Presentations to study Spain's relief, rivers and climates

Here you have the presentations we've used to study Unit 1:

Weather and climate: basic concepts

This is the presentation of the basic concepts related to weather and climate. Remember that you have to use it to complete the scheme I've given you for Wednesday:

Monsoons

Yesterday, during Asia´s presentations, Alejandro explained the big influence of monsoon winds in the south and East of Asia. Here you have some more information about these periodic winds. Periodic winds blow in different directions depending on the season of the year. The reason for these different directions lies on the Earth´s revolution around the Sun movement. Here you have an animation where you can learn the process of formation of monsoon winds:

http://www.iesalbayzin.org/descargas/AnimacionesBio-Geo/WebCTMA/Monsoons.swf

On the picture below you can observe that monsoons blow from the continent to the ocean in winter and on the other way around in summer. In winter the winds are cold and dry. In summer the winds are hot and wet and they produce abundant precipitation. Floods are frequent in the area affected by the monsoons.

Source: http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/~cwalton/solpracticegeographytwo.htm

On the second image you can oberve the effects the monsoons have caused in Pakistan this last summer. You can have an idea of the area flooded by observing the normal Indus´ river course and the overflowing produced by the torrential rainfall of the summer monsoon. The flood covered almost one third of the Pakistani territory.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Pakistan_floods



Watermelon snow

Watermelon snow in Sierra Nevada, central California

Photographer: W.P.Armstrong

Today, when we were reviewing cold climates, Dani Pintado has reminded watermelon snow. This is a curious natural phenomenon that happens in alpine zones: the snow is dyed in pink or reddish colour, it smells to fresh watermelon and it has a sweet taste. This pink snow is caused by a green algae called Chlamidomonas nivalis. This green algae loves cold and it grows in freezing water. During the winter it lives under the snow and remains dormant. With the spring heat and the thawing of the snow, this algae releases lots of red spores, dying the snow in pink. This phenomenon is common during the summer in coastal and alpine regions all over the world. It is commonly observed in Sierra Nevada, California. Watermelon snow has a sweet taste, but if you eat too much, you may have diarrhea.

You can find more information and pictures in the following links:

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plaug98.htm

http://www.summitpost.org/article/640549/exploring-the-mystery-of-watermelon-snow.html

Watermelon snow at Yosemite National Park,

Photographer: Chris Lombardi