Climate Regions. Combining Climate Graphs and Köppen s Classification

Transcription

1 Lab 15 Climate Regions Combining knowledge of the global patterns behind the major climatic controls, this lab will teach students how to construct climate graphs and then allow them to explore patterns of climate distribution employing both climate graphs and Köppen s climate classification system. Combining Climate Graphs and Köppen s Classification Climographs A number of basic climatic characteristics may be visualized by plotting the temperature and precipitation data for a station. This is referred to as a Climograph, or Temperature-Precipitation Graph. The following exercise will use Climographs but will also require the use of a world map and knowledge of Köppen s classification system, and your accumulated understanding of weather and climate from this semester s course. You might want to refer back to the Köppen classification information in the last lab (#13) as well as from your text book. Using the monthly climate data for Salem, Massachusetts (mean monthly temperature in C and total monthly precipitation in mm) I constructed the climograph as shown. Climographs are both simple to construct and useful to use in understanding the annual temperature and precipitation characteristics for any place in the world. In essence they are a perfect visualization of climate. A climograph allows for a quick and visual assessment of the average climate for a given place. As well, a climograph is an effective graphing tool for displaying the average temperature and average precipitation of a location. By combining a line graph for temperature and a bar graph for monthly precipitation, this one graph can accurately represent the annual climate. 1

2 How to make a climograph We will begin with a pre-constructed graph outline in order to maintain consistency throughout all the different places and data. This will better enable you to be able to compare the graphs from different places to better understand the climate system as a whole. It is important to notice that the climograph has two different y-axes, one for the precipitation (left hand side) and one for the temperature (right hand side). Please be careful when plotting your data to keep your data on the correct axis or your climograph will end up looking strange and being useless. The x-axis is for the months of the year. You will be plotting a point in the middle of the monthly column for the temperature, while you will be drawing a bar from the bottom (zero cm of precipitation) to the actual value for each month. The limits for the two y-axes have been calculated to include almost every climate situation on the planet, with the precipitation running from 7 cm, and the temperature range from - C - C. It is a good idea to always plot your precipitation bars first, followed by the temperature lines. This is because occasionally the precipitation for some places can be so high that it interferes with the lines for temperature. However, if you draw the temperature after the precipitation, you can usually draw the line through the bars so it is readily viewable. At this point all you need to do is plot your data onto the graph. Notice that the climograph uses centimeters (cm) instead of millimeters (mm), which is the format your climate data will be in. This is a simple formula and you don t even need a calculator! 1 cm = mm, thus 8 mm is 8/ or.8 cm You will also need to find the latitude and longitude, as well as the altitude (or elevation) for your location. A simple google search will get this for you! Here is the data for Salem, Massachusetts. You can see on the next page the climograph I created for Salem. 2

3 Now that you have seen how to create a climograph, you will construct one as well. The following four datasets are for London, England, Sydney, Australia, Honolulu, Hawaii and Lagos, Nigeria. Working in groups, each of you will be assigned a different city. You are to create the climograph for that city and provide a written explanation for why your group thinks it looks as it does. One member from each group will present the climograph, and the reasons behind it, to the class. When we have completed this portion of the lab we will proceed to analyzing 4 additional climographs from around the world and answering questions based on the information provided in the graph. You will also be tasked with determining the climate type for these places (high level, A, B, C, D or E only) and why you think it would fit that category. 3

4 London, England temperature (in C) precipitation (in mm) Sep Sydney, Australia temperature (in C) precipitation (in mm) Sep Honolulu, Hawaii temperature (in C) precipitation (in mm) Sep Lagos, Nigeria temperature (in C) precipitation (in mm) Sep

5 Lab Climate Regions 15 Names: City Name: (Lat, Long): Altitude: 7 cm C 6 cm C Precipitation in cm (1 cm = mm) drawn as a line 5 cm C cm C cm C cm - C Temperature in C Drawn as a vertical bar cm - C cm - C Sep Why do you think it looks like this? How would you explain it? 5

6 Here are a series of climographs followed by a set of questions to be answered based on your understanding and interpretation of these climographs. Each climograph provides the name of the station, its latitude and longitude, elevation, as well as monthly total precipitation and monthly average temperature. McMurdo Station, Antarctica 77 53' S, 167 ' E Elev. 2m 7 cm ºC 6 5 Sept Precip. (cm) Temp. ( C) 1. Because the McMurdo Station is south of the Antarctic Circle, it receives sunlight for 24-hours a day for part of the Southern Hemisphere s summer. Yet this region remains covered in ice. What sun angle issues and surface conditions contribute to ensuring that temperatures remain cold? 2. Why does this station receive such little precipitation over the course of the year? 3. Using the Köppen-based classification system, identify what climate type McMurdo Station would have. 6

7 Denver, Colorado 39 44' N, 5 ' W Elev.16m cm 7 ºC Precip. (cm) Temp. ( C) Sept The relatively dry climate of Denver can be attributed to which geographical factors? 5. Using the Köppen-based classification system, identify the climate type of Denver. 7

8 Manila, Philippines 14 37' N, 121 ' E Elev.14m 7 cm ºC 6 5 Sept 6. Account for why il is the warmest month in Manila Precip. (cm) Temp. ( C) 7. In terms of pressure and wind systems, discuss the seasonal precipitation patterns and identify the causes of summer rains and winter dry seasons. 8. Using the Köppen-based classification system, identify the climate type of Manila. 8

9 Inuvik, Canada 68 18' N, ' W Elev.168m 7 cm ºC Precip. (cm) Temp. ( C) Sept 9. How do latitude and continental position cause such a large range of temperatures in Inuvik? - -. Using the Köppen-based classification system, identify what climate type Inuvik would have. 9