Earth's Geography and Climate
Introduced| English |
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| rain shadow/reɪn ˈʃædəʊ/ |
| current/ˈkʌrənt/ |
Why places differ
- Two places at the same latitude can have very different climates.
- A coast, a mountain, or a desert each shapes its own weather.
- Geography — the lay of the land — is a powerful climate-maker.
- A few key features explain most local differences.
Latitude and altitude
- Latitude (distance from the equator) sets how direct the Sun is.
- Near the equator it is warm; toward the poles, cold.
- Altitude (height above sea level) matters too — air cools as you climb.
- So a tall mountain can be snow-capped even at the equator.
How does latitude (distance from the equator) affect climate?
Near the equator the Sun is direct and warm; toward the poles it is slanted and cold.
The rain shadow
- When moist air hits a mountain, it is forced up and drops its rain on the near side.
- The far side, now getting dry air, receives little rain.
- This dry region is called a rain shadow 雨影.
- Many deserts sit in the rain shadow of a mountain range.
As altitude increases (higher up a mountain), the temperature usually…
Air gets colder with height, so mountain tops are cold even near the equator.
The dry region on the far side of a mountain, where rain rarely falls, is a rain ____.
A rain shadow forms where a mountain forces air to drop its rain on one side, leaving the other dry.
The moderating ocean
- Water heats and cools much more slowly than land.
- So a large ocean current 洋流 or sea nearby evens out temperatures.
- Coastal places have milder winters and cooler summers.
- Inland places, far from water, swing between hot and cold extremes.
What shapes a local climate?
Sort each geographic feature by how it changes a region's climate.
Being near a large body of water tends to even out a region's temperatures.
Water heats and cools slowly, so coastal areas have milder, more even climates.
Select all true statements about geography and climate.
Geography strongly shapes local climate. The other three are correct.
Latitude is not the whole story. Two towns at the same latitude can have opposite climates: one on a wet coast, one high on a mountain or in a rain shadow. Always consider altitude, mountains, and nearby water, not just how far a place is from the equator.
One mountain, two climates:
- Moist ocean air rises up the windward side of a mountain and rains heavily — a lush green slope.
- Having lost its moisture, the dry air descends the far side.
- The leeward side sits in a rain shadow — often a desert, just kilometres from the rainforest.
Geography strongly shapes local climate. Latitude and altitude both control temperature (higher and farther from the equator is colder). A mountain creates a dry rain shadow on its far side, and a nearby ocean current moderates coastal temperatures. These features explain why nearby places can have very different climates.