The document summarizes different climates and their characteristics. It discusses the Earth's movements that cause day/night and seasons. It then defines climate and weather. The main climates discussed are hot (equatorial, tropical, desert), mild (oceanic, Mediterranean, continental, Chinese), and cold (polar, alpine). Each climate's location, temperatures, precipitation, vegetation and rivers are described. Hot climates have high temperatures year-round while cold climates are very cold. Mild climates experience four seasons and have varying precipitation patterns.

1. WEATHER
AND CLIMATE

2. 1. THE MOVEMENTS OF THE
EARTH
•The Earth has 2
movements:
-Rotation movement;
-Revolution around the
Sun.

3. 1)Rotation movement(movimiento de
rotación): The Earth spins on its axis in
an anticlockwise direction. It completes
its rotation every 24 hours.

4. Day and night: because of this movement,
a part of the globe is illuminated by the
sun(daytime), and the other part is
without sunlight(night-time).

5. 2)Revolution around the Sun(movimiento
de traslación): this movement is
produced by the turn of the Earth
around the sun.

6. This turn in an anticlockwise
direction, is completely made
in 365 days, 6 hours and 9
minutes(one year). As a
normal year has only 365
days, the extra time, is
added, and every 4 years
there is a leap year(año
bisiesto).

7. The Earth is tilted.
Consequently, as the Earth
revolves around the Sun, the
angle at which the Sun´s
rays reach each hemisphere
changes. This makes sunlight
warmer at certain times of
the year and produces the
seasons.

8. Summer solstice
The Sun and the Earth
in June
The Sun’s rays are
almost perpendicular
at the Tropic of Cancer.
It is summer in the
northern hemisphere.

9. Winter solstice
The Sun and Earth
in December
The Sun’s rays are
almost vertical at the
Tropic of Capricorn.
It is summer in the
southern hemisphere.

10. 2.WEATHER AND CLIMATE
• Climate(clima) is the general weather
conditions usually found in a particular
place(in Valencia the climate is
mediterranean).
• Weather(tiempo atmosférico) is the
state of the atmosphere in a place at a
specific time(today is cold and rainy).

11. • In the climates we have:
-Elements: measurable components of the
atmosphere like temperature,
precipitation, atmospheric pressure and
wind.
-Factors: variables which exert influence
over the elements. They are latitude,
height, distance from the sea and sea
currents.

12. TEMPERATURE
• Concept: measured amount of heat in the
air.
• Measurement: we measure it in degrees
centigrade(ºC). To study this element we
use the annual average temperature and
thermal amplitude. The annual average
temperature is made by adding every
monthly average temperature and dividing
the total by 12. The thermal amplitude is
made subtracting the lowest temperature
from the highest one.

13. • Graphical representation: we use
isothermes(isotermas)(lines on a map
connecting points of equal temperature).

14. • Factors: latitude, height, distance from
the sea and sea currents influence over
the temperature.
-Latitude: if we go to the Equator the
temperature rises; if we go to the Poles
the temperature goes down.

15. -Altitude: temperature dicreases 0´5ºC
every 100 m.

16. -Distance from the sea: temperatures are
softer on the coast than inland, where
summer is hotter and winter
colder(ocean heats up and cool down
sooner than continents).

17. -Sea currents: cold sea currents make a
cooler climate; hot sea currents make a
hotter climate.

18. PRECIPITATION
• Concept: deposition of water from the
atmosphere, in the form of dew, frost,
rain, snow or hail.
• Measurement: we measure it in
milimetres(mm) or litres/m2. Annual
precipitation is used to study this
element. We get it by adding every
monthly total precipitation(they are 12).

19. • Graphical representation: we use
isohyets(isoyetas)(lines on a map
connecting points of the same
precipitation).

20. • Factors: latitude, height and distance
from the sea influence over the
temperature.
-Latitude: there is more precipitation
over the Equatorial zone, and less preci-
pitation
over
the
other
areas
of the
world.

21. -Height: precipitation is increased with height,
because temperature goes down(this is good
for the condesation of water vapour).
1. Hot, humid air from
the sea reaches a
mountain.
3. Clouds form, and it
rains on the windward
side of the mountain,
the side which receives
the ocean air. It does not
rain on the other side.
2. The air rises
and cools.

22. -Distance from the sea: precipitation on the
coast is higher than inland(here there is less
humidity).

23. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE:
WIND
• Concept: is the pressure of the air over
the Earth´s surface. The differences in
atmospheric pressure make wind.
• Measurement: we use milibars(mb). The
average pressure is 1,015 mb. So if the
pressure is higher we have an
anticyclone(calm weather), and if the
pressure is lower we have a
depression(windy and rainy weather).

24. • Graphical representation: we use
isobars(isobaras)(lines on a map
connecting points of the equal
atmospheric pressure).

25. • Factors: latitude and height influence
over this element.
-Latitude: there are more low pressure
areas over the Equator; there are more
high pressure areas over the Tropics
and the Poles.
-Height: atmospheric pressure is lower if
we are in a higher area(the air layer is
thinner here).

26. Activities
2.1. Give an example about the difference
between weather and cllimate.
2.2. How can you find out low pressures
and high pressures on a map?
2.3. Look at the map and try to guess the
weather. Explain your reasons.

28. 3.EARTH´S CLIMATES

29. The combination of elements and factors
makes three big climatic areas:
• Hot climates: they are placed between
the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, and
their annual average temperatures are
always over 20ºC. There are no frosts,
but a lot of hours of sun. They are
three: equatorial climate, tropical
climate and desert climate.

30. • Mild climates: they are placed between the
tropics and the polar circles. The annual
average temperatures are between 10ºC and
20ºC. They have four seasons. We have four
climates here: oceanic climate, mediterranean
climate, continental climate and chinese
climate
• Cold climates: they are placed beyond the
polar circles and in the high mountains. The
annual average temperatures are always below
10ºC, and cold is intense. These climates are
polar climate and high mountain climate.

31. The angle of the Sun’s rays
In the hot zone:
The Sun’s rays reach the Earth at a
perpendicular angle all year round.
In the cold zone:
The Sun’s rays reach the Earth at an oblique angle
all year round.
In the temperate zones:
The Sun’s rays reach the Earth at a greater angle.
Sun´s
rays

32. HOT CLIMATES
• Equatorial climate:
-Location: surroun-
ding the Equator
(Amazonia, area
of the Congo river,
Indonesia)

33. – Temperature: every monthly average
temperature is over 20ºC. The thermal
amplitude is between 1 and 3ºC(24-27ºC),
so the temperature is constant all over the
year.
– Precipitation: is very high(the total annual
precipitation is over 1,500 mm per year),
and is well distributed(every month has a
precipitation of 60 mm or more).

34. – Vegetation: jungle.
– Rivers: with regular regime because of the
rain all over the year.

35. • Tropical climate:
– Location: between the Tropics(Caribbean sea and
Central America, South of Brazil, Sahel, Eastern
Africa, part of Madagascar, India, Indochina).

36. – Temperature: the monthly average
temperature is never below 18ºC. The
thermal amplitude
is below 10ºC.
– Precipitation: it is
high, between
750 mm and
1,500 mm. Its dis-
tribution is irre-
gular, because
there is a rainy
season and a dry
season.

37. – Vegetation: where the rainy season is
longer, the vegetation is a jungle less
thicker than the equatorial one; where the
rainy season is shorter there is
savannah(large flat area of land covered
with grass, usually with few trees).
– Rivers: with irregular regime because of
the long dry season.

39. • Desert climate:
– Location: Sahara, Kalahari, Namib, Arabian
desert, Australian desert, deserts of the
north of Mexico and of the south of USA,
Gobi, Atacama.

40. – Temperature: daily temperatures suffer
strong oscilations between day and night(it
is due to the lack of humidity, which
provokes an
important heat
up during the
day time, and
an strong cold
down during
night time).
– Precipitation:
below 150 mm
per year.

41. – Vegetation: xerofiles(cactus).
– Rivers: wadis(valleys which have a river
that is usually dry except when it has
rained).

42. MILD CLIMATES
• Oceanic climate:
– Location: Western and Nothern Europe,
south of Chile, west of USA.

43. – Temperature: cool summers(no month over
22ºC), and warm winters(no months below
10ºC). The thermal amplitude is low(10-
12ºC).
– Precipitation: is high(more than 800 mm
per year), and
well distribu-
ted(there are
no dry months,
but the maxi-
mum of rain is
in winter).

44. – Vegetation: decidous forest(oak, beech
tree,...). There is an important amount of
meadows.
– Rivers: with regular regime, because there
are no dry months.

45. • Mediterranean climate:
– Location: zones surrounding the
Mediterranean sea, north of Chile,
California, south of Southafrica and south
of Australia.

46. – Temperature: hot summers(at least one
month over 22ºC), and warm winters(no
months below 10ºC).
– Precipitation: between 300 and 800 mm.
The maximum is in
autumn and spring,
and in summer there
is drought.

47. – Vegetation: evergreen forest(cork tree,
evergreen oak).
– Rivers: with irregular regime because of
the dry months.

48. • Chinese climate:
– Location: eastern coast of the
continents(China, Korea, Japan, southeast
of Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, east of
USA).

49. – Temperature: hot summer(some month
over 22ºC) and mild winter(no months below
10ºC).
– Precipitation: high. More than 800 mm.
Most of them
in summer.

50. – Vegetation: mixed forest(evergreen and
decidous species: bamboo, for instance).
– Rivers: irregular.

51. • Continental climate:
– Location: inland zones of North America,
Central and Eastern Europe, Central and
Northen Asia, Patagonia.

52. – Temperature: great contrasts between
winter(some month below –3ºC) and
summer(sometimes there are months over
22ºC). So, the
thermal amplitu-
de is very high.
– Precipitation:
300-800 mm.
Most of it is
in summer.

53. – Vegetation: taiga(coniferous forest), and
meadows(steppe).
– Rivers: irregular.

54. COLD CLIMATES
• Polar climate:
– Location: in both poles, the northern
extreme of Asia, northern Canada,
northern Alaska, the north part of Iceland,
the northern
extreme of
Scandinavia,
Greenland.
Antarctica
Arctic region

55. – Temperature: very cold all over the
year(many months below 0ºC).
– Precipitation: it is not very high(less than
250 mm), and it always falls as snow.

56. – Vegetation: tundra(moss and lichens).
– Rivers: they are frosted(glaciers).

57. • Alpine climate:
– Location: high ranges of mountains of the
world(Andes, Himalaya, Alps,...).
Alpine

58. – Temperature: very cold winter(some
months below 0ºC), and cool summer.
Temperature goes down 0´5ºC every 500 m
that we rise.
– Precipitation: more
than 800 mm. As
you ascend the
mountain, the
amount of rain is
bigger

59. -Vegetation: stepped because of the
elevation.
-Rivers: very eroding.