Climate

One exciting thing from climate is the long-term atmospheric conditions that make forest possible.

Key Words in Climate

Word	Definition
Climate	the average weather condition in an area over a long period of time (long term).
Arid	dry.
Humid	wet.
Urban Heat Island Effect	Urban area is hotter than rural area because urban area has more concrete than rural area. Rural area has more plants (containing water) which keep the temperature in the countryside more moderate
Cloud	a huge body of water droplets which are condensed onto dust in the air.
Wind	movement of air. Name of wind indicates the direction from which it comes from.
Sea Breeze	wind that comes from the sea.
Land Breeze	wind that comes from the land.
Monsoon	seasonal wind direction.
Tropical	usually warm.
Temperate	season of warm and season of cold.
Polar	usually cold.

Key Things to Know in Climate

Hottest part of the year is in July for NYS.
Hottest part of the day is after 1:00p.m.
Potential evapotranspiration (Ep) depends on temperature.
Increase in latitude and altitude have the same effect on climate.
Vertical rays (overhead sun) can only occur between 23.5° N and 23.5° S.
Large bodies of water moderate temperature (smaller temperature range).
Arid (dry) landscape: steep slopes with sharp angles.
Humid (wet) landscape: smooth with rounded slopes.
POTENTIAL EVAPORATION (EP) DEPENDS ONLY ON TEMPERATURE.

Example 1

The diagram below shows air masses, clouds, and rain associated with two fronts that are influencing weather conditions in New York State. Letters A, B, and C represent three air masses. The arrows show the direction of air and front movements.
ex 1 diagram
Identify the most likely geographic source region for air mass B.

Cold air comes from farther north where it is closer to the North Pole (freezing cold), and dry air comes from land (less moisture than marine/ocean region). The source region is most likely central Canada.

Exercises

1. In New York State, summer is warmer than winter because in summer New York State has
(1) fewer hours of daylight and receives low-angle insolation
(2) fewer hours of daylight and receives high-angle insolation
(3) more hours of daylight and receives low-angle insolation
(4) more hours of daylight and receives high-angle insolation