THE GLOBAL CLIMATE WEATHER CLIMATE The condition of atmosphere at any particular time and place. It’s always changing The synthesis of weather, the average weather of a region over a period of time Precipitation, June Annual average precipitation

CLIMATE AND WEATHER IN MONGOLIA Temp January (synthesis of 30 January: ) Temp Jan 2010 (synthesis of weather of 30 days) Weather

CLIMATE AND WEATHER IN CHINA HEAVY RAINS IN SOUTHERN CHINA Rains from May 31 st – June 2 nd (> 230 mm) June 13 th -21 st more rainfall (~ 1000 mm) Landslides and floods More than 200 deaths, thousands of homes destroyed Precipitation June (synthesis of 30 Junes: ) Prec June 2010 (weather of ~10 days) 948 mm ~430% above normal June 2010: >1230 mm June : 282 mm Anomaly:CLIMATE VARIABILITY

CLIMATE AND WEATHER IN ARKANSAS (US) HEAVY RAINFALL IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS June 11, several inches of rainfall (~178 mm in one day) Deadliest weather-related event in Arkansas since a tornado in 1997 River level rose as 2.4m an hour after heavy rains Precipitation June (synthesis of 40 Junes: ) Prec June 11 (weather of 1 day) above normalAnomaly:CLIMATE VARIABILITY

CLIMATE IN THE PERUVIAN ANDES drought 1984 flood Interanual variability of climate Climatologies (Averages )

TEMPERATURE REGIMES Based on: Latitude Landmass (continental, maritime) 1.EQUATORIAL: Uniform, very warm, no seasons (uniform insolation) 2. TROPICAL COASTWeak annual cycle (moderating effect of maritime location) 3. MIDLATITUDE WEST COAST 5. MIDLATITUDE CONTINENTAL 6. SUBARTIC CONTINENTAL 4. TROPICAL CONTINENTAL Strong annual temperature cycle Strong annual temperature cycle, severe cold all year 7. ICE SHEET

GLOBAL PRECIPITATION REGIONRAINFALLFACTORS Wet Equatorial BeltHeavy (more than 80 in.) Warm temp and high moisture of mE air masses Amazon Basin, Congo River, African Coast, Indonesia Trade-Wind coastHigh (60-80in.)Trade winds bring moist mT air masses from warm oceans Tropical desertsVery low (less than 10 in.) Large stationary cells of high pressure; air mass is adiabatically warmed and dried Mid latitude deserts and steppes Very low (less than 4in.) Rain shadows of coastal mountainsNorth America, South America Moist subtropical regionsMoist mT air masses from ocean to land SE North America, Asia, South America Mid latitude west coastPrevailing westerlies, orographic precipitation Arctic and polar desertsLow (less than 12in) Cold and dry cP and cA air masses

CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION 1. LOW LATITUDE CLIMATES 2. MIDLATITUDE CLIMATES 3. HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATES Influence of cT, mT, mE air masses Equatorial low pressure and subtropical high pressure belts, ITCZ Tropical cyclones Interaction of mT and cP air masses (polar front) Wave cyclones Influence of cP and cA air masses (Northern Hemisphere), mP and cAA air masses (Southern Hemisphere) Influence of cP and cA air masses (Northern Hemisphere), mP and cAA air masses (Southern Hemisphere) (CLASS EXERCISE)

KöPPEN CLIMATES OF THE WORLD One of the most used climate classification. Based on the concept that native vegetation is the best expression of climate. Combines annual and monthly temperature and precipitation, and the seasonality of precipitation

LOW LATITUDE CLIMATES 1.Wet EquatorialWet Equatorial 2.Monsoon and trade-wind coastMonsoon and trade-wind coast 3.Wet-dry tropicalWet-dry tropical 4.Dry tropicalDry tropical 5.High-elevationHigh-elevation WET EQUATORIAL (10°N to 10°S) Amazon Basin (Iquitos, Peru) Heavy precipitation and uniform temperatures all months ITCZ, mE, mT air masses

RAINFOREST ENVIRONMENT Uniform temperature and high rainfall Wet equatorial and monsoon trade-wind Dense forest vegetation Thick soil rich in nutrients Great diversity of plant and animal species: 3000 species of trees in ~ 4mi² 20,000 species of insects in ~6mi² Issues: Deforestation (climate change) Slash/burn agriculture

MONSOON AND TRADE-WIND COASTAL CLIMATE (5° to 25°) Heavy precipitation with seasonal pattern Warm all year, annual cycle mT and mE brought by trade winds Rainfall intensifies when ITCZ is nearby (summer is close, winter: high pressure), Sao Paulo, Brasil trade-wind Monsoon circulation brings mT air SW to NE (Western India) monsoon

WET-DRY TROPICAL CLIMATE (5° TO 20° America, 10 to 20° in Asia) Very dry and warm season in winter. Very wet and cold during summerVery dry and warm season in winter. Very wet and cold during summer ITCZ produce stronger rainfall and temperature cycle Nagpur, India

SAVANNA ENVIRONMENT Plants bloom in rain period and have a dormant phase during dry season Plants bloom in rain period and have a dormant phase during dry season Vegetation: savanna woodland and grass savanna Animals: large herbivores and predators

DRY TROPICAL (15° to 25°) Very low rainfall (only during unusual weather conditions) High temperatures Found in the center and east side of subtropical high pressure cells (adiabatic warming no condensation)

HIGHLAND CLIMATES Mountains and plateaus Cold climate (higher: colder) Orographic rainfall Lagunillas (Titicaca Lake Basin, Southern Peru)

LOW LATITUDE CLIMATES 1.Wet EquatorialWet Equatorial 2.Monsoon and trade-wind coastMonsoon and trade-wind coast 3.Wet-dry tropicalWet-dry tropical 4.Dry tropicalDry tropical CLIMATEPATTERNSFACTORS WET EQUATORIALHeavy precipitation, uniform temperature all months ITCZ, mE, mT air masses MONSOON TRADE WIND COAST Heavy precipitation and warm temperatures, with annual cycle mE and mT brought by trade winds; summer: ITCZ closer, winter: high pressure. Monsoon patterns (India) WET-DRY TROPICALVery dry and warm in winter, very wet and cold in summer ITCZ proximity DRY TROPICALVery low rainfall and high temperatures Subtropical high pressure cells (adiabatic warming) HIGH ELEVATIONCold climate (higher: colder), annual cycle Orographic rainfall; ITCZ influence