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Chapter 16: Earth's Climate System

This document discusses Earth's climate system and climate change. It begins by explaining global air circulation patterns driven by uneven solar heating at different latitudes. This causes tropical, subtropical, and polar convection cells. The document then discusses global climate regions defined by these circulation patterns and various extreme climate environments like glaciers, deserts, and polar regions. It explores records of past climate change through proxies like tree rings, ice cores, and sediment layers. Natural factors influencing climate change over long time periods include variations in Earth's orbit and tilt as well as solar and volcanic activity. The document raises the question of whether human activities also impact climate change.

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Ken Aguila
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180 views79 pages

Chapter 16: Earth's Climate System

This document discusses Earth's climate system and climate change. It begins by explaining global air circulation patterns driven by uneven solar heating at different latitudes. This causes tropical, subtropical, and polar convection cells. The document then discusses global climate regions defined by these circulation patterns and various extreme climate environments like glaciers, deserts, and polar regions. It explores records of past climate change through proxies like tree rings, ice cores, and sediment layers. Natural factors influencing climate change over long time periods include variations in Earth's orbit and tilt as well as solar and volcanic activity. The document raises the question of whether human activities also impact climate change.

Uploaded by

Ken Aguila
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 16: Earth’s Climate System

Want Ice with That?


Want Ice with That?
Want Ice with That?
Want Ice with That?
Want Ice with That?
Want Ice with That?
Want Ice with That?
Want Ice with That?
Earth's Climate System Self Reflection
Survey
Earth's Climate System Self Reflection
Survey
Earth's Climate System Self Reflection
Survey
Global Air Circulation
Global Air Circulation

Temperatures decrease with increasing latitude north and


south from equator Equator receives more solar energy.
Temperature range is much greater for the continents than
for the oceans Water has a high heat capacity.

Desert belts are located around 30°N and S latitude.


Global Air Circulation

convection
cell.
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.1
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.2
Global Air Circulation
The Earth rotates complicating the
system.
Regardless of Earth's rotation,
warm humid air expands and rises
at the equator, forming a low-
pressure system and nearly
continuous band of clouds.
The Coriolis effect deflects winds
to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left in the
Southern Hemisphere.
North moving air is continuously
deflected east and is moving
almost directly eastward by the
time it reaches 30°N = Subtropical
Jet Stream
Jet stream moves in upper
troposphere at speeds
approaching 61 mph.
Global Air Circulation
Descending air warms adiabatically
and its relative humidity decreases
promoting desert formation.
Trade winds – prevailing surface
winds deflected north and south at
these areas of descending air.
Hadley Cell – continuous convection
cell formed by columns of rising air
and descending air connecter by north
and south moving winds.
Polar Cell – anchored by a column of
descending air in the polar regions.
Ferrel Cell – midlatitude convection
system separating thermal circulation
cells - not as well defined, as they are
modified by midlatitude cyclone
formation.
Global Air Circulation
Global Climate Regions
Earth's Climate System Conceptest
Global Climate Regions
Global Climate Regions
Global Climate Regions
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.5
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.6
Global Climate Regions
Global Climate Regions

N, C, O, H, P,
S
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.8
Extreme Climate Environments

Where on this
map might you
find an extreme
environment?
Extreme Climate Environments

Glacier = A long-lived mass


Continental glaciers/ice sheets
of slow moving snow and Alpine glaciers
ice on land
Extreme Climate Environments
Extreme Climate Environments
Extreme Climate Environments
Glaciers are composed of layers of ice
Extreme Climate Environments
Zones of an alpine glacier
Zones are based on elevation
Accumulation zone

Ablation zone

Snowline
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.9
Extreme Climate Environments
If ablation exceeds accumulation, a glacier melts faster than new ice
can be added and the front of the glacier retreats upslope.

(Till = unsorted deposits)


= moraines
Terminal moraine =
Extreme Climate Environments
Extreme Climate Environments

Recession of the Gangotri glacier, India.

Ice shelf terminus floating in


shallow water adjacent to a landmass
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.10
Extreme Climate Environments

dropstone
deposit
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.11
Extreme Climate Environments

hot
Extreme Climate Environments

Many deserts are located around 30°N and S latitude – subtropical


deserts

Deserts don't have to be hot, but always have less than 10 inches
of annual precipitation. Deserts are always dry.
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint
16.13
Extreme Climate Environments
Extreme Climate Environments
.
Extreme Climate Environments

Cross beds
Earth's Climate System Checkpoint 16.15
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change

Changes in climate
patterns influenced
where past civilizations
were able to flourish
Records of Climate Change

Winter Landscape
with Bird Trap
Records of Climate Change

Medieval warm period

The Little Ice Age


Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change

varves
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change
Records of Changing Climate

Large drops in biodiversity


usually correspond with
sudden climate changes.
Records of Changing Climate
Earth’s Climate System Checkpoint 16.19
Records of Changing Climate

What trends do you notice


on the above graph?
Records of Changing Climate

Dryas
octopetala
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change
Records of Climate Change

Do humans indeed affect climate?


Natural Causes of Climate Change
Natural Causes of Climate Change

What else might be


important?
Natural Causes of Climate Change


Natural Causes of Climate Change

Eccentricity
Natural Causes of Climate Change
Changes in the tilt of the Earth’s axis
Natural Causes of Climate Change
Precession
Earth’s Climate System Checkpoint 16.21
Earth’s Climate System Checkpoint 16.22
Earth’s Climate System Checkpoint 16.23
Earth’s Climate System Checkpoint 16.23

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