Ecosystems

Allie Furlo APES CH. 7 Weather- a set of physical conditions of the lower atmosphere such as temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, and other factors in a given area over a period of hours or days. Climate- an area?s general pattern of atmospheric conditions over periods of at least three decades and up to thousands of years. Weather averaged over a long period of time. Three major factors determine how air circulates in the lower atmosphere: Uneven heating of the earth?s surface by the sun. The air is more heated at the equator where the sun?s rays strike more directly than at the poles where it strikes at an angle and spreads over a greater area. Solar radiation in tropical areas greatly increases evaporation, which increases precipitation.