Introduction to the Basic Drivers of Climate
Climates on Earth vary from the warm, wet tropics to the cold, dry Arctic and Antarctic. What drives this variation? Every day, we note the weather: temperature, rain, cloud cover, wind and humidity. Climate is the long-term prevailing weather in an area and is largely determined by temperature and...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
2010
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natrespapers/1010 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/natrespapers/article/2017/viewcontent/RS_3830.pdf |
| Summary: | Climates on Earth vary from the warm, wet tropics to the cold, dry Arctic and Antarctic. What drives this variation? Every day, we note the weather: temperature, rain, cloud cover, wind and humidity. Climate is the long-term prevailing weather in an area and is largely determined by temperature and precipitation. The climate in a desert is hot and dry. The climate in the tropics is warm and wet. The climate of a particular area is the largest determinant to the life found there. Climate is a key focus in ecology. Variations in climate include daily and seasonal cycles. Climatic variation also includes changes over several years, such as El Niño events, or even decades. Longer-term climate change occurs as a result of changes in intensity and distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface. Sunlight Intensity Is a Key Component of Climate; Sunlight Intensity Affects Global Winds, Precipitation Patterns, and Ocean Circulation Which Are All Components of Climate; Regional Climate Patterns; Microclimates; El Niño-Southern Oscillation |
|---|