2.6.1b Compare weather and climate a Explain major climate categories (Köppen climate classification system - temperate, tropical, and polar).

Weather vs. Climate  Weather short-term condition of the atmosphere days, weeks meteorologists  Climate long-term (30 year) average of weather conditions and extremes climatologists

Determinants  Climate zones are largely determined by 2 factors: Temperature ○ latitude, altitude, land-water, ocean currents, mountain barriers Precipitation ○ Air pressure ○ Air mass influences ○ Prevailing winds

Climographs  Using data from temperature and rainfall, we can make climographs ○ Average monthly temperature on one side (line) ○ Average monthly precipitation on the other side (bars)

Climographs  Check these 2 graphs.  How are they different? What do we know about weather/climate? Which area of the world could these be from?

 Areas that have similar temperature and rainfall will share a similar climate zone.

K ö ppen Climate Classification System  The most widely used for classifying the world's climates.  Köppen divided the Earth's surface into climatic regions that generally coincided with world patterns of vegetation and soils.  The Köppen system recognizes five major climate types based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation. Each type is designated by a capital letter. A, B, C, D, E

3 Basic Climate Groups  Group I: Tropical Low-latitude Climates  Group II: Temperate Mid-latitude Climates  Group III: Polar High-latitude climates

Group I Low-latitude Climates: Tropical Moist Climates (Af) rainforest Wet-Dry Tropical Climates (Aw) savanna Dry Tropical Climate (BW) desert biome

Tropical Climates (A)

Tropical Humid Climates (Af)  1/3 of Earth’s total surface (about 20 ºN to 20 ºS)  Consistently warm (all months > 18ºC/64.4 ºF)  Annual precipitation exceeds evaporation  Daily temp range exceeds annual temp range  Subcategories based on rainfall (ITCZ influence) Tropical rainforest Tropical monsoon Tropical savanna

Tropical Rainforest (Af)  High rainfall all year (>2” / month)  Straddles Equator by 5 o - 10 o

Savanna (Aw) – Tropical Grassland Climates  Region/Distribution: Subequatorial Africa, and South America, Southern India (25° N and S Latitude)

Dry / Semiarid Climates (B)  Occupy about 1/3 of Earth’s land area (Most extensive climate over land surface)  Evaporation exceeds precipitation (water deficit)  Subcategories Desert (BW) Steppe (BS)

Dry Arid / Semiarid Climates (B)

Deserts (BW): dry

Deserts (BW): Desert Causation: High Pressure Cells and resultant stability Rainshadows Precipitation: Scarce: <10 inches/year Unreliable: wide variation from average Intense: convective downpours Temperature: Widest range: up to 100 o F/day! Hot at low latitudes, wide variation at higher latitudes

Anza-Borrego State Park, CA Winter 2004/2005

Group 2: Mid-latitude Climates:  Dry Midlatitude Climates (BS) steppe or grasslands  Mediterranean Climate (Cs) chaparral biome  Wet Midlatitude Climates (Cf) Decidous forest

Steppe (BS): temperate grasslands more precipitation than BW narrower temperature ranges grasslands

Mesothermal Climates (C)  “Middle temperature”  True seasons (air mass conflict)  Subdivisions based on precipitation variation humid subtropical marine west coast Mediterranean Subtropical Forest Sarasota, Florida Marine West Coast Temperate Rainforest Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Mesothermal Climates (C) Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast Mediterranean

Humid Subtropical Midlatitude Forests (Deciduous)  Hot summer, substantial year- round precipitation  Low latitude east coasts (warm currents).  Summer max precipitation.  Cold spells  Region/Distribution: Western Europe, East Asia, Eastern U.S.. Between 30-50° north or south Cfa - New Orleans, LA

Mediterranean  Dry summers (shifting subtropical highs)  Surrounds Mediterranean  Also on west coasts near 30 o N and S (Australia, S. Africa, Chile)  Wine regions

Group 3: High-latitude Climates:  Subarctic Climates (Df) Boreal or Taiga  Polar Climate (Et) Tundra  Polar Climate (Ef) Ice Caps

Microthermal Climates (D) Virtually restricted to Northern Hemisphere.

Subarctic Climates (Boreal or Taiga) 50 o -70 o N latitude long, bitterly cold winters highest annual temp range: up to 100 O F Great annual temperature ranges (continentality, air mass conflicts) Region/Distribution: Northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia, South So. America, much of Russia Dw – Calgary, Canada

Fir Trees, Alaska British Columbia Spruce Needles

Polar Climates (E) - all months < 50 O F

 Tundra (ET) warmest month  F Region/Distribution: North of the Boreal Forest, high latitudes of northern hemisphere in a belt around the Arctic Ocean, near the coast  Ice caps (EF) warmest month below 32  F  Both have very low precipitation

Highland Climates (H) How are these like the poles? How different?

Highland Climates (H) How are these like the poles? How different?  Lower temperatures  More moisture available  More insolation  High winds in both

Where in the world is?…..

Verkhoyansk, Russia (67.4 N, E)

Where in the world is?…..

Iquitos, Peru (3.4 S, 73.2 W)

Where in the world is?…..

Hilo, Hawaii

Where in the world is?…..

West Point, NY

Where in the world is?…..

San Francisco, California

Activity: Climographs  Complete the activity on the back of your notes by graphing the temperature and precipitation of the two locations.  Use your knowledge of the climate zones and your textbook (p364) to help identify the locations.