High School Earth Science: Climate - Climate and Its Causes — Flashcards

The climate of a location is influenced mainly by its latitude, but several other factors may also be important. These include the location’s position relative to an ocean or mountain range.    
When a location is near an ocean or even a large lake, the body of water is likely to have a major impact on the climate.    
- A place near an ocean has a maritime climate if winds usually blow in off the ocean. This type of climate is moderate, with relatively little variation in temperatures seasonally or daily. Surface currents and upwelling may contribute to the influence of the water on a coastal climate. For example, the cold waters of the California current bring cool temperatures to the California coast, whereas the warm waters of the Gulf Stream bring warm temperatures to the coast of England.    
- A place too far inland to be influenced by an ocean has a continental climate. This type of climate is more extreme, with greater variation in temperatures seasonally and daily.    
Mountain ranges may also have a big impact on climate. Places with higher altitudes have lower temperatures because density of air decreases with altitude. When the air is less dense, air molecules are less likely to collide and generate heat. Mountain ranges may also create a rainshadow effect. This causes the leeward side of the range to have a warm, dry climate. If a mountain range separates a coastal region from the rest of the continent, maritime air masses may have trouble rising over the mountain range. As a result, the coastal area will have a maritime climate but the inland area on the leeward side of the range will have a continental climate.