What Is Climate?
Are you looking for an easy way to teach your child about weather and climate? We’ve put together a set of free materials that parents and teachers can use right away. In this lesson, your child will dive into the fascinating world of climate.
We’ll explore the long-term weather patterns that define a region. Explore science in a more engaging way with captivating 3D videos and interactive quizzes. Download our app to get started!
Table of Contents
What You Will Learn From This Lesson
- Climate describes long-term weather patterns.
- Climate uses average temperature and precipitation.
- Sunlight, sea distance, and altitude determine climate.
How Is Climate Defined?
Understanding the difference between weather and climate is key to this science lesson. Weather describes the current state of the atmosphere for a brief duration, such as an hour or a day. In contrast, climate refers to the average weather patterns in a specific area over a long time, usually 30 years or more. It is an essential scientific concept for learning how our planet functions and why different parts of the world look the way they do.
How Is Climate Described?
Scientists and educators describe a region’s climate by analyzing two primary measurements over an extended period: average temperature and average precipitation. By collecting and observing this data, we can define the typical year-round conditions and seasonal shifts for any geographic location. For example, one region’s annual climate might be defined by hot summers with a lot of rain and freezing winters with barely any precipitation. In this same region, spring and fall could have similar climate patterns, both being characterized by low temperatures and little rainfall.
What Determines a Region’s Climate?
The features of a region’s climate are controlled by a combination of key natural factors. The first critical factor is the intensity and duration of sunlight the area receives, which is why regions that receive a lot of sunlight tend to be hot throughout the year.
The second determining factor is the location’s distance to the sea; inland areas often experience wider temperature ranges, while coastal areas maintain more consistent temperatures.
Finally, the altitude of the location is a significant element, as the air temperature becomes predictably colder the higher up you travel. The unique interaction of these three elements—sunlight, distance to the sea, and altitude—ultimately governs the temperature and precipitation that define a local climate. This explains why our home planet sustains such a wide variety of different climate types.
Fun Fact
- Climate is not today’s weather, but the average temperature and precipitation over many years.
- The higher a region’s altitude is, the colder its average climate temperature will be.
- Weather vanes often feature a rooster because this animal is an old European cultural symbol for the coming of dawn.
- Polar-orbiting satellites travel on a path nearly perpendicular to the equator, flying over both the North and South Poles.
Vocabulary
- Climate: The long-term weather pattern that defines a region. It is described by the average temperature and precipitation measured over the course of a year.
- Precipitation: The measure of water, such as rain or snow, that falls to the ground in a region.
- Sunlight: A factor that determines climate; a region receiving plentiful sunlight remains hot all year long.
- Distance to the Sea: A factor that determines climate; coastal areas have more stable temperatures than inland areas.
- Altitude: The height of a location, which is a key factor because the air temperature decreases the higher up you travel.