WEATHER & BIOMES WHAT MAKES A BIOME THAT BIOME?

CLIMATE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS ARE AIR TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION THE CHARACTERISTIC CONDITION OF THE ATMOSPHERE NEAR THE EARTH’S SURFACE THE LONG TERM WEATHER (30 YEARS MINIMUM) REGION’S GENERAL PATTERN OF WEATHER CONDITIONS, HURRICANES DROUGHTS RAINY PERIODS

CLIMATE SYSTEM BASED ON LOCATION OF HOT AND COLD AIR MASS REGIONS ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION CREATED BY TRADE WINDS & WESTERLIES

CONVECTION CELLS DISTRIBUTE HEAT & MOISTURE 6 VERTICAL CURRENTS AT DIFFERENT LATITUDES : HADLEY CELL – 0 – 30 - TRADEWINDS FERREL CELL – WESTERLIES POLAR CELL- 60 – 90 - EASTERLIES Figure 5-6

CORIOLIS EFFECT DEFLECTION OF AIR DUE TO THE ROTATION OF THE EARTH & FRICTION BETWEEN AIR & EARTH – LESS EFFECT NEAR THE EQUATOR (FEWER HURRICANES WITHIN 5 DEGREES) Figure 5-4

TRADE WINDS NORTH OF THE EQUATOR BLOW FROM THE NORTHEAST SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR BLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST MEET NEAR EQUATOR, CAUSING AIR TO RISE AS RISING AIR COOLS, CLOUDS AND RAIN DEVELOP RESULTING BANDS OF CLOUDY AND RAINY WEATHER NEAR EQUATOR CAUSE TROPICAL CONDITIONS

WESTERLIES BLOW FROM THE SOUTHWEST IN NORTHERN HEMISPHERE BLOW FROM THE NORTHWEST IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE SHEER STORMS FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS MIDDLE LATITUDES

30 DEGREE LATITUDE BELT WESTERLIES AND TRADE WINDS BLOW AWAY FROM THE 30 DEGREE LATITUDE BELT SURFACE WINDS ARE LIGHT OVER LARGE AREAS CENTERED AT 30 DEGREES LATITUDE AIR SLOWLY DESCENDS TO REPLACE THE AIR THAT BLOWS AWAY ANY MOISTURE THAT AIR CONTAINS EVAPORATES IN THE INTENSE HEAT THE TROPICAL DESERTS, SAHARA & SONORAN, EXIST UNDER THESE REGIONS

THREE BASIC CLIMATE GROUPS GROUP I LOW LATITUDE CLIMATES – CONTROLLED BY EQUATORIAL TROPICAL AIR MASSES TROPICAL MOIST CLIMATES – RAINFOREST WET-DRY TROPICAL CLIMATES – SAVANNA DRY TROPICAL CLIMATE – DESERT BIOME (DRY ARID DESERT)

GROUP II MID-LATITUDE CLIMATES – AFFECTED BY 2 DIFFERENT AIR MASSES TROPICAL AIR MASSES MOVING TOWARD THE POLES POLAR AIR MASSES MOVING TOWARDS THE EQUATOR

GROUP II DRY MIDALTITUDE CLIMATES – STEPPE LOW GRASS PRAIRIE (INTERIOR REGIONS OF NORTH AMERICA & EURASIAN CONTINENTS) MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE – CHAPARRAL BIOME – WET WINTER, DRY SUMMER CLIMATE DRY MIDALTITUDE CLIMATES – GRASSLANDS BIOME – INTERIORS OF NORTH AMERICA & EURASIA (COLD WINTERS, SUMMERS WARM TO HOT) MOIST CONTINENTAL CLIMATE – DECIDUOUS FOREST BIOME – POLAR FRONT ZONE & TROPICAL AIR MASSES; SEASONAL CHANGES VERY DIFFERENT BETWEEN WINTER & SUMMER

GROUP III HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATES – POLAR AND ARCTIC AIR MASSESS DOMINATE BOREAL FOREST CLIMATE (BIOME) (TAIGA, CONIFEROUS) TUNDRA CLIMATE (BIOME) HIGHLAND CLIMATE – (ALPINE BIOME)