Weather, Climate and Adaptations of Animals to Climate Class 7 Science Notes - Chapter 7

According to the CBSE Syllabus 2023-24, this chapter has been removed from NCERT Class 7 Science textbook.

Weather

The atmospheric condition of a place on a daily basis with regards to aspects such as – humidity, the temperature, wind-temperature, rainfall, wind speed, etc., is referred to as the weather of that place.

• The place’s humidity, temperature, and other factors are known as the elements of the weather.

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Fronts and Weather Conditions

Weather is produced by the interaction of several factors that, include:

1. temperature or heat
2. humidity or amount of water vapour in the air
3. wind and atmospheric pressure.
4. precipitation or the amount of rain
5. cloudiness or the amount of cloud cover
6. visibility that is how far you can look into the horizon
7. Wind and an atmospheric pressure

A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities.

•  The air masses separated by a front usually differ in temperature and humidity.
•  The weather analysis usually includes information about the weather fronts also.

Climate

• The average pattern of the weather recorded over a long time, say 25 years, is known as the climate of the place.
• If the temperature at a place is high mostly, then we affirm that the climate of that place is hot.
• If, on most days, there is heavy rainfall in the same place, then we affirm that the climate of that place is wet and hot.

Factors Affecting Climate

• Different factors affect climates, such as altitude, latitude, geography and topography.

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Weather vs Climate

• Meteorologists record the weather every day.
• The records of the weather have been preserved for the past several decades.
• These help us to determine the weather pattern at a place.
• The average of the weather pattern over a time period is determined by the climate.

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Meteorology and Climatology

• The major focus in meteorology is weather forecasting.
• The daily weather reports are prepared by the Meteorological Department of the Government.
• This department collects data on temperature, wind, etc., and makes the weather prediction.
• Climatology is the study of climate, defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time.

Formation and Types of Clouds

• Clouds form occurs via a phenomenon known as convection.
• As sun rays heat the ground and the immediate air over it, the warm air tends to become lighter, which is carried away along with the warm air upwards. As the air rises higher, the temperature falls, causing the amount of water vapour that the air can hold to decrease.
• This vapour condenses rapidly, and soon clouds — made up of billions of minuscule water droplets or ice crystals — result.
• Air that blows over mountains or hills is expelled upwards, leading to the development of clouds. Precipitation and clouds are often found on the windward side of a mountain.

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Rain Gauge

• Rainfall is measured by an instrument called the rain gauge.
•  It is basically a measuring cylinder with a funnel on top to collect rainwater.

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Thunderstorm

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The Polar Regions

• The polar regions manifest an extremely cold climate.
• For most of the year, these areas are extremely cold, covered in snow
• Sun does not set for six months, and once it is set, it does not rise for six months.
• The temperature in winter can go as low as −37∘C.
• The north polar region is the Arctic region, while the south polar region is the Antarctic region.
• Animals living at both these poles have adjusted to these harsh conditions.

The Tropical Rainforests

• The tropical region generally has a hot climate because of its location around the equator.
• In winter, the temperatures are above 15∘C and during summers, it may cross even 40∘C.
• The climatic conditions in rainforests are highly suitable for supporting an enormous number and variety of animals and plants.

The Temperate Grasslands

• Temperate grasslands are located north of the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees North) and south of the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5 degrees South).
• The major temperate grasslands include the veldts of Africa, the pampas of South America, the steppes of Eurasia, and the plains of North America.

Animal Adaptation

• Based on different climatic conditions, animals adapt or evolve to survive in these conditions.
• For example, Polar regions – Polar bears have white fur and hence are not visible easily in the snowy white background.
• It safeguards them from their predators.
• Also beneficial for them to catch their prey.
• They are naturally provided with two thick layers of fur to shield them from extreme cold.
• Also, they possess a layer of fat under their skin.

For more information on Adaptation and Habitats for Animals, watch the below video

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