Overall weather in an area over a long period of time is referred to as what?

Prepare for the Ecology and Ecosystems QBA Exam 1. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

Multiple Choice

Overall weather in an area over a long period of time is referred to as what?

Explanation:
Distinguishing weather from climate hinges on time scales. Weather describes the day-to-day state of the atmosphere—temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, clouds—what you experience now or this week. Climate describes the typical conditions you would expect in a region when you average those weather observations over a long period (about 30 years). It reflects the pattern and range of variation, not a single day's conditions. So, the overall weather in an area over a long period is climate. Precipitation is one component of both weather and climate, but it alone isn’t the overall term—climate encompasses the longer-term patterns of many weather factors.

Distinguishing weather from climate hinges on time scales. Weather describes the day-to-day state of the atmosphere—temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, clouds—what you experience now or this week. Climate describes the typical conditions you would expect in a region when you average those weather observations over a long period (about 30 years). It reflects the pattern and range of variation, not a single day's conditions. So, the overall weather in an area over a long period is climate. Precipitation is one component of both weather and climate, but it alone isn’t the overall term—climate encompasses the longer-term patterns of many weather factors.

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