Climate - Science

Climate and Adaptations to
Climate
DEB SINHA
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www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Climate and Adaptations to Climate
C HAPTER
1 Climate and Adaptations to
Climate
C HAPTER O UTLINE
1.1 The Climate System
1.2 Measuring Climate
1.3 Effect of Climate on Biodiversity
1.4 Climate Change
We learned in the last unit how natural selection in a population is influenced by the environmental conditions present
in an area. Environmental conditions include whether you are in a desert island or a large continent or whether there
are mountains or volcanoes in your neighborhood. A part of the environment that plays a very important role in
natural selection and evolution is the climate of a place and how that climate changes over time.
MEDIA
Click image to the left or use the URL below.
URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/225042
So what is climate? What produces the climate of any particular place? What kind of adaptations to climate found
in living organisms? What is climate change and how would it change the world around us? These are some of the
questions that we would try to answer in this unit.
1
1.1. The Climate System www.ck12.org
1.1 The Climate System
We hear the word climate used very frequently. Almost everybody knows that the climate of our planet is changing.
Understanding and adapting to climate change is important to the survival of our species and every other species on
our planet. But what is climate?
Climate vs. Weather
People confuse weather and climate all the time. A simple way to understand the difference between the two is the
statement: weather is what you get and climate is what you expect.
Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time. Weather is made of short-term (minutes to
days) changes in the atmosphere in a place. Most people, when they think of weather, are thinking about temperature,
humidity, precipitation (rain or snow), cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure (high and
low pressure).
Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area. Climate is the average weather
for a particular region and usually over a 30-years period. For example, one can expect a lot of rain in the Peruvian
Amazon in January or for it to be cold and cloudy in the southern coast of Peru in July.
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Climate System
The interaction of various parts of the planet produces the global climate and function together as a system. The
climate system is the highly complex system consisting of five major components: the atmosphere, the hydrosphere,
the cryosphere, the land surface, the biosphere, and the interactions between them. The climate system distributes
the energy the Earth receives from the sun and produces the climate of a place.
3
1. Atmosphere: The atmosphere is the mixture of different gases and aerosols (suspended liquid and solid particles)
surrounding our planet. The atmosphere affects the climate system in two ways.
• Gases in the atmosphere known as greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) trap heat from the Earth’s surface
that is trying to escape to space. This trapped heat increased the temperature of our planet and is called the
Greenhouse Effect.
• The sun heats different part of the Earth at different intensity. The sun’s radiation is strongest at the Equator
resulting in high temperatures and decreases as the distance from the Equator increases resulting in lower
temperatures.
4
This produces air currents that affect the climate of the entire planet. These air currents redistributes heat and
moisture and affects temperature and precipitation (i.e. rain or snow) in different parts of the world.
MEDIA
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2. Hydrosphere: The hydrosphere is made of all liquid water, both fresh water, including rivers, lakes and aquifers
(underground water), and saline water of the oceans and seas. Oceans, which cover more than 70 percent of the
earth’s surface, absorb huge amounts of solar energy.
• Ocean currents move heat from warm places like the equator to colder places like the north and south poles
and vice versa. The ocean currents influence temperature and precipitation throughout the world.
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MEDIA
• Closeness to large bodies of water (e.g. lakes and oceans) have an effect on the climate of the land. Water heats
up and cools down slower than land does. On warm days, cool air from the body of water lowers temperature
on land, whereas on cold days, warm air from the body of water increases temperature on land. Because of
this, coastal areas have moderate weather compared to areas further away from water.
7
3. Cryosphere: The cryosphere is the frozen water that is present as ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice. Snow and ice,
being white, reflect more sunlight than open water or bare ground. This prevents the planet from getting too hot and
reduces the average temperature of the planet. The presence or absence of snow and ice affects heating and cooling
over the Earth’s surface, affecting air temperatures, ocean currents, and storm patterns all over the world.
8
4. Land surface: Different types of land surface (e.g. bare soil or rocks, or soil covered with plants) absorb
different amounts of solar energy, producing differing rates of heating and evaporation. Heat absorbed by the land
surface heats the atmosphere. Some of this heat energy ends up evaporating water, either in the soil or in the leaves
of plants, returning water into the atmosphere.
The shape of the land surface also affects wind, slowing it down or moving it in certain directions. Wind patterns
increase or decrease the amount of rain or snow that may fall in a certain area.
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The elevation of the land surface also affects the climate of a place, particularly its temperature, precipitation and
wind. Temperature decreases with an increase in elevation. Precipitation and wind velocity increase with an increase
in elevation.
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5. Biosphere: The biosphere is made up of all living organisms on Earth. There are many different ways that the
biosphere affect climate. Some (e.g. herbivores) produce greenhouses gases and increase the warming of our planet,
while others (e.g. photosynthetic organisms) reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and cools
our planet. Living organisms also play a role in controlling other types of greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon
dioxide, and nitrous oxide. Together these affect the climate of our planet.
REVISE
• Definitions: Weather, Climate, Climate System, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Biosphere

• Prepare a table showing how each of the five components of the Climate System affects the climate of the
world and how each of the five components interact with another component of the climate system.
12
1.2 Measuring Climate
Climate is described using the same terms as weather. Measurements of temperature, precipitation, sunshine, wind,
atmospheric pressure and humidity are important to understand the climate of a place. When these are measured at
a location over several years, we can construct an accurate picture of the climate of that place.
Temperature
Temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of the air. The temperature of the air is measured using a
thermometer. Temperature is measured using Celsius (C) or Fahrenheit (F).
MEDIA
Precipitation
Precipitation is how water falls from the sky. Precipitation can be of four types: rain, sleet, snow or hail.
13
1.2. Measuring Climate www.ck12.org
Precipitation is measured by the amount (usually in millimetres) that reaches the ground in 24 hours. An instrument
called the rain gauge is used to measure rainfall in a particular area. Precipitation is measured using millimeters (mm)
or inches (in).
14
Different methods to measure rainfall
Pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the pressure air puts on everything within and around it. Changes in atmospheric pres-
sure produce winds. Atmospheric pressure is measured using a barometer. Pressure is measured using millibar
(mbar)
MEDIA
Humidity
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in air. The condensation of this water vapor produces clouds, rain, snow,
dew and fog. Humidity is measured using a hygrometer. Absolute humidity is measured using percentage (%).
15
Wind
Wind is the movement of air in a particular direction. Measurement of wind includes two components - direction
and speed. The direction of the wind is measured using a wind vane or wind sock. The speed of wind is measured
using an anemometer. Wind direction is indicated using directions like north, south, etc. Wind speed is measured
using meters/second or kilometers/hour.
MEDIA
Sunshine
Sunshine is the number of hours of sunlight that a place receives in a day. Sunshine is recorded using a device called
the Campbell-Stokes sunshine recorder.
16
REVISE
• Definitions: Temperature, Precipitation, Pressure, Humidity, Wind, and Sunshine.
17
• Prepare a table for the different measurements of weather, indicating the instruments used for measurement,
and the units of measurement.
18
1.3 Effect of Climate on Biodiversity
We have learned how the climate system produces different types of climate in different parts of the world. The
different types of climate can be grouped in simple categories. Climate is also the main determining factor of
the characteristics of living organisms found in different parts of the world.
The Köppen Climate Classification System
The Köppen Climate Classification System is the most popular method of identifying the climate in any part of
the world. It was developed in 1900 by the climatologist Wladimir Köppen. Köppen divided the Earth’s different
climates into five major climate types based on temperature and precipitation.
MEDIA
Each type of climate is marked by a capital letter.
• A - Moist Tropical Climates: located close to the equator, all months have average temperatures above 18º C
and large amount of rain throughout the year.
• B - Dry Climates: big temperature change between day and night, and receive very little precipitation during
the year.
19
1.3. Effect of Climate on Biodiversity www.ck12.org
• C - Temperate Climates: located close to large bodies of water, have warm dry summers and mild wet winters.
• D - Continental Climates: located in the interior regions of continents, have warm dry summers and cold wet
winters.
• E - Cold Climates: located close to the polar regions, extremely cold winters and summers, some areas have
permanent ice.
Effect of Climate on Biodiversity
As we have learned, the environment selects which organism survives and which does not, a process known as
natural selection. Climate forms a very important part of the environment that drives natural selection. As a result
organisms living in a particular type of climate are adapted to survive in that particular combination of temperature,
precipitation, sunshine, wind, atmospheric pressure and humidity that are present at the location.
A. Moist Tropical Climates
High rainfall and temperatures produce dense vegetation and very little sunlight reaches the ground. Plants like
orchids grow on other trees to receive sunlight. The leaves have drip tips which allow them to get rid of the rainwater
quickly and prevent growth of algae on the leaf surface.
20
The dense vegetation produced by the climate also limits the size of animals that can move around in the forest. The
largest mammal found in the rainforests are much smaller than the mammals found in other climates. The jaguar
is one of the the largest and it less than two meters long. Other animals, like the spider monkey, has long, strong
limbs and tail to help it to climb through the rainforest trees.
B. Dry Climates
Low rainfall, high temperatures during the day and the dry air require plants to conserve water. Leaves of the cacti
plants are modified to spines to prevent loss of water. Others, like certain types of mosses, become active only after
rain.
21
MEDIA
Animals also have to adapt to the temperature and shortage of water in dry climates. Camels have thick eyelashes
and can close their nostrils to protect themselves from sand. Fennec Foxes have large ears to help them lose body
heat and live underground where it is cooler.
C. Temperate Climates
This type of climate require plants with leaves to survive the winter without losing moisture. Plants have thick bark
to prevent loss of water and do most of their growing during the summer. Grasses can survive getting burnt by
natural fires.
22
Many animals, like the squirrels, hibernate during the winter to avoid the cold temperature and shortage of food.
Other animals, like the Monarch butterfly, migrate thousands of kilometers to warmer climates.
D. Continental Climate
This climate is known for big difference in weather conditions between seasons. Plants survive the winter by
shedding leaves to prevent water loss.
23
Animals, like the weasel, have different colored fur during the different seasons to help them hide better in their
environment.
Animals, like the Bison, also grow more fur during the winter and lose it during the summer.
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E. Cold Climate
The extreme cold temperatures and long periods of darkness limits plant growth in this type of climate. Plants
that are found in this climate, for example the Polar willow and the Sulphur butter-cup, are small (typically only
centimeters tall) and grow close to the ground to avoid dehydration due to wind.
Animals living in this climate, like the polar bear, have thick fur to protect them from the cold, a thick layer of fat
(called blubber) to conserve heat, and a greasy fur that prevents it from getting wet.
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REVISE
• Definition: Köppen Climate Classification System

• Prepare a table with the following information: name of the climate type, description of climate type, plant
adaptations, animal adaptations.
26
1.4 Climate Change
As we have learned, climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area, We have also understood that
climate is produced by the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the land surface, the biosphere, and the
interactions between them. Any changes in the climate system has the potential to change the climate of a place
and/or the planet. At present, our planet is experiencing changes in climate because of changes humans have caused
to the environment. Climate change is when there is a big difference in normal climate patterns over a long amount
of time.
Climate change due to natural causes
It is important to know that Earth’s climate has changed in the past. There were many periods when the Earth’s
temperature was higher than today and when the Earth went through Ice Ages. These changes happened because
of various natural factors, for example changes in the amount of heat received from the Sun, changes in the Earth’s
atmosphere because of volcanic eruptions, movement and position of the continents, changes in ocean currents
and changes in the orbit of Earth.
Climate Change because of human activities
Over the last 300 years, humans have added to the natural greenhouse effect. Large amount of greenhouse gases
like carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and methane (CH4 ) have been released by industries and agriculture into the atmosphere.
These extra amount of gases have trapped more heat and has caused the the planet’s temperature to increase. For
example, since the industrial revolution began in 1750, CO2 levels have risen by more than 30% and CH4 levels
have risen more than 140%. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is now higher than at any time in at least
800,000 years.
27
1.4. Climate Change www.ck12.org
MEDIA
Temperature records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface
has increased by about 0.8ºC in the last 100 years. About 0.6ºC of this warming occurred in the last 30 years.
Signs of Climate Change
Many indications of climate change are easily observed.
• Melting of glaciers and ice sheets - The frozen parts of Earth, the North and South Poles, Greenland and 190,000
glaciers, are now melting at a rapid rate.
28
MEDIA
The impact of climate change on the Antarctic
• Rise in sea level - As the ice sheets and glaciers melt, it is leading to increase in sea levels around the world.
Sea levels are also rising because warm water has larger volume than cold water.
29
MEDIA
• Increase in extreme weather events - The extra heat energy trapped by the Earth’s atmosphere is causing an
increase in evaporation leading to more intense rain and snow storms. Many places around the world are
experiencing heat waves when temperatures are abnormally high for long amount of time.
Extreme weather — strength and frequency on the rise
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Effects of Climate Change on Humans and Wildlife
Climate change is affecting and will increasingly affect humans. Some of the effects are:
• Human health - Heat waves and other natural disasters (e.g. floods and storms) would affect human health
by causing sickness and death through diseases and stress. Other diseases spread by insects (e.g. malaria by
mosquitoes) will become more common as temperatures increase.
MEDIA
• Displacement - Natural disasters (floods, droughts, wildfires, storms) and sea level rise would destroy homes
and habitats causing people to seek shelter and livelihoods elsewhere.
MEDIA
• Agriculture - Extreme weather, higher temperature and less water available for irrigation would reduce food
production. Many people, particularly the poor, would not be able to obtain sufficient food for their needs.
MEDIA
• Conflicts - Changes in climate are also affecting people’s lives and livelihoods and many societies are experi-
encing conflicts.
MEDIA
Climate change is also affecting wildlife. Some of the effects are:
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• Temperature - Melting Arctic ice removes hunting ground from Polar Bears. Warmer ocean temperatures
reduces fish populations and causes coral bleaching. Hot temperature also makes environment dry and causes
forest fires. This reduces the diversity of organisms that live in these environments.
• Water - Floods destroy the natural environment whereas droughts kill plants and the local wildlife.
MEDIA
MEDIA
REVISE
• Definition: Climate Change

• How is the climate that is happening today different from climate change that in the past?
• What are the signs of climate change we can see in the world? Answer using examples.
• What are the effects of climate change on humans?
• What are the effects of climate change on the wildlife?
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33

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Climate and Adaptations to

Say Thanks to the Authors

CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to

Copyright © 2018 CK-12 Foundation, www.ck12.org

Any form of reproduction of this book in any format or medium,

Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12

Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/about/

Printed: August 13, 2018

1.1 The Climate System

Climate vs. Weather

• Definitions: Weather, Climate, Climate System, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Cryosphere, Biosphere

1.2 Measuring Climate

Different methods to measure rainfall

• Definitions: Temperature, Precipitation, Pressure, Humidity, Wind, and Sunshine.

1.3 Effect of Climate on Biodiversity

The Köppen Climate Classification System

Each type of climate is marked by a capital letter.

Effect of Climate on Biodiversity

• Definition: Köppen Climate Classification System

1.4 Climate Change

Climate change due to natural causes

Climate Change because of human activities

Signs of Climate Change

Many indications of climate change are easily observed.

The impact of climate change on the Antarctic

Extreme weather — strength and frequency on the rise

Effects of Climate Change on Humans and Wildlife

Climate change is also affecting wildlife. Some of the effects are:

• Definition: Climate Change

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