Wat's The Weather Like
Weather is the day-to-day state of atmosphere and pertains to short term changes in conditions of heat, moisture and air movement. Weather results from processes that attempt to equalise the differences in the distribution of net radiant energy from sun. In other words, the instantaneous state of atmosphere can be called as weather. It is usually expressed as fine, fair, foggy, cloudy, rainy, sunny or windy weather.
The process of exchange of heat and moisture between earth and atmosphere over a long period of time (month, season, and year) related to large areas (zone, state, country, continent) results in conditions what we call climate.
It is aggregate of atmospheric conditions involving heat, moisture and air movement. In other words, the totality of weather over a large area is known as climate. It is expressed as marine, continental, arid, semiarid, humid or desert climate.
Weather refers to the sum total of the atmospheric conditions in terms of temperature, pressure, wind, moisture, cloudiness, precipitation and visibility of a particular place at any given time. In fact, weather denotes short-term variations of atmospheric conditions and it is highly variable.
On the other hand, climate is defined as aggregate weather conditions of any region in long-term perspective. According to Trewartha ‘climate represents a composite of day to day weather conditions, and of the atmospheric elements, within a specified area over a long period of time.’ According to Critchfield ‘climate is more than a statistical average; it is the aggregate of atmospheric conditions involving heat, moisture, and air movement. Extremes must always be considered in any climatic description in addition to means, trends, and probabilities.’
According to Koeppen and De Long ‘climate is a summary, a composite of weather conditions over a long period of time; truly portrayed, it includes details of variations-extremes, frequencies, sequences-of the weather elements which occur from year to year, particularly in temperature and precipitation. Climate is the aggregate of the weather.’
G.F. Taylor has maintained that ‘climate is the integration of weather, and weather is the differentiation of climate. The distinction between weather and climate is, therefore, mainly one of time.’ Temperature, pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness etc. are elements of weather and climate.
The distance from the equator (latitude), either from south or north, largely creates variation in climate. Based on latitude, the climate has been classified as tropical, subtropical, temperate and polar climates. The height from mean sea level (altitude/elevation) adds to variation in climate.
Temperature and pressure decreases with increasing height from mean sea level. Based on altitude, the climate is described as mountainous and valley/plateau climates. Nearness to large bodies of water also causes variation in climate. The climates are referred to as continental and maritime.
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