Chapter 3 Homework

Chapter 3, Section 1



1. Earth's rotation and its tilt cause changes in weather and climate around the world. This is beacause it depends on what areas of land recieve the suns light and at when they recieve it. Earth is in a perfect position to get the right amount of light and heat from the sun. If we were any closer or further away from the sun Earth might not be able to sustain the life we have on this planet today, it would either be too hot or too cold.

2. Global warming might affect the Earth's air by trapping heat because of our thick layer of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This would make the air much dryer and warmer that it is nowalso causing extreme weather patterns. It can affect the water by causing it to evaporate very quichly from oceans, rivers, and seas causing escalated rain and humidity. This quick evaporation may cause water to evaporate too much from the soil which will make the land dry out.

Creative Writing:
I disagree with this statement. Global warming is not a natural process, it is due to all the polution and build up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because of manmade processes like burning coal, oil, and other natural gas. Humans can decrease the severity and cause it to happen slower by maybe redusing the exposure of these gasses into the atmosphere and comming up with ways to do things naturally. We can use electric cars to burn less fuel and use safer "green" household products to reduce polution.


Chapter 3, Section 2

1. Latitude and elevaton make all the difference to climate. The higher latitude an area has the colder the climate will be because these areas are furter away from the equater. Land masses around the equater, tropic of capricorn, and tropic of cancer are usually the warmest. The suns light shines the most near the equater, therefore making them the warmest. Although nomatter the latitude, elevation always affects climate too. The higher the elevation, the the thinner the air is, and the thinner the air is, less heat is trapped causing it to be cooler.

2. Winds occur when sunlight heats the atmosphere unevenly. As warm air rises cool air then flows through to fill the space. Winds affect climate because they are what distributes the sun's energy around the Earth. It is the same with ocean currents. As the currents circulate they move cool water from the polar regions in towards the equater.

Creative Writing:
If someday the North Atlantic Current were to shutdown permanatly, there would be a lot of changes in western Europe. The land that is being cooled from this current would not be getting any cold water from the polar areas. This would cause the land to increase in heat and change the climate. There would be nothing cooling the area except wind patterns.


Chapter 3, Section 3

1. Geographers classify climate into five main categories: tropical, dry, midlatitude, high latitude, and highland. These areas are divided and classified based on the characteristics of its soils and natural vegitation.

2. Reoccuring phenomenons can change climate over time because of things like acid rain, smog, ice ages, and global warming. These things can change the enviornment causing heat to be trapped. This can change the climate as time passes.

Creative Writing:
Huntington Beach has a midlatitude climate, but more specificly a mediterranean climate. We have a variable weather patterns and seasonal changes which make for a variety of natural vegetation. We experience cool summers and cool damp winters. Our rainfall supports the growth of mixed forests of both coniferous and deciduous trees.