ENVS200 Chapter Notes - Chapter Chapter 4: Rain Shadow, Biome, Global Warming

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Environmental Studies
• Course: ENVS200
• Professor: Andrew Trant

Document Summary

Climate is controlled primarily by the differential heating of the planet by sunlight across the planet, and secondarily by the interaction of the atmosphere with the oceans and mountain ranges. Air that rises from the surface is displayed by other air from further north and south that flows towards the equator along the ground (creating wind and weather on the surface) Coriolis effect diverts wind to the east and west. Colder air cannot hold as much moisture, so as warm and moist air rises, the moisture. The pressure of air decreases rapidly with increasing height as it rises in the atmosphere condenses and falls back to the surface as precipitation. Rain shadow: on the downwind side of the mountains, descending air will be very dry. Glo(cid:271)al differe(cid:374)(cid:272)es i(cid:374) de(cid:374)sity a(cid:272)ross the (cid:449)orld"s o(cid:272)ea(cid:374)s play a (cid:373)ajor role i(cid:374) (cid:272)o(cid:374)trolli(cid:374)g the pattern and strength of currents. Global warming may change the density-dri(cid:448)e(cid:374) glo(cid:271)al (cid:272)ir(cid:272)ulatio(cid:374) of the (cid:449)orld"s o(cid:272)ea(cid:374)s.