Science

Grade 9 • Unit 13: Climate

LESSON 13.1
Factors Affecting Climate
Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Learning Competency 2

Learning Objectives 2

Warm-Up 2

Learn about It 3
Natural Factors Affecting Climate 4
Latitude 5
Role of the Atmosphere 6
Role of the Hydrosphere 8
Role of the Geosphere 10
Role of the Biosphere 12
Artificial Factors Affecting Climate 13
Landscape Modification 14
Environmental Degradation 15
Pollution 16
Overpopulation 17

Key Points 18

Check Your Understanding 19

Photo Credits 21

Bibliography 21
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Grade 6 • Unit 13: Climate

Lesson 13.1
Factors Affecting Climate

A polar bear standing on an iceberg

Introduction
Earth’s surface is an intersection of several distinct “spheres” making it a whole “system.”
These spheres exist in a certain balance, where changes brought about by their interactions
can induce several phenomena which seek to rebalance the change. One of these
phenomena is climate. What are the changes or factors that affect the global climate?

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Grade 6 • Unit 13: Climate

Learning Competency
At the end of this lesson, the given DepEd learning competency should be met
by the students.
Explain how different factors affect the climate of an area (S9ES-IIIe-30).

Learning Objectives
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Describe what a climate is and identify the factors affecting it.
● Identify the roles of the different spheres of Earth on the different
climatic effects experienced in different regions on Earth.
● Differentiate areas of Earth based on climate experienced.
● Identify artificial factors affecting Earth’s climate.

Warm-Up

Earth Spheres Interaction

In this activity, you will analyze and hypothesize the role of the different “spheres” of Earth
in the production of Earth’s climate system. In the diagram below, what can you say about
the role of the different spheres? What do you think are the interactions between and
among each sphere in order for Earth to have a distinct climate system? Write your
thoughts in the space provided and answer the succeeding guide questions.

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Sample concept map for the activity

Guide Questions
1. What is climate?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think are the roles of each Earth sphere in producing Earth’s climate?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think are the interactions between the spheres?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Learn about It

Essential Question
How do different factors affect the climate of an area?

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Grade 6 • Unit 13: Climate

Weather is the fluctuations in the atmosphere over a short period. These fluctuations are
usually short-lived and include the temperature, amount and type of precipitation, wind
speed and direction, and the clouds. Climate is the average weather conditions over a
certain area and time frame of at least 30 years. Temperature and precipitation are the
main elements of climate. However, it also includes other aspects such as seasons and
extreme weather phenomena like typhoons, droughts, and the like.

Natural Factors Affecting Climate

Climate is an expression of energy redistribution within the Earth’s systems. It is driven by
the uneven distribution of the sun’s thermal energy which is the main factor that dictates
climate. This uneven distribution of heat results in temperature differences over the Earth’s
surface. The energy absorbed drives wind and ocean currents which seek to evenly
distribute the heat throughout the planet since more sunlight shines on equatorial latitudes
than polar latitudes. This leads to the formation of weather systems, the hydrologic cycle,
erosion of land areas, and ultimately the global climate.

Fig. 1. World map indicating the approximate locations of the tropics,

temperate, and polar regions.

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Latitude
Climate changes with latitude. This is because latitude affects both temperature and
precipitation received by a particular area. For example, the tropics are sometimes referred
to as latitudes of seasonless climate. The seasonal change in the length of daylight is too
small to be noticeable. It is because the strength of solar energy hardly changes at all. As a
result, the weather is generally warm except for mountainous areas. The tropics extend
from 23.5° north of the equator (Tropic of Cancer) and 23.5° south of the equator (Tropic of
Capricorn).

Fig. 2. Location of high, middle, and low latitudes

For areas located in mid-latitudes, there are obvious seasonal changes due to the varying
intensity of sunlight in a whole year. These regions are also called temperate regions. The
average temperature is neither hot nor cold. The largest seasonal changes also occur in

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mid-latitudes. When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, expect that it is winter in the
Southern Hemisphere.

Fig. 3. Areas near the equator are warmer because the sunlight is concentrated in that area
while at the poles, the sunlight is more diffused giving the area less warmth.

The polar regions or frigid zones generally have cool temperatures but still experience
seasonal changes. During winter, the days are very short, and if the sun appears, it is always
low in the sky. In summer, the daylight is very long, but the sun is still not that high in the
sky. The variation in the intensity of sunlight is exceptionally weak. This results in
temperatures below freezing for several months. But the polar regions still have significantly
warmer temperatures than in winter.

Earth’s system is composed of four interactive subsystems: (1) atmosphere, (2) hydrosphere,
(3) geosphere, and (4) biosphere. They intersect at Earth’s surface, where they cycle energy
and materials. Climate affects all four of these subsystems, which in turn, affect an area’s
climate.

Role of the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is composed of all the free gases on Earth. Gravity holds these gases
toward the surface, forming an envelope of gas around the globe. It is the most unstable
and fastest-changing part of the Earth system and is the main vehicle for climate systems.

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The uneven distribution of thermal energy triggers atmospheric circulation in the form of
the prevailing winds: trade winds and westerlies. Tradewinds are formed when the warm
air around the equator rises and flows toward the north pole. As it rises, it is deflected from
east to west by the Coriolis effect. It begins to cool and descend at 30° North latitude and
travels back toward the equator. This also occurs in the southern hemisphere, where winds
start to blow from the southeast. Then, continue to move toward the northwest direction
once they descend near 30° South latitude. Those winds that do not descend at 30° latitude
continue to travel towards the poles which form the westerlies. They usually occur between
30 to 60° latitudes with a general west-to-east flow, sometimes interrupted by migrating
cyclones and anticyclones.

Fig. 4. The prevailing winds form cells or air masses.

These wind systems blow in opposite directions north and south of the equator. They
dictate areas of heavy rainfall near the equator and steer the direction of storm systems.
Areas where both winds blow away from becoming hot and dry tropical deserts.

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Certain trace gases in the atmosphere absorb and emit radiation. They are called
greenhouse gases which include water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4),
nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3), among others. Greenhouse gases increase air
temperature because they absorb the outgoing radiation from the surface that would have
otherwise escaped into space, and re-emit them into the atmosphere.

Fig. 5. The greenhouse effect

Role of the Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere represents all water on Earth in any state, whether liquid, ice, or water
vapor. It has a major impact on climate since water can store and transport vast amounts of
energy. Locally, bodies of water act as heat sinks and cool down surrounding areas. The
oceans, which cover ~70% of the surface, act as regulators by absorbing most of the sun’s
thermal energy. This drives the different ocean currents, which redistribute ocean heat and
water across the globe and are crucial in regulating the climate.

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Oceans have a huge effect on climate. One reason is that water, in general, has a very high
specific heat. Specific heat refers to the amount of heat needed to increase the
temperature of a substance to one degree. It means that even if water already absorbed
huge amounts of energy, it only experiences minimal temperature change. When the ocean
and land are exposed to the same amount of solar energy, the land heats faster than the
ocean. The small change in temperature of large bodies of water makes the nearby land
area attain moderate or lower temperature. This is the reason why coastal locations
experience cooler temperatures in summer and warmer in winter compared to inland
areas.

Fig. 6. Land heats faster than the ocean.

Ocean current also affects the amount of precipitation received by a particular area. This is
because cold air can only hold less amount of water vapor than warm air.

Also, cooler air blowing over warmer land areas decreases its relative humidity. When the
humidity decreases, the occurrence of precipitation is rare. As a result, coastal areas
affected by cooler ocean currents have a low percentage of rainfall. On the other hand,
areas affected by warmer ocean currents receive a relatively huge amount of rainfall.

Water moves through the different subsystems via the water cycle, which is the basis for
precipitation, humidity, and weather systems such as storms. The water undergoes multiple

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phase changes throughout the cycle, thereby absorbing and releasing energy. It is the most
significant biogeochemical cycle affecting climate. However, the other cycles also play a part.

Fig. 7. A detailed representation of the water cycle

Role of the Geosphere

The geosphere influences climate through an area’s geography and land cover. Different
materials either absorb or reflect sunlight. Light-colored land cover such as sand and snow
reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere and outer space, while dark, moist soils
absorb energy. An area’s geography can affect the winds that blow along the surface. This
measure of the reflectivity of a surface is termed as albedo. Because different surfaces have
different colors ranging from light to dark-colored, (and hence different albedo values)
different amounts of solar radiation are reflected back to the atmosphere. This reflected
solar radiation affects how the climate would be.

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Fig. 8. Albedo values

Mountainous areas often have their own micro-climates since elevation directly affects the
atmospheric pressure, leading to weather phenomena such as local storms and
rain-shadow zones and changing climate zones across different elevations.

Fig. 9. Cloud formation and precipitation occur on the windward side of mountains. By
contrast, low relative humidity is found on the downwind side of the mountain, resulting in
an arid climate.

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Grade 6 • Unit 13: Climate

Mountain ranges affect the precipitation and temperature on their two opposite sides.
Moist winds coming from a large body of water rise into the mountain, which causes them
to expand and cool. This process enables cloud formation which then creates a cooler
climate characterized by abundant precipitation on the windward side of the mountain
range. On the other side, however, the air descends without or with less amount of
moisture. It is dry, heats up rapidly, and has low relative humidity which results in less
precipitation. This is the reason why, even if at the same elevation, the temperature on the
downwind side of the mountain is warmer than on its windward side.

Role of the Biosphere

The biosphere represents all life on Earth. Vegetation influences climate by absorbing solar
energy and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen, and releasing water
vapor through evapotranspiration. Also, thick vegetation controls the temperature by
preventing the warm air from escaping during the night and maintaining the cool
temperature during daytime. Those two reasons explain why conditions in a forest are more
moderate and relatively humid compared to open areas found in the same location.

Certain organisms can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form that is usable by other
organisms. Corals can convert atmospheric carbon into shells and reefs. Animals absorb
oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

Fig. 10. A lichen emerges from algae or cyanobacteria

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Organisms have always influenced the climate. They co-evolved with the three other
subsystems and play a pivotal part in some of the major climatic changes in Earth’s history.
The first photosynthetic cyanobacteria oxygenated the atmosphere in the Great
Oxygenation Event. This was when free oxygen was introduced into the atmosphere, and
during that period, the level of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere changed from low to relatively
high. This particular event caused the extinction of most of the anaerobic inhabitants on
Earth at that time.

The loss of greenhouse gases due to photosynthesis led to the Huronian Glaciation.
Huronian Glaciation is the oldest and longest ice age humans have known about. It occurred
at a time when only unicellular life existed on Earth. This event followed the Great
Oxygenation Event, a time when increased atmospheric oxygen decreased atmospheric
methane.

Fig. 11. An artist’s impression of the Huronian Glaciation, the oldest and
longest ice age that humans know.

Artificial Factors Affecting Climate

Humanity and human activity create a great impact on the global climate. As the population
grows, the consumption of resources increases. This directly affects the Earth systems
where we obtain our resources, and thus affects climate.

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Fig. 12. Certain mining practices leave huge scars on the landscape.

Landscape Modification
Humans modify the landscape in an increasingly high volume in different parts of the
world, such as in North America and the Philippines, and move more sediment per year
than rivers. Construction of infrastructure paves dirt with concrete, excavates rock layers
that have existed for millions of years, and disrupts rivers and tides.

Fig. 13. Copper mine

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Resource extraction such as mining and oil production moves millions of tons of rock,
drills through kilometers of a substrate, and leaves great scars upon the landscape.

Environmental Degradation
Ecosystems are directly affected by human activity. They include a region’s physical
environment and organisms which have co-evolved over an extended period. Agriculture
clears flatlands and forests for planting and grazing, often in the form of slash-and-burn
where farmers burn vegetation. Overgrazing can turn once lush grasslands into dusty
deserts.

Fig. 14. The Dust Bowl, caused by severe drought and poor agriculture practice

Deforestation for lumber and infrastructure threatens the remaining forest areas
of the world, especially tropical rain forests which are disappearing at a rate of 1.8%
per year. Finally, urbanization fills swamps, clears forests, and changes permeable,
light-absorbing soil into impermeable, reflective concrete.

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Fig. 15. Illegal timber poaching caught in the mountains of Cagayan in the Philippines.

Pollution
Earth system naturally produces wastes such as noxious gases and organism by-products.
Human activities, however, produce exotic wastes at a significant amount. These wastes, or
pollution, come in all phases and are both natural and synthetic materials. In the quantities
humanity is producing them, they cannot be completely absorbed or metabolized by the
Earth systems, resulting in destructive accumulations. Some examples include

● Smog – dark air resulting from the mixture of smoke and fog, or the haze produced
when sunlight reacts with automobile exhaust
● Water contamination – synthetic chemicals can make their way into surface and
ground waters, affecting biodiversity and the human water supply
● Acid runoff – associated with ores and coal, water dissolves sulfide minerals, making
them acidic and toxic.
● Acid rain – the result of rain passing through sulfur-rich emissions in the
atmosphere, turning the water into sulfuric acid
● Radioactive materials – the excavation and use of radioactive elements expose
Earth’s surface environments to damaging radioactivity

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● Ozone depletion – synthetic chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs destroy

ozone molecules in the stratosphere, reducing the ozone layer’s ability to absorb
damaging ultraviolet light from the sun
● Greenhouse emissions – most human activities release CO2 and other greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere, leading to global warming

Fig. 16. Greenhouse emissions and other forms of air pollution severely affect the climate.

Overpopulation
During the advent of the Stone Age, humanity numbered less than 10 million individuals. By
the Industrial Revolution, the human population was 1 billion. Eighty years later, we
numbered 2 billion. Today the population growth is accelerating to the point where we
could reach 11.5 billion by the year 2100. Overpopulation leads to the consumption of
resources at a rate which the Earth system cannot sustain.

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Fig. 17. Graph showing exponential population growth since the industrial revolution.

Remember
Different spheres of Earth interact to form the climate system of the
planet. In line with this, numerous factors are involved in “predicting” a
climate.

Key Points

● Weather is different from climate. Weather is the fluctuation of the atmosphere over
a short period. On the other hand, the climate is the average weather conditions
over a certain area and a time frame of at least 30 years.
● There are different spheres of Earth which interact with one another: atmosphere,
hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

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Grade 6 • Unit 13: Climate

Check Your Understanding

A. Fill in the missing word or phrase to complete each sentence.
1. Most human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, release _____________
into the atmosphere which contribute to global warming.
2. _____________ influences climate by absorbing solar energy and carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere, releasing oxygen, and releasing water vapor through
evapotranspiration.
3. The windward side of a __________ has a lower temperature and receives plenty of
precipitation while its downwind side is characterized by the arid climate.
4. _____________ is the result of rain passing through sulfur-rich emissions into the
atmosphere, turning the water into sulfuric acid.
5. _____________ act as heat sinks and can cool down nearby coastal areas.
6. _____________ dictate areas of heavy rainfall near the equator and steer the
direction of storm systems.
7. _____________ is the destruction of ozone molecules which reduces its ability to
absorb damaging ultraviolet light from the sun.
8. Climate is driven by the uneven distribution of the sun’s _____________.
9. _____________ such as mining and oil production moves tons of rock, drills through
kilometers of a substrate, and leaves great scars upon the landscape.
10. The key elements of climate are _____________ and _____________.

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B. Analyze the diagram below regarding the interaction between different “spheres” of
the Earth. Afterward, write your analysis by answering the questions below.

1. How do humans affect the atmosphere?

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How do humans affect the geosphere?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How does the hydrosphere interact with the atmosphere and vice versa?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. How does the geosphere interact with the atmosphere?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. How do humans affect the hydrosphere?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Photo Credits
Fig. 15. Signs of illegal timber poaching on the boundary of the Mt. Cagua protected area
by Brown R, Siler C, Oliveros C, Welton L, Rock A, Swab J, Van Weerd M, van Beijnen J,
Rodriguez D, Jose E, Diesmos A is licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Bibliography

Blue Planet Biomes. 2017. Various Articles. Accessed October 3.

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm.

Hefferan, Kevin, and John O’Brien. 2010. Earth Materials. UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Marshak, Stephen. 2009. Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company.

McGuire, Thomas. 2005. Earth Science: The Physical Setting. New York: Amsco School
Publications, Inc.

Petersen, James F., et al. 2013. Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition. United
States: Cengage Learning.

Prothero, Donald R., and Robert H. Dott, Jr. 2010. Evolution of Earth. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Tarbuck, Edward J., and Frederick J. Lutgens. 2012. Earth Science, 13th Edition. New Jersey:
Pearson Prentice Hall.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2017. Various Articles. Accessed October
3. http://www.ipcc.ch/.

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