Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

Overview

Climate refers to a general description of longer-term features of

the weather in a particular location, such as the average temperature
or rainfall for each month of the year, calculated over a period of 30
years or more (Pollution Probe, 2004). Climates vary widely around the
world – from the hot, rainy climates of tropical regions near the
equator, to the cold, icy climates near the poles, both of which
experience much the same temperature all year round. There are hot,
dry deserts and milder ‘temperate’ regions where there is a large
difference in temperature between summer and winter. Some regions
can have rain in any month, others have a well-defined wet or dry
season, and some receive little rain or snow throughout the year.

The target of this module is to distinguish between climate and weather,

and will explain how different factors affect the climate of an area. In addition,
this module will help you understand and recognize what is climate change and
its effects not only in our country but also in a global level.

Learning Objectives

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Differentiate climate from weather;

2. Identify factors that affect climate;
3. Explain how different factors affect the climate of an area;
4. Describe what is climate change and;
5. Determine the causes and effects of climate change in the
environment.

Lecture/Discussion

I. Climate and Weather

Weather is a specific event or condition that happens over a period of

hours or days. For example, a thunderstorm, a snowstorm, and today’s
temperature all describe the weather. Weather is highly variable day to day,
and from one year to the next. For example, Metro Manila might have a warm
December this year and a much colder December the next. This kind of
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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate
change is normal. But when the average pattern over many years’ changes, it
is now called climate.

Climate refers to the average weather conditions in a place over many

years. The climate in the Philippines is tropical and maritime. It is
characterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity and abundant
rainfall. Temperature, humidity and rainfall or precipitation are the most
important elements of climate.

Using these elements, the climate of the country can be divided into
two major seasons: (1) the rainy season, from June to November; and (2) the
dry season, from December to May. The dry season may be subdivided
further into (a) the cool dry season, from December to February; and (b) the
hot dry season, from March to May.

Learning Activity 1.

For each statement below, write “W” if you think the statement relates
to Weather or “C” if you think the statement relates to Climate. Write your
answer on the line before the number.

_____ 1. Today’s temperature is 30 degrees Celsius.

_____ 2. Latest three-month average temperature and precipitation anomalies
of United States.
_____ 3. In the Philippines, the coolest month falls in January with a mean
temperature of 25.5 ºC and the warmest month occurs in May with a mean
temperature of 28.3 ºC.
_____ 4. According to the news, there is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow.
_____ 5. In some parts of the world, rainstorms have become more intense
over the past several decades.
_____ 6. Tells you what to wear each day.
______7. I heard that Baguio records the lowest temperature from December-
February.
______8. Some parts of the world experienced earlier springtime than
expected.
______9. “Why is it so hot today?”
______10. The average weather for a particular region and time period, usually
taken over 30-years.

II. CLIMATE: FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE

 Latitude  Topography

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate
 Altitude  Ocean Currents
 Distance to Oceans

Latitude or distance from the equator – Temperatures drop the further

an area is from the equator due to the curvature of the earth. Places located
at high latitudes (far from the equator) receive less sunlight than places at
low latitudes (close to the equator). At higher latitudes, the sun’s rays are less
direct. The farther an area is from the equator, the lower its temperature. At
the equator, the sun’s rays are most direct. This is where temperatures are
highest.

Average temperatures cool with increasing latitude, producing well-

defined climatic zones on the planet.

 Three Climatic Zones

1. Tropic Zones extend from the equator north to the Tropic of Cancer at
23.5 degrees north to the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south.
This is a region of generally warm temperatures and lush tropical
vegetation.
2. Temperate Zones extend from the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to
the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, which are located at 66.5 degrees north
and south latitude respectively. These regions experience moderate
temperatures and large temperature variations. The summers are hot
and the winters cool.
3. Polar Zones extend from the Arctic and Antarctic Circles to the poles.
In these regions, temperatures are cold and vegetation sparse.

Figure. 1 is showing generalized climate zones as based on latitude.

Altitude is the distance above sea level. High-altitude locations are

usually much colder than areas closer to sea level. This is why the
temperature in Baguio City is lower compared to Nueva Ecija. Baguio having

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate
1400 m elevation above sea level and Nueva Ecija 37.5 m elevation above
sea level. This is due to the low air pressure. Air expands as it rises, and the
fewer gas molecules—including nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide—have
fewer chances to bump into each other. The closer molecules are packed
together, the more likely they are to collide. Collisions between molecules
give off heat, which warms the air. At higher altitudes, the air is less dense
and air molecules are more spread out and less likely to collide. Hence,
location in the mountains has lower average temperatures than one at the
base of the mountains.

Figure 2. Altitude

Distance to oceans or large bodies of water: Areas that are close

to oceans and other large bodies of water tend to have more moderate
climate ranges between seasons. These areas also tend to have higher
average precipitation than land locked areas, although there can be
exceptions. Landlocked areas are the locations in the center of large
landmasses that tend to have drier climates and extreme high temperature
annually.

Oceans heat up and cool down much more slowly than land. This means
that coastal locations tend to be cooler in summer and warmer in winter than
places inland at the same latitude and altitude.

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

Figure. 3 shows the temperature in coastal area and land area.

Topography of an area refers to the surface shapes and features

themselves, or a description (especially their depiction in maps). Topographic
barriers such as mountains and hills force prevailing winds up and over their
slopes. Mountains play an important role in precipitation patterns. As air
rises, it also cools. Cooler air is capable of holding less water vapor than
warmer air. As air cools, this water vapor is forced to condense, depositing
rain or snow on windward slopes.

Figure. 4 shows the climate difference in leeward side and windward side

When air flows into higher elevations, lifting will occur on one side of
the elevated terrain while sinking will occur on the other. The side that the
lifting occurs is called the windward side. The side that sinking occurs is called
the leeward side. The windward side has more precipitation than the leeward
side. The elevated terrain can also act as a lifting mechanism for
precipitation. Precipitation amounts over the course of a year tend to be
higher near elevated regions due to the extra lifting that is generated by air
flowing into the high terrain.

Ocean currents are a continuous and directed movement of the ocean

water. This happens through forces acting on the water, such as difference in
salinity, the waves breaking, temperature, and wind. The direction of the
current is determined by the depth of the contours, other currents acting on
the ocean and the nature of the shoreline.

The currents will either act above the surface of the ocean, or deep
below the surface of the ocean (at least 300 meters). Depending on the
cause, ocean currents will move vertically or horizontally, and they can also
be influenced by the land masses that border the ocean, the topography or
the shape of the ocean basin.

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Figure 5. Ocean Currents

The figure shows different loops or gyres of surface currents around the
world. In the northern hemisphere, the current flows in a clockwise direction.
On the other hand, in the southern hemisphere, the current flow in counter
clockwise direction. These clockwise and counter clockwise of ocean currents
are cause by Coriolis Effect.

How is climate determined by ocean currents?

As the horizontal currents are moving south or northwards, they carry

with them cool or warm water over an extended distance. It is the displaced
water that affects the air, by warming or cooling it, thereby transferring the
same effect to the land surface over which it blows. This is how ocean
currents affect climate.

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water
and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the
poles back to the tropics. Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate,
helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching
Earth’s surface. Without currents in the ocean, regional temperatures would
be more extreme—super hot at the equator and frigid toward the poles—and
much less of Earth’s land would be habitable.

Warm and cool ocean currents

Cold ocean currents are large masses of cold water that move
towards the equator, from a level of high altitude to lower levels. They absorb
the heat they receive in the tropics, thereby cooling the air above them. The
cold currents often form when the air on the subtropical high blows over a
cold mass of water, then the cold air is dragged to the equator. Warm
currents, on the other hand, are large masses of warm water moving further
away from the equator, at higher temperatures. They form when salty cold
water becomes heavy and sinks, in the process forcing warm and lighter
water to move in the opposite direction.
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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

The influence of the flow of currents usually depends on the level of

saltiness of the water, the rotation of the earth, the topography of the land
and the orientation of the wind. It is these that bring cold water to the surface
of the earth from the depths, and in the process forcing away the original
surface water. It is because of this reason that you will always notice that the
ocean is often cooler to the eastern coastal side than the western coastal
side.

Learning Activity 2.

Explain how the following factors affect climate. Use the given terms in
your explanation. Limit your answer in 1-2 sentences only.

FACTORS EFFECT
1. Latitude
(farther, nearer, equator)

2. Altitude
(low area, high area,
temperature)

3. Distance to oceans
(coastal area, land area,
precipitation)

4. Topography
(windward side, leeward side)

5. Ocean Currrents
(warm current, cold current)

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

III. CLIMATE CHANGE: CAUSE AND EFFECT

Alaska's Muir glacier in August 1941 (left) and August 2004 (right)

What can you observe in the picture? Are there changes that you can
see? Why did this happen?

All these questions will be all answered by one of the most current
worldwide issues, which is climate change. Our climate is changing. Observed
changes over the 20th century include increases in global average air and
ocean temperature, rising global sea levels, long-term sustained widespread
reduction of snow and ice cover, and changes in atmospheric and ocean
circulation and regional weather patterns, which influence seasonal rainfall
conditions.

According to NASA, climate change is “a broad range of global

phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-
trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere. These phenomena include not only the
increased temperature trends described by global warming, but also
encompass changes such as sea-level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland,
Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant
blooming; and extreme weather events.”

Another definition, climate change refers to the average long-term

changes over the entire Earth. These include warming temperatures and
changes in precipitation, as well as the effects of Earth’s warming, such as
rising sea levels shrinking mountain glaciers, ice melting at a faster rate than
usual in Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic and changes in flower and plant
blooming times.

Earth’s climate has constantly been changing — even long before humans came
into the picture. However, scientists have observed unusual changes recently. For
example, Earth’s average temperature has been increasing much more quickly than they
would expect over the past 150 years.

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate
How Much Is Earth’s Climate Changing Right Now?

Some parts of Earth are warming faster than others. But on average,
global air temperatures near Earth's surface have gone up about 2 degrees
Fahrenheit in the past 100 years. In fact, the past five years have been the
warmest five years in centuries.

Many people, including scientists, are concerned about this warming. As

Earth’s climate continues to warm, the intensity and amount of rainfall during
storms such as hurricanes is expected to increase. Droughts and heat waves
are also expected to become more intense as the climate warms. When the
whole Earth’s temperature changes by one or two degrees, that change can
have big impacts on the health of Earth's plants and animals, too.

Climate Change versus Global Warming

Although people tend to use these terms interchangeably, global

warming is just one aspect of climate change. “Global warming” refers to the
rise in global temperatures due mainly to the increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. “Climate change” refers to the
increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long period of time –
including precipitation, temperature, and wind patterns.

III.a. CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Human activity is the main cause of climate change. People burn fossil
fuels and convert land from forests to agriculture. Since the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution, people have burned more and more fossil fuels and
changed vast areas of land from forests to farmland. Burning fossil fuels
produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. More examples of greenhouse
gases are: water vapor, Methane, Ozone Nitrous oxide and
Chlorofluorocarbons.

Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which makes the Earth
warmer. People are adding several types of greenhouse gases to the
atmosphere, and each gas's effect on climate change depends on three main
factors:
 How much?
People produce larger amounts of some greenhouse gases than others.
Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas you hear people talk about the
most. That's because we produce more carbon dioxide than any other
greenhouse gas, and it's responsible for most of the warming.
 How long?
Some greenhouse gases stay in the atmosphere for only a short time,
but others can stay in the atmosphere and affect the climate for
thousands of years.

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate
 How strong?
Not all greenhouse gases are created equal! Some trap more heat than
others. For example, one pound of methane traps about 21 times as
much heat as one pound of carbon dioxide.

III.b. EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Risks Report, the
failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change will be “the most impactful
risk” facing communities worldwide in the coming decade even of weapons of
mass destruction and water crises. Blame its cascading effects: As climate
change transforms global ecosystems, it affects everything from the places
we live to the water we drink to the air we breathe.

1. Temperatures Will Continue to Rise

Because human-induced warming is superimposed on a naturally varying
climate, the temperature rise has not been, and will not be, uniform or
smooth across the country or over time.

2. Extreme Weather
As the Earth’s atmosphere heats up, it collects, retains, and drops more
water, changing weather patterns and making wet areas wetter and dry areas
drier. Higher temperatures worsen and increase the frequency of many types
of disasters, including storms, floods, heat waves, and droughts.

3. Sea level will rise

Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping
began in 1880. It is projected to rise another 1 to 8 feet by 2100. This is the
result of added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as
it warms.

4. Imperiled Ecosystems
Climate change is increasing pressure on wildlife to adapt to changing
habitats—and fast. Many species are seeking out cooler climates and higher
altitudes, altering seasonal behaviors, and adjusting traditional migration
patterns. These shifts can fundamentally transform entire ecosystems and the
intricate webs of life that depend on them.

5. El Niño and La Niña

La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the
warm phase of ENSO. These deviations from normal surface temperatures can
have large-scale impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on global
weather and climate. El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last nine to 12
months, but some prolonged events may last for years. While their frequency
can be quite irregular, El Niño and La Niña events occur on average every two
to seven years. Typically, El Niño occurs more frequently than La Niña .

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

Learning Activity 3.

True or False. Write the word TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if
the answer is incorrect. Write your answers on the space provided before the
number.

_________1. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that is produced in

burning fossil fuels.
_________2. La Niña and El Niño are opposite phases but both impact global
climate.
_________3. The ecosystem is greatly affected by climate change.
_________4. Climate change is the rise in global temperature while global
warming
the increasing changes in the measures of climate.
_________5. If we will experience extreme weather, there will be an increase
frequency of many types of disasters.
_________6. When climate change happens, global temperature remains the
same.
_________7. Global warming is caused by increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
_________8. Greenhouse gases helps in releasing heat from the atmosphere.
_________9. Global air temperatures near Earth's surface have gone up about 5
degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years.
_________10. Climate change as an issue should not be neglected and must be
addressed.

Suggested Reading and Video Links:

1. Factors affecting Climate

https://youtu.be/I2eZR15Q4G0

2. Climate Change
https://youtu.be/dcBXmj1nMTQ

Assessment
Using the pictures given, make a slogan which promotes the mitigation
of the effects of Climate Change.

PICTURE SLOGAN

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate

References

Department of Education Learners Manual Science for Grade 9. First Edition.

2015.

Department of Education Alternative Delivery Mode Modules for Science 9.

First Edition. 2020

Online Websites

https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/mod/oucontent/view.php?
id=79966&printable=1
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/altitude/
https://sciencing.com/latitude-affect-climate-4586935.html

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 Quarter 4 (Module 3) – Integrated Science 9 – Climate
https://www.blueplanetaquarium.com/blog/education/climate-change-how-
ocean-currents-affect-climate/?fbclid=IwAR24x0NEHBqCfO6AcxYLFfpm-
5DFsGyGN2vIAqAeDuxPrqZJRjHAauSGa7E
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/altitude-sickness.html

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