Defining of the Climate
No Wikipedia Zone By: Jessie Poole
Annual Averages and Variations
What we use Climatology for, which is the study of earths Climate, While Climate describes the long term weather patterns of an area. This data is averaged on a monthly or annual basis for a period of at least 30 years to determine the normals, which are the standard values for a location. Normals offer valuable info but must be used with caution. The weather conditions could change on any given day, but normals are for the average values over a long period of time.
Causes of Climate
There are multiple causes of Climate. One is Latitude, different parts of earth receive different amounts of solar radiation, because Earth is tilted on its Axis. Another could be Topographic Effects, like how water heats up and cools down more slowly than land. and places with lots of water around have a more consistent weather pattern than land because of the difference in cooling or heating times. Lastly, we have Air Masses which contain two of the main causes of weather which are the movement and interaction of air masses. And the Air masses alsom affect Climate.
Normals
Read under Annual Averages and Variations.
Latitude
Read under Causes of Climate.
Topographic effects
Read under Causes of Climate.