What influences climate?

Latitude is the distance north or south, measured in degrees, from the equator. The temperature of an area depends on its latitude. The higher the latitude, the colder the climate tends to be. One of the coldest places on Earth, the North Pole, is 90 degrees north of the equator. However, the equator, at latitude 0 degrees, is usually hot.

Winds that blow mainly in one direction are prevailing winds. Prevailing winds affect the amount of precipitation that a region receives. If the prevailing winds form from warm air, they may carry moisture. If the prevailing winds form from the cold air, they will most likely be dry. The amount of moisture in prevailing winds is also affect by whether the winds blow across  a large body of water.. Winds that travel across large bodies of water absorb moisture. Winds that travel across land tend to be dry. Even if region borders the ocean, the area might be dry.

Mountains can influence an area’s climate by affect both temperature and precipitation. Temperatures on Kilimanjaro and in other mountainous area are affected by elevation. Elevation is the height of the surface landforms above sea level. As the elevation increases, the ability of air to transfer energy from the ground to the atmosphere decreases. Therefore, as elevation increases, temperature decreases.

The circulation of ocean surface current has a large effect on area’s climate. Surface currents are stream-like movements of water that occur at or near the edge of the ocean. As surface currents move, they carry warm or cool water to different locations. The surface temperature of the water affects the temperature of the air above it. Warm currents heat the surround air and cause warmer temperatures. Cool currents surrounding the air cause cooler temperatures. Cool surrounding the air causes cooler temperatures.

Large bodies of water can influence an area’s climate. Water absorbs and releases heat slower than land does. Due to this quality, water helps to moderate the temperatures of the land around it. So, sudden or extreme temperature changes rarely take place on land near large bodies of water. For example, the state of Michigan, which is surrounded by the Great Lakes, has more- moderate temperatures than other places at the same latitude. The lakes also increase the moisture content of the air, which leads to heavy snowfall in the winter. This “lake effect” can cause 350 inches of snow to drop in one year!

What influences weather?

As water evaporates from lakes, oceans, and plants, it becomes water vapor, or moisture in the air. Water vapor is invisible. The amount of water vapor in the air is called humidity. As water evaporates and becomes water vapor, the humidity of the air increases. The air’s ability to hold water vapor changes as the temperature of the air changes. One way to express humidity is through relative humidity. Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air compared with the maximum amount of water vapor that the air can hold at a certain temperature. When air holds all of the water that it can at a given temperature, it is said to be saturated.

When water from the air returns to Earth’s surface, it returns as a precipitation. Precipitation is water, in solid or liquid form, which falls from the air to Earth. There are four major forms of precipitations, rain snow, sleet, and hail. Rain is the most common form of precipitation is rain. As cloud produces as rain when the water drops in the cloud would become a certain size. Sleet forms when rain falls through a layer of freezing air. The rain freezes the air, which produces falling ice. Snow forms when temperatures are so cold that water vapor changes directly to a solid. Snow can fall as a single ice crystal or can join to form snowflakes. Hail is balls or lumps of ice that fall from clouds. Hail forms in cumulonimbus clouds. When updrafts of air in the clouds carry raindrops high in the clouds, the raindrops freeze and hail forms

When air hovers for a while over a surface area with uniform humidity and temperature, it takes on the characteristics of the area below. For example, an air mass over the tropical Atlantic Ocean would become warm and humid; an air mass over the winter snow and ice of northern Canada would become cold and dry. These massive volumes of air often cover thousands of miles and reach to the stratosphere. Overtime, mid-latitude cyclonic storms and global wind patterns move them to locations far from their source regions. When two air masses meet the cold air pushes the hot air upwards, when going up the temperature drops and the air can't hold as much water when it is warm, so the cold water molecules condense and form clouds. The transition zone between two air masses of different humidity and temperature is called a front. Along a cold front, cold air displaces warm air; along a warm front, warm air displaces cold air. When neither air mass displaces the other, a stationary front develops. Intense storms may form along cold fronts, while widespread clouds and rain, snow, sleet, or drizzle may accompany warm fronts

Air Pollution and Water Pollution

 

Water Pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of rivers, lakes, streams, etc. Water Pollution comes from garbage, waste, chemicals, oil spills, and sewage.

How to prevent it?

·        Saving water by turning off the tap

·        Be precautious about what you throw down your sink and/or toilet

·        Not to over use pesticides and fertilizers

·        Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or ocean

                              These are just some of the ways to prevent water pollution. Whether it is in your home, in a river, anywhere! As an active citizen such as yourself, you don't want a disgusting looking place do you?

For example:

                              If you were poor and had to bathe in that water everyday due to not having your own personal water use.

Can this affect your health?

                              Well, due to the chemicals and whatever else is in that water can affect your health extremely. If the water is swallowed you'd be consuming whatever was in that liquid. Therefore be careful and more aware of these things! Do you want to get a disease and end up dying, no you do not!

Air Pollution

                              Air pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere by harmful chemicals, etc. Air Pollution comes from motor vehicle exhaust,  industrial processes, auto manufacturing, fertilizer, plants, building demolition, solid waste disposal, volcanic eruption, fuel production, roadway construction,  forest fires, and agriculture.

How to prevent it?

·        Drive Less

o       Use bikes or walk instead

·        Accelerate bit by bit.

·        Use cruise control on the highway.

·        Obey the speed limit.

·        Combine your schedule into one trip.

·        Keep your tires properly inflated.

·        Shop by phone or mail

For example:

            Industries continue to grow, and sometimes when you pass them by you see smoke going into the atmosphere. You’ll probably be thinking,

            “Wow! This is so cool!” But actually it’s bad for you, this affects the everyday air we breath everyday. Meaning it ‘pollutes’ the air. Again, this does infect your health because if the chemicals pollutants are inhaled this can also affect your health, extremely! I recommend you to take into consideration of what is happening in our society nowadays.