BIO120H1 Lecture Notes - Sonoran Desert, Atmospheric Circulation
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BIO120H1 Full Course Notes
Verified Note
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Document Summary
Climate: long term prevailing weather in an area. Serves as a determinant to the life in that area. Sun: provides energy for living organisms and rives the planet"s weather and climatic patterns (near equator = greater solar input). Areas in the tropics receive sunlight directly. Regions in the north and south receive sunlight at an angle. This in turn reduces heat and energy that reaches those areas. Earth is tiled on its axis by 23. 5o. As earth orbits the sun, its orientation to the sun changes. Northern and southern tips of the earth have opposite seasons and tropical areas experience little change (rainfall). Sunlight intensity affects global winds, precipitation patterns, ocean circulations. At the equator, earth warms air and water. Since molecules spread apart when they are warm, it is less dense than cold air. Sunlight causes water to evaporate from plants, soils and water. Water molecules rise and condense to form clouds, then fall as precipitation.
