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What Influences Climate and Weather?

The difference between climate and weather is one of time. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere over a short period measured in hours and weeks. Climate is the long-term weather of a region or describes the average weather conditions of the entire planet. The Earth's climate extends back billions of years over many geological time periods. Weather and climate are in a constant state of flux, always changing. A wide variety of variables influence these changes.

Earth's Orbit
- Over the last several million years, the Earth's climate has cycled between cold glacial periods and warm interglacial times. The primary influence on these large-scale climate changes is the amount of sunlight hitting the planet and the light's incoming angle. The amount of solar radiation received by the Earth is determined by eccentricities in its orbit around the sun. The Earth wobbles on its axis and follows an elliptical orbit, causing variations in the sunlight's strength. These orbital variables are called Milankovitch cycles.
Location
- The closer you are to the equator, the warmer the climate will be due to the straight angles of the sun's rays. The lower latitudes have little seasonal weather and day-length change. Polar regions receive weaker and less sunlight. Temperate zones feature extreme climate change between the seasons. Regions close to the sea or large bodies of water are warmed by the water's radiating heat. Proximity to water raises precipitation levels in adjacent areas.
Topography
- Topography is a strong influence on climate and weather. Mountainous, high-altitude regions are cooler than the surrounding lowlands. Mountain ranges block the flow of air to trap moisture-laden clouds. One side of coastal mountains may have moderate weather with heavy rainfall while the other side experiences arid, desert-like conditions. Volcano eruptions influence the weather by adding carbon dioxide and clouds of dust to the atmosphere. Outcrops of carbonate sedimentary rocks emit carbon dioxide as they erode, contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Wind
- Prevailing wind patterns influence the climate by moving weather fronts in different directions. Global wind patterns influence the changing of the seasons as they shift from blowing north to south. Wind causes spring and summer air masses to converge in the central United States. The colliding fronts of warm and cold dry air hit the wet Gulf of Mexico air masses to create violent storms. The result is often tornadoes and large thunderstorms.

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