Weather, Climate and Adaptations

IMPORTANT TERMS

 

Camouflaging               The ability of an organism to blend in with the surroundings.

 

Hibernation                  A period of reduced activity in animals during winter season.

 

Adaptation                   Changes by which an organism becomes better suited to its specific environment.

 

Migration                     Seasonal movement of a group of animals from its natural habitat to another place at a particular time of the year.

 

Rain Gauge                 The instrument that is used to measure intensity of rainfall.

 

Hygrometer                  The instrument used to measure relative humidity in the atmosphere.

 

Humidity                      The amount of water vapour in the air determines humidity.

 

Predator                      The animal which lives by killing and eating other animals.

 

Blubber                        A thick layer of fat under the skin, found in marine and polar animals.

 

WEATHER

 

Changes that take place in the atmosphere at a given place and given time determine the weather of that place. The humidity, temperature, rainfall, wind etc. are called the elements of the weather.

 

Weather forecasts usually contain the time at which the Sun will rise and the time at which the Sun will set.Weather forecasts also contain maximum and minimum temperatures of the day and prediction about the amount of rainfall during the next 24 hours.

 

The Meteorological Department measures the elements of weather and keeps their record. The maximum-minimum thermometer records the highest and lowest temperatures in a day.

 

CLIMATE

The local atmospheric condition of a geography observed over a long duration is known as climate. Climates can be roughly classified according to average temperature and rainfall.

The climatic zones are the following:-

Torrid Zone

The regions lying on both sides of the equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are called the Torrid or Tropical zones. These are the hottest zone as they receive the maximum heat of the Sun.

Temperate Zone

The Temperate Zone lies in between the Torrid Zone and the Frigid Zone in both the hemispheres. These areas have a moderate climate as are neither very hot nor very cold.

Frigid Zone

The Frigid zones or the Polar Regions are the areas that surround Earth's geographic North and South Pole. They are covered with snow for most part of the year and therefore are extremely cold.

FACTORS AFFECTING CLIMATE

The factors that affect the climate of a place are, distance from the equator, distance from the sea, height above sea level, rainfall etc.

Distance from the equator

Equator is an imaginary line on the globe dividing the earth into two equal halves.

Places that are located near the equator are warmer than the places closer to the poles. Brazil, Kenya, Uganda and Maldives are some of the countries that the equator passes through.

Height above sea level

Altitude or height above sea level of a place, affects its climate. As we go higher, temperature generally decreases as the atmosphere becomes less dense. Mountains are high above sea levels therefore, the hill stations have a cooler climate than the plains.

Distance from the Sea

The sea has a moderating effect on the climate of a place. As distance from sea increases, this effect decreases and places experience extreme weather conditions.

Places that are closer to the sea have moderate climate which means they are neither too hot nor too cold. E.g. Mumbai and Chennai are located near the sea, so their climate is moderate throughout the year.

Places that are far away from the sea tend to have extreme climates. They are very hot in summers and very cold in winters. E.g. Delhi

Places located near the sea generally have greater humidity than places away from the sea.

Amount of rainfall

The amount of rainfall also influences the climate of a place. If a place receives rainfall, throughout the year, then the climate of that place is said to be wet. E.g. The North-eastern states of India receive rain for most part of the year, so their climate is wet.

The regions which receive very little rainfall (less than average), there the climate is said to be dry. E.g. Deserts.

ADAPTATIONS OF ANIMALS TO CLIMATE

Changes in the structure or behaviour of an organism that allow it to survive in a particular habitat are known as adaptations. Animals found in a particular habitat adapt themselves to survive there. Some organisms adapt to their habitat by developing special body parts or characteristics and some other by hibernating, migrating or camouflaging.

DESERTS

The climate of the deserts is generally hot and dry throughout the year. Camels, Kangaroo rats and Fennecs are found in deserts.

Camels

Dry and sandy desert is the habitat of camels and they have adaptations that allow them to live there.

Camels have long eyelashes which help to keep the desert sand and dust out of their eyes.

Camels have longer hair on ears which protect the ears from sand during sandstorm.

Camels have humps on their backs as places to store fat. Concentrating body fat in their humps minimizes heat-trapping insulation throughout the rest of their body. A camel can live without drinking water for a week and survive without food for several days.

THE POLAR REGIONS

The Polar Regions are the areas that surround Earth's geographic North and South Pole. The polar regions of the Earth are also known as Frigid Zone. The Polar Regions are covered with snow for most part of the year. During winters, in polar regions, the temperature can be as low as -35 degree Celsius. In polar regions, the sun does not rise for six months and does not set for another six months.

Penguin, Polar Bear, Arctic Bird and Reindeer are some of the animals found in Polar Regions. Animals in Polar Regions generally hibernate or remain inactive during the cold winter season. They also have adaptations to keep their bodies warm by thick layers of fat and fur.

Polar bears

Polar bears are found in the frozen wilds of the Arctic, in Canada, Alaska (US), Greenland, Russia and Norway.

The features that show adaptations of a polar bear to survive in extremely cold climate are white fur, strong sense of smell and thick layer of fat.

Polar bears have a thick layer of fat under their skin, which is called blubber. It keeps their body warm and insulated from the cold.

Polar bears have thick layer of fur to protect them from extreme cold.

Polar bears have a very strong sense of smell.

Polar bears have sharp claws which help them to walk on ice with ease.

Penguins

Following are some adaptations shown by penguins:-

Penguins are adapted to move in water by having flippers which help them in swimming. Flippers help them in steering and moving forward in the water.

Penguins have webbed feet and streamlined body, which help them to swim easily.

Penguins generally huddle together to keep themselves warm, to protect their eggs from cold and to safeguard against their enemies.

THE TROPICAL RAINFORESTS

The climate of the tropical rainforests is generally hot and humid. These regions also get plenty of rainfall. Tropical rainforests are found in Western Ghats and Assam in India.

The climatic condition of Tropical rainforests is highly suitable and supports wide variety of animals because of continuous warmth and rain. Examples of animals found in these forests are Elephant, Red-eyed frog, tigers, monkeys, gorillas, snakes, birds, insects and leopard etc.

Elephants

The following are some of its adaptations:-

Asian elephants have very large ears which help them to have good sense of hearing. So they can hear even soft sounds.

The large ears also help them to keep themselves cool in the hot and humid climate of the rainforest.

Trunk is a modified form of an elephant's nose. The elephant uses its trunk for picking up food.

Tusks are modified form of the teeth of an elephant. It uses its tusks for tearing the bark of the trees.

 

INTERESTING FACTS

• A camel can drink up to 40 gallons of water at one time.

• The largest penguins are the Emperor Penguins. They can be 3ft 7 inches tall and weigh 75 pounds.
• Polar bears have been known to swim 100 miles (161 kilometers) at a stretch.
• Camels can run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour for short amounts of time.
• Elephants communicate with each through touch, sound and scent. They use a wide range of sounds to talk to each other, and even communicate at infrasonic levels.
• Rainforests are found on every continent across the Earth, except Antarctica.
• As many as 30 million species of plants and animals live in tropical rainforests.
• More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.