Classifying World Climates

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1 Student MET 102 Classifying Wrld Climates Varius methds f classifying climates have been f value in simplifying the descriptin and lcatin f the diverse climate types fund arund the wrld. These methds have emplyed the use f temperature, precipitatin, evaptranspiratin, and vegetatin t rganize climates int meaningful categries. In this activity yu will use the methd f classificatin develped by German climatlgist Wladimir Köppen, which has been the best-knwn and mst used system fr decades because it uses easily btained data: mean mnthly and annual values f temperature and precipitatin. Additinally, the standards used are relatively easy t apply and are clearly defined. Because Köppen believed that the best expressin f verall climate is the distributin f natural vegetatin, he chse bundaries that are largely based n the limits f certain plant assciatins. Köppen s system recgnizes five principal climate grups, each f which is designated by a capital letter. The climate types include: A Climates: Humid Trpical These climates are winterless and have a small annual temperature range and high annual precipitatin. Rainfall is mre variable than air temperature. The Wet Trpics (Af) Trpical Mnsn (Am) Tpical Wet and Dry (Aw) Trpical Summer-Dry (As) B Climates: Dry Dry climates have unreliable year-t year precipitatin and have a misture deficit - ptential evaptranspiratin exceeds precipitatin. These climates dminate large prtins f the subtrpics and extend int the interirs f cntinents in the middle latitudes and cver nearly ne-third f Earth s lands surface. Desert (BW) Steppe (BS) C Climates: Humid Middle-Latitude Mild Winters(Als called Humid Mesthermal) With a mderate seasnal temperature range, the climates have relatively mild winters (clest mnth is belw 18 C, but abve -3 C) Humid Subtrpical (Cfa) Marine West Cast (Cfb) Mediterranean (Cs) D Climates: Humid Middle-Latitude Severe Winters (Als called Humid Micrthermal) Pleward and interir f C climates, D climates have a large seasnal temperature range and include cntinental climates fund nly in the Nrthern Hemisphere. They have severe winters (clest mnth is belw -3 C and the warmest mnth is abve 10 C) Humid Cntinental (Dfa, Dfb, Dwa, Dwb) Subarctic (Dfc, Dfd, Dwc, Dwd) E Climates: Plar These are summerless areas f tundra and permafrst r permanent ice sheets (warmest mnth less than 10 C. Tundra (ET) Ice Cap (EF) MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 1 f 12

2 Prcedure A: Fr each pair f climgraphs: 1. Using the Köppen system, determine the climate type fr each lcatin. a. First determine whether the data meet the criteria fr the E climates. b. If the lcatin is nt a plar climate, prceed t the criteria fr B climates. c. If the data d nt fit int either the E r B grups, check the data against the criteria fr A, C, and D climates, in that rder. Nte: Mnthly rainfall and temperature data almst any city can be fund n the Internet at 2. Answer the questins that accmpany each climgraph grup. Grup 1: Symbl Symbl Name Name 1. Fr bth lcatins, is temperature r rainfall mre variable thrughut the year? 2. What is the main reasn fr the annual temperature pattern shwn by each city thrughut the year? 3. What is the primary factr that distinguishes Mbandaka s climate frm Manilla s climate? 4. Hw des Manilla s lcatin between the Intertrpical Cnvergence Zne (ITZC) and the subtrpical highs accunt fr it s seasnal precipitatin pattern? MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 2 f 12

3 Grup 2: Symbl Symbl Name Name 4. Which lcatin represents a transitin zne between arid and humid climates? 5. What is the dminant pressure system that influences Baghdad s climate? 6. What type f daily temperature ranges wuld be expected in bth Baghdad and Denver thrughut the year? 7. Why des mst precipitatin in Baghdad fall in the winter while in Denver the greatest amunt f precipitatin is in the summer? Grup 3 Symbl Symbl Name Name MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 3 f 12

4 8. Which city has a Marine West Cast climate? 9. The nrthward migratin f what type f pressure system is the cause f the reduced summer rainfall in Vancuver? 10. What pressure and wind systems are the cause f Rme s increase in precipitatin in the winter mnths? 11. What pressure patterns cause Rme s decrease in precipitatin in the summer mnths? Grup 4 Symbl Symbl Name Name 12. Why des Verkhyansk have a much larger annual temperature range than Madisn? 13. Fr bth lcatins during what seasn is the maximum precipitatin? 14. What is mst likely the cause f the precipitatin maximum in Madisn and mst ther central United States lcatins? 15. Why des Verkhyansk have lw annual precipitatin? MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 4 f 12

5 Grup 5 Symbl Symbl Name Name 16. a. Describe type f sil cnditin exists in Nvaya Zemlya? b. What term is used t describe this sil cnditin? 17. Why is precipitatin in Nvaya Zemlya mre abundant during the summer mnths than during the winter? 18. What is the significance with regard t vegetatin f the 10 C istherm that marks the equatrward limit f a tundra climate? 19. Due t the lw sun angle (angle f inslatin) at McMurd Statin (never higher than 35 ½ degrees abve the hrizn, hw might surface cnditins cntribute t preventing temperatures frm getting very high? MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 5 f 12

Prcedure B Use the temperature and precipitatin infrmatin in the data table belw t cnstruct a climgraph fr Memphis Tennessee. a. Plt a line graph fr the mnthly average temperatures (rund t nearest whle number).

6 Prcedure B Use the temperature and precipitatin infrmatin in the data table belw t cnstruct a climgraph fr Memphis Tennessee. a. Plt a line graph fr the mnthly average temperatures (rund t nearest whle number). b. Cnstruct a bar graph shwing mnthly precipitatin. c. Calculate the average annual temperature. Recrd this value in the table in the year clumn. d. Calculate the ttal precipitatin fr the year and recrd this value in the table s year clumn. e. Determine the climate type. Memphis, TN - Weather Statin Lcatin: N, W. Altitude: 101 meters Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nv Dec Temp ( C) Precip. (cm) Year Climate Classificatin Climate symbl M ET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Climate Name Classifying W rld Climates Page 6 f 12

7 Prcedure C Match the cities listed in the table t the climgraphs belw and n the next page. Write the name f the city in the space prvided belw each climgraph. City Latitude Lngitude Elevatin Calcutta, India 3 39' S W 115 meters Aw Lima, Peru 12 06' S W 120 meters BWh Miami, USA 23 24' N 80 11' W 2 meters Cfa Perth, Australia 30 50' S 116 E 60 m Csa Singapre, Singapre 1 22' N ' E 6 meters Af Yuma, USA 32 N 114 W 62 meters BSh (1) (2) (3) (4) MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 7 f 12

8 (5) (6) Prcedure D: Climates f Hawaii The island f Hawaii, with a surface area f nly 10,455 km, exhibits a spectacular range f climatic diversity cmparable with that fund n large cntinents. Three majr factrs cntribute t this climatic diversity: 1. Tpgraphic relief. The vlcanic muntains f Mauna Kea and Mauna La reach summit elevatins f 4,206 meters and 4,169 meters, respectively. 2. Large-scale synptic wind field. The strng and persistent nrtheast trade winds interact with the island tpgraphy t prduce distinctive windward and leeward climates. 3. Lcal circulatin. Differential heating and cling f the land, water, muntain, and lwland areas n Hawaii give rise t lcalized wind regimes which add t the island's climatic diversity. Use Maps 1 and 2 t answer the questins that fllw. MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 8 f 12

9 MAP 1 Distributin f Köppen s n Hawaii MAP 2 Tpgraphic Map f Hawaii M ET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying W rld Climates Page 9 f 12

10 1. Which f Köppen s five majr climate types is nt fund in Hawaii? 2. Which f Köppen s five majr climate znes dminates the Big Island, cvering abut tw thirds f its area? 3. a) Which climate zne fund n Hawaii is nt usually fund arund the wrld? Outside f Hawaii this climate type ccurs n in India (suthern Madras) and adjacent nrthern Sri Lanka. b) Why is this climate type unusual fr a trpical lcatin? 4. Where n Hawaii is a climate zne that has n distinctive dry seasn? 5. The nrthwest cast f Hawaii (the Khala Cast near Kawaihae) is a classic rainshadw while the Kna cast is nt. Cnsidering bth casts are n the leeward side f muntains, what is the cause f this discrepancy? 6. a) As yu g west, frm Hil t Mauna Kea, what change in climate ccurs? b) What is the cause f the climate change yu identified? 7. a) As yu g eastward frm Kawaihae what change in climate ccurs? b) What is the cause f the climate change yu identified? MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 10 f 12

11 8. Cnsidering that muntains blck the Kna Cast frm the wind flw f the nrtheast trades, what is the cause f cast s dminant circulatin that causes summer rainfall? 9. Where n Hawaii are Ice Climates fund? Why? Review Questins: 1. What causes the ideal cnditins fr clud frmatin and precipitatin in the wet trpics? 2. Which climate regin is a transitinal zne between the rainy trpics and the subtrpical steppes? 3. What is the basis fr subdividing the trpical climates (A climates) int it s three categries? 4. What is the criteria used t define the bundary between desert and steppe climates? 5. Where are humid subtrpical climates(cfa) fund? 6. Where in Nrth America are marine west cast climates (Cfb) fund? MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 11 f 12

12 7. Where are Mediterranean climates (Cs) fund? 8. Why are humid cntinental climates (Dfa) nt fund in the Suthern Hemisphere? 9. Which f the plar climates (E) has n vegetatin? Why? 10. Althugh plar climates are classified as humid, why are their precipitatin patterns mre similar t dry climates? MET 102: Prfessr Vrwald Classifying Wrld Climates Page 12 f 12

Earth s Climates. Understanding Weather and Climate. Chapter 15 Lecture. Seventh Edition

Earth s Climates. Understanding Weather and Climate. Chapter 15 Lecture. Seventh Edition Chapter 15 Lecture Understanding Weather and Climate Seventh Edition Earth s Climates Frode Stordal, University of Oslo Redina L. Herman Western Illinois University Climate and Controlling Factors Climate