the sun
experience
warmer
temperatures.
This is Summer time
around June in
the Northern
Hemisphere
Places at the Arctic
experience 24 hrs.
of sun light at this
time in the Northern
Hemisphere.
Six months later,
places in the
Northern
Hemisphere
is tilted away from
the sun. This is
Winter time.
Places at the
Arctic experience
24 hrs. of
darkness at this
time in the
Northern
Hemisphere.

9. DISTANCE FROM THE SEA
• The sea moderates the
temperatures of places nearby
• In summer, the sea heats up
slower than the land.
- Cooling effect on land
along the coast.
• In winter, the sea loses heat
slower than the land.
-Warming effect on the
coastal areas.
• Temperatures of places
farther inland are not
moderated by the sea
- These places experience
more extreme variations
in temperature.

10. OCEAN CURRENTS
• Warm currents
– Originate from the
warm waters of the
Equatorial region.
– Raise the
temperatures of
coastal areas.
• Cold currents
– Originate from the
cold waters of the
polar regions.
– Lower the
temperatures of
coastal areas.

11. ALTITUDE
Temperatures fall
with increasing
height.
Temperature
drops about
6.5C for
every 1km
increase
in height
•There’s higher
concentration
of water vapour
and gases in
the atmosphere
nearer the
Earth’s surface.
Most of the sun’s heat is
absorbed at/near sea level,
resulting in higher
temperatures

12. CLOUDCOVER
During the day, clouds
reflect solar radiation
and help to cool the
land
• At night, clouds prevent
loss of heat from the
ground and help to warm
the land
(The higher the humidity,
the greater the cloud
cover)
COOL LAND
REFLECTION
WARM SURFACE

13. MICROCLIMATES
• These are factors that affect the climate on a small (local) scale.
For example:-
Aspect
– Direction a slope faces in relation to the sun
– In the northern hemisphere, south-facing slopes are
warmer and vice versa for the southern hemisphere.
Albedo
- This is the ability of a surface to absorb solar radiation.
- The colour of surfaces and objects influences the
amount of radiation absorbed or reflected.
- Dark colours absorb more radiation, while light colours
reflect. Ex. Snow, clouds, etc.

14. MICROCLIMATES
Type of land surfaces
– Exposed concrete
surfaces absorb more heat
than surfaces covered by
vegetation or even bare
soil.
– Evaporation of moisture
on plant surfaces and
transpiration cool the
surrounding areas.

15. MEASUREMENT OF
TEMPERATURE
The Maximum
& Minimum
Thermometer

16. WAYS OF EXPRESSING AND
DESCRIBING TEMPERATURE
Diurnal range of temperature
• Difference between the maximum and minimum
temperatures of a place for any one day.
• Calculation:
-
Maximum
temperature for
the day
Minimum
temperature for
the day

17. WAYS OF EXPRESSING AND
DESCRIBING TEMPERATURE
Mean (average) daily temperature
• Calculation:
Maximum temperature + Minimum temperature
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2
OR
Sum of 24 hourly temperature readings
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24

18. WAYS OF EXPRESSING AND
DESCRIBING TEMPERATURE
Mean monthly temperature
• Calculation:
Sum of all mean daily temperatures in the month
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Total number of days in the month
Mean annual temperature
• Calculation:
Sum of all mean monthly temperatures in the year
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12

19. WAYS OF EXPRESSING AND
DESCRIBING TEMPERATURE
Annual range of temperature
• Knowing the annual temperature range of a place
will help you deduce the climatic zone that it is
located in.
• Calculation:
-Highest mean monthly
temperature in the year
Lowest mean monthly
temperature in the year

20. CONSTRUCTING A TEMPERATURE
LINE GRAPH
• Use the table
provided to construct
a Temperature line
graph
• Temperature is
placed on the y axes
and hours on the x
axis.

21. DESCRIBING THE GRAPH
• Some things to look
for when describing a
temperature line
graph:-
– Variations in
temperature.
– Periods of high/low
temperatures.
– Minimum and maximum
temperatures.
– Fluctuation in
temperatures.
_ Range in temperature
Ways of describing
temperature
High Higher than
20C
Moderate Between 10C
and 20C
Low Less than
10C