{"id":48,"date":"2023-06-26T15:49:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-26T20:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/somoutreach.wordpress.com\/?page_id=48"},"modified":"2023-06-26T15:49:02","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T20:49:02","slug":"climate","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/climate\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">General Definition and Importance<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see meteorologists on TV telling us what the weather for that day and that week will look like, but what if we want to know if we are going to experience a warmer winter or cooler summer in the coming years? That is when we study Earth\u2019s climate. Climate refers to the long-term patterns of weather conditions in a particular region over a period of time, typically spanning several decades. Climate determines the overall atmospheric conditions experienced in a specific area, including the seasonal variations and frequency of extreme weather events.<br><br>Climate is influenced by a range of factors, including the interaction between the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice cover, and living organisms. Natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, solar radiation, and variations in Earth&#8217;s orbit contribute to climate variability. Additionally, human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, can significantly impact the climate system, leading to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns on a global scale.<br><br>Understanding climate is important for studying and predicting weather patterns, assessing environmental changes, and evaluating the potential impacts on ecosystems, societies, and economies. Climate science plays a crucial role in addressing issues like climate change, which refers to long-term shifts in the average weather conditions due to both natural and human causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-default\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Key Concepts<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-large-font-size\">Earth&#8217;s Energy Balance\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-large-font-size\">\n<li>Radiation\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Uneven heating of Earth&#8217;s surface<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Atmosphere<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Orbital Cycles\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Seasons<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Milankovitch cycles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-large-font-size\">\n<li>Atmosphere and Ocean Circulation\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heat Transfer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-large-font-size\">Climate vs. Weather\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Space and time scales<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Societal impact<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-large-font-size\">Climate Change\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Greenhouse gasses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feedbacks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Astronomical Phenomena\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eclipses\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/somoutreach\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4427\/2025\/09\/Solar-Eclipse-Demonstration-1.pdf\">Solar Eclipse Activity<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/somoutreach\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4427\/2025\/09\/Solar-Eclipse-Recording-Sheet-Google-Docs.pdf\">Solar Eclipse Recording Sheet<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Oklahoma State Standards<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We found that understanding Earth&#8217;s climate is relevant to meeting the <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/content\/dam\/ok\/en\/osde\/documents\/services\/literacy-policy-and-programs\/oklahoma-academic-standards\/2020-OAS-Science-Standards.pdf\">2020 Oklahoma Academic Standards<\/a> below:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>5.ESS2.1 Develop a model to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and\/or atmosphere interact.<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Earth\u2019s major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth\u2019s surface materials and processes. The ocean supports a variety of ecosystems and organisms, shapes landforms, and influences climate. Winds and clouds in the atmosphere interact with the landforms to determine patterns of weather.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>ES.ESS2.2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth\u2019s surface can create feedbacks and interactions that cause changes to other Earth\u2019s systems.<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Earth\u2019s systems, being dynamic and interacting, cause feedback effects that can increase or decrease the original changes.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The foundation for Earth\u2019s global climate system is the electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy\u2019s re-radiation into space.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>ES.ESS2.4 Analyze and interpret data to explore how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth\u2019s systems causes changes to the atmosphere and climate.<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The geological record shows that changes to global and regional climate can be caused by interactions among changes in the Sun\u2019s energy output or Earth\u2019s orbit, tectonic events, ocean circulation, volcanic activity, glaciers, vegetation, and human activities. These changes can occur on a variety of time scales from sudden (e.g., volcanic ash clouds) to intermediate (ice ages) to very long-term (tectonic cycles).<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>The foundation for Earth\u2019s global climate system is the electromagnetic radiation from the Sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy\u2019s re-radiation into space.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Cyclical changes in the shape of Earth\u2019s orbit around the Sun, together with changes in the tilt of the planet\u2019s axis of rotation, both occurring over hundreds of thousands of years, have altered the intensity and distribution of sunlight falling on the Earth. These phenomena cause a cycle of ice ages and other changes in climate.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>ES.ESS2.6 Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>ES.ESS3.1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate affect human activity<\/summary>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Natural hazards and other geologic events have shaped the course of human history; they have significantly altered the sizes of human populations and have driven human migrations.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>General Definition and Importance We see meteorologists on TV telling us what the weather for that day and that week will look like, but what if we want to know if we are going to experience a warmer winter or cooler summer in the coming years? That is when we study Earth\u2019s climate. Climate refers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":258,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-48","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/48","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/48\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/somoutreach.som.ou.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}