Constructing A Climate graph.rtf

SNC2D Unit 1: Climate Change Grade 10 Academic Science Activity 1: Weather and Climate Constructing a Climate Graph Assignment 2 In this assignment, you will be constructing your own climate graph using information from the numerical data table below. You may use graphing software, spreadsheets, or graph paper to construct your climate graphs. Climate Graphs Remember that the climate of a region is defined as the average weather conditions (temperature and precipitation averages) of a region that occurs for a minimum of 30 years. Use the resources on the assignment page to help you, or search for any reputable websites that will show you what a climate graph looks like. Constructing a Climate Graph Below is a list of a few of the things you should remember when constructing climate graphs. 1. Always use a ruler when constructing any type of graph. 2. Always include a title for your graph. 3. Always label the axes of your graph. 4. Always include a legend with your graph. 5. Remember that the data in Table 1 is an average of the temperature and precipitation values between the years of 1971 and 2000 for Toronto, Ontario. 6. It is very important that your graph is neat before you submit it to your teacher.

SNC2D Unit 1: Climate Change Grade 10 Academic Science Activity 1: Weather and Climate Assignment Instructions: 1. Construct a climate graph, similar to the examples in the resources or websites you have found, using the information from the data table below. Table 1 - Climate Data for Toronto, Ontario, 1971-2000 On graph paper 2. Use the climate data for the city of Toronto for the years 1981-2010 (below). Remember that the values in Table 1 are the average monthly temperatures and precipitation values for those years. Months of The Year J F M A M J J A S O N D Average Monthly Temperature ( 0 C) -4.2 -3.2 1.3 7.6 14.2 19.2 22.2 21.3 17.0 10.6 4.8 -0.9 Average Monthly Precipitation (mm) 61.0 51.0 66.0 70.0 73.0 72.0 68.0 80.0 83.0 65.0 76.0 71.0

SNC2D Unit 1: Climate Change Grade 10 Academic Science Activity 1: Weather and Climate The similarities are that the average monthly temperature looks similar on both graphs. On both graphs, the temperature starts in the negative, then works its way up to around 22 degrees Celsius, and later comes back down to around 0 degrees Celsius. The differences are that the precipitation is different and varies each month, without showing a solid pattern between both graphs. This could be due to Canada’s huge land, taking into account the different climates in parts of Canada. Another difference is that the Canada Climate Data graph is 10 years less, starting at 1981 as oppose to the Toronto Climate Data graph that starts at 1971. 5. Explain what factors could have accounted for the differences between the two climate graphs? A factor that could have accounted for the differences between the two climate graphs is topography. In British Columbia and in Alberta, there are the mountains that affect the cloud movements and the amount of rain that they have. Mountains receive more rainfall than low lying places which can affect the overall amount of rain in the Canada Climate Data graph. Another factor that could affect the difference between the two graphs is distance from water and ocean currents. Parts of Canada that are close to the sea, have a different climate, therefore affecting the climate data for Canada, giving it more or less rain in certain months. Another factor affecting the data is that the Canada Climate Data graph starts at 1981, where on the other hand, the Toronto Climate Data graph starts in 1971.