The Sun heats the Earth unevenly: the equator receives much more direct sunlight than the poles. This uneven heating drives winds in the atmosphere and currents in the oceans that carry heat from the tropics towards the poles.
Ocean currents strongly affect climate. The Gulf Stream carries warm water from the Caribbean across the Atlantic, so the UK and Ireland have milder winters than places at the same latitude in Canada. Coastal places have smaller temperature ranges than inland places, because water heats up and cools down more slowly than land. Mountains also shape climate: air rising over them drops rain on one side, leaving a drier rain shadow on the other.
Worked example
Why are summers cooler and winters milder by the sea?
- Water heats up and cools down more slowly than land.
- The sea keeps nearby air cool in summer and warm in winter.
Answer:So coastal places have a smaller temperature range.
Key words
- ocean current
- a large, steady flow of sea water
- latitude
- distance north or south of the equator
- rain shadow
- the dry side of a mountain range
- Gulf Stream
- a warm Atlantic current
New questions every time.
NGSS-referenced: MS-ESS2-6