How does the lithosphere affect weather?
1 Answer
Several ways
Explanation:
I moved this question from Astronomy to Earth Sciences.
The lithosphere is in direct contact with the atmosphere and therefore can potential affect weather quite a bit.
Most importantly, the atmosphere is not heated by the sun it is heated by the Earth (which is in turn heated by the sun). Since the Earth heats the atmosphere the uneven heating of the atmosphere can also be attributed to the Earth. This is primarily due to albedo (reflectivity of the surface) and since uneven heating is what drives convection, has a very big impact on weather.
Additional affects that the lithosphere has on weather are primarily availability of water and local wind effects. Water is the battery that drives weather. Without it heat doesn't actually do a whole lot weather wise (heating the atmosphere without water increases the pressure and clears the skies). You can't have clouds and precipitation without water and this water originates in the lithosphere.
When the air moves over the lithosphere there is friction. This friction reduces the wind speed and changes the direction. Additionally, barriers in the lithosphere (mountain ranges for example) can completely change the wind. This can cause things like chinooks and other local winds.
