Climates of the Earth

Climograph Graph that indicates average temperature and precipitation for a place. Line Graph shows temperature Bar Graph shows precipitation If the line graph goes up in the middle – it is showing a place in the northern hemisphere. If the line graph goes down in the middle – it is showing a place in the southern hemisphere. If the line is fairly straight – it is showing a place that is near or on the Equator.

Low Latitude Climates "The Tropics" 0 - 23.5 N & S 1. Tropical Rainforest 2. Tropical Savanna

Tropical Rainforest Amazon River Basin Congo River Basin Indonesia Description – hot and wet throughout the year. Precipitation Wet – 80 + inches a year - Rains daily Temperatures about 80 all year vegetation - Lush and diverse – 6% of earth, but more than half the plant and animal species. Canopy – layers of broadleaf evergreen trees. Leaching – continuous rain pulls the nutrients out of the soil (not arable) Amazon River Basin Congo River Basin Indonesia

Hot and wet throughout the year Rio Temperatures are about even so it must be near the Equator. Belem Tons of precipitation every month. Hot and wet throughout the year

Tropical Rainforest

Tropical Savanna Description – grassland with distinct dry and wet seasons. Winter is dry. Summers have 20 – 100 inches of precipitation a year. Winter is dry. Dry season is dramatic. High year round temperatures around 80. Vegetation – clumps of coarse grass and few trees. Llanos of Venezuela Caribbean Islands Serengeti of Tanzania

Very obvious dry season in winter COLD COLD DRY DRY Darwin Dakar Near the Equator Very obvious dry season in winter

Tropical Savanna

Dry and Semi-Arid Climates low and mid-latitudes 0 - 66.5 N & S 1. Steppe 2. Desert

Central Asia Western US Mountains Sahel - South of Sahara Steppe Description – dry, largely treeless grassland. Location – Low & mid latitudes. Border deserts & interior of continents (leeward side) Precipitation 10 – 20 inches a year Vegetation - Grassland with few trees or cactus. Desertification - spread of desert-like conditions to semi-arid areas is a serious problem in the Steppe Central Asia Western US Mountains Sahel - South of Sahara

add up the precipitation - 10 - 20 inches Alice Spring Northern Southern Hemisphere Hemisphere add up the precipitation - 10 - 20 inches

Steppe Semi arid

Desert Sahara Great Basin Gobi Description – dry area with sparse plant life that covers about 1/3 of the world’s land. There are two types of terrain: reg – desert pavement (gravel, rocks, and sand) and erg – dunes Precipitation – 10 in. or less a year Temperatures: Desert does not mean hot – it means dry!!! Day and night temperatures vary drastically. Vegetation - scrub and cactus Oasis is an area in the desert where water is available. Desert Sahara Great Basin Gobi

Cairo Tehran Desert does not mean hot less than 10 inches a year Lima

Deserts Arid

Middle Latitude Climates "Temperate Zone" 23.5 to 66.5 N & S 1. Marine 2. Mediterranean 3. Humid Subtropical 4. Humid Continental

Coastal Oregon to Southern Alaska Ireland Southeastern New Zealand Marine (Marine West Coast) Description – ocean winds bring cool summers and damp winters. Location – 30-60º on the west coast in N. Hemisphere and east coast in S. Hemisphere. Located on Westerlies. Precipitation: Ocean air brings abundant rainfall. Vegetation: large coniferous – evergreen forests called temperate rainforests and mixed forests - both coniferous and deciduous trees. Coastal Oregon to Southern Alaska Ireland Southeastern New Zealand

Abundant rainfall all year. High around 70. Low around 40. London Vancouver Sydney Abundant rainfall all year. High around 70. Low around 40.

Marine

Mediterranean Mediterranean Southern California Southern Australia Description – mild, rainy winter and hot sunny summers. Precipitation: 15 – 30 in (mostly in the winter) Vegetation - Chaparral – underbrush, woody bushes and short trees – cork, olives, grapes, etc. Leathery leaves hold moisture Mediterranean Southern California Southern Australia

Precipitation in winter months COLD COLD WET WET Perth Precipitation in winter months Athens Jordan Santiago COLD COLD WET WET

Mediterranean

Humid Subtropical Southeastern China Southeastern USA Description – short, mild winters and nearly year round rainfall. hurricanes & typhoons. HOUSTON is in HST Precipitation: year round Vegetation – fruits, rice, vegetables, inland grasslands, and mixed forests - deciduous and coniferous trees. Southeastern China Southeastern USA Tip of South Africa

rainfall all year (more in summer) Temps - 80 high / around 45 low Buenos Aires Shanghai Southern hemisphere Northern hemisphere rainfall all year (more in summer) Temps - 80 high / around 45 low

Humid Subtropical

Humid Continental S. Canada & N. US Western Russia NE China Description - 4 distinct seasons. Storms and continentality - far in the interior of continents influence climate. Location - interior mid-latitude in N. Hemisphere Temperatures: winters longer as you travel north and inland. Vegetation: Agriculture has replaced natural prairie grass, and short coniferous forests. S. Canada & N. US Western Russia NE China

precipitation all year Moscow Helsinki Northern Hemisphere precipitation all year 60 high. 20 low.

Humid Continental

High Latitude Climates "Polar Climates" 66.5 - 90 N & S Subarctic Tundra Icecap

Subarctic Siberia Inland Canada Northern Scandinavia Description – bitterly cold winter and short, cool summers. Temperatures: Widest temperature range between summers and winters. Vegetation: Taiga (Russian word for forest) a boreal forest – needled evergreens. Permafrost – only a small layer of the ground thaws. Siberia Inland Canada Northern Scandinavia

a little precipitation all year 70 high. Some months below freezing. Omsk Saskatoon Northern Hemisphere a little precipitation all year 70 high. Some months below freezing. widest temperature range.

Subarctic

Peninsular Antarctica Tundra Description – very cold with polar night for ½ of the year. Location – far north in the northern hemisphere Temperature: Cold: rarely above 50° - at least 9 months below freezing – some below 0º Vegetation: Short bushes, short grass, mosses, and lichen. permafrost bogs in summer. Coastal Greenland Peninsular Antarctica Arctic border lands

very little precipitation all year Freezing Freezing Northern Hemisphere very little precipitation all year High around 50. Many months below freezing.

Tundra

Icecap Interior Greenland Arctic Ocean Antarctica Description – snow and ice cover this area up to 2 miles thick Polar night – 6 months a year the sun does not rise above the horizon (24 hours dark) Polar desert – moisture in the air does not reach the dew point, so it does not precipitate. Far away from Equator (dry & cold as move away) Temperature: Below freezing all year - Many months below zero. Vegetation: Possibly lichen and moss Icecap Interior Greenland Arctic Ocean Antarctica

Dry. No months above freezing. Thuls Air Force Base Northern Southern Hemisphere Hemisphere Dry. No months above freezing.

Icecap

Highland Climates Himalaya Mts. Andes Mts. Zagros Mts.+ Located in mountain systems throughout the world Precipitation – affected by the Orographic Effect. Leeward is dry – windward is wet. Temperature – varies with elevation – for every 1,000 feet increase in elevation the temperature decreases 3.5 Vegetation – usually mixed forests at the base. Meadows with small trees, shrubs, and wildflowers line the mountainsides. Himalaya Mts. Andes Mts. Zagros Mts.+

All of these locations are over 4,000 ft. Northern Hemisphere Near Equator Near Equator All of these locations are over 4,000 ft. Mexico City

Vertical Climate of Latin America Tierra Caliente Tierra Templada Tierra Fria Paramo Tierra Helada

Highlands

Tierra Caliente Hot land. 0 - 2,500 ft. 68-91ºF. Grow: rice, Banana, sugar cane, cacao, pineapple Forests: Sea level – swamps up to dry forests around 2,000 feet Tierra Caliente

Tierra Templada Temperate land. 2,500 – 6,500 ft. 60-70ºF. Grow coffee, cotton, tobacco, citrus fruit, squash, beans, and corn Forests: Wet forest Tierra Templada

Tierra Fria Cold land. 6,500 – 10,000 ft. Less than 60 degrees. Grow grains such as wheat, oats, rye, and barley, apples, and also potatoes. Forests: Cloud forests

Paramo Most above the tree line. 10,000 – 14,000 feet temperatures: 20 – 55º Grow: Grassland and hardy shrubs. Elfin forest at lowest elevations Grazing of sheep, alpacas, and llamas.

Tierra Helada Snow line and above. Above 14,000 feet Below 20º. Nothing grows here except maybe a few moss and lichen in summer. Tierra Helada