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Chapter 10: Problem 1

Distinguish between "weather" and "climate."

Short Answer

Expert verified
Weather refers to short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific location at a particular time, while climate describes the long-term, average atmospheric conditions for an area, usually calculated over 30 years or more. Weather can change rapidly, whereas climate considers the overall patterns for a region over extended periods. Factors influencing weather include temperature, air pressure, moisture, and wind, while climate is affected by factors like latitude, elevation, ocean currents, and prevailing winds.

Step by step solution

01

Defining "Weather"

Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions in a specific location at a particular time. It includes variables such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, etc.). Weather can change rapidly, even within minutes or hours.
02

Defining "Climate"

Climate describes the long-term, average atmospheric conditions for a particular area, usually calculated over 30 years or more. It is influenced by factors such as latitude, topography, and proximity to large bodies of water. Climate considers average temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind patterns for the specific area and helps us understand what the typical weather situations would be like in the long-term.
03

Time scales of Weather and Climate

Weather is a short-term phenomenon, occurring on time scales of minutes, hours, days, or weeks. For instance, the weather can change within a single day, with a sunny morning followed by a rainy afternoon. On the other hand, climate looks at long-term trends over years, decades, or even centuries. If we are studying climate, we would be less interested in daily or weekly variations and more focused on understanding the overall patterns for a specific region over a long period.
04

Factors influencing Weather and Climate

Several factors can influence weather, including temperature, air pressure, moisture, and wind. These factors can interact with each other, leading to various weather phenomena such as rain, snow, thunderstorms, and hurricanes. Climate is affected by factors like latitude, elevation, ocean currents, and prevailing winds, which determine long-term temperature, humidity, and precipitation patterns for a given area.
05

Providing examples for Weather and Climate

An example of weather could be a forecast predicting sunny skies and a temperature of 25°C (77°F) for a specific city on a particular day. An example of climate for the same city would be a description of its typical temperature range throughout the year, the average amount of precipitation per month, and common seasonal weather patterns, such as summer heatwaves or winter snowstorms.

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