CLIMATE REGIONS Have you ever wondered why one area of the world is a desert, another a grassland, and another a rainforest? Or have you wondered why are there different types of forests and deserts with different vegetation and wildlife? The answer is. RECALL: Climate refers to how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time. This includes the region's general pattern of weather conditions, seasons and weather extremes like hurricanes, droughts, or rainy periods. Two of the most important factors determining an area's climate are and. World biomes are controlled by climate. The climate of a region will determine what plants will grow there, and what animals will inhabit it. All three of these components, are interwoven to create the fabric of a biome. Our climate system is based on the location of hot and cold air mass regions and the atmospheric circulation created by trade winds and westerlies. As the Earth rotates on it's tilted axis around the sun, different parts of the Earth receive higher and lower levels of radiant energy. This creates the seasons. 1
KOPPEN CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM The Köppen Climate Classification System, the most widely used system for classifying the world's climates, was created in 1900 by the Russian German climatologist Wladimir Köppen. This classification scheme divides climates into five main groups, each having several types and subtype categories based on the annual and monthly averages of and. Each main group is designated by a capital letter, with second and third smaller case letters indicating the subtype. Koppen's system is a suitable guide and representation to the general climate of the regions of the planet, but does not account for temperature extremes, average cloud cover or wind. The borders do not represent instantaneous shifts in climate but are merely transition zones where climate, and especially weather, can fluctuate. A Climates B Climates C Climates D Climates E Climates 2
TROPICAL CLIMATES (A) Tropical climates are non arid, having average temperatures above 18ºC, however due to immense, the temperature can ascend beyond 35ºC. The equatorial belt experiences tropical climate which is usually marked with hot and humid weather conditions and precipitation is quite frequent in this region which is accompanied by almost every day. Sunshine along with more than 1500 mm of annual precipitation helps in the growth of luxuriant and diverse vegetation. Tropical climates are usually common in places like the Amazon Basin in Brazil, the Congo Basin in West Africa, rainforests, and Indonesia. Three minor Köppen climate types exist in the "A" group and their designation is based on high seasonal distribution of rainfall, high heat and humidity and may have a short dry season. For example: Am indicates a tropical monsoon climate where there is a high amount of rainfall is but only falls in the 7 to 9 hottest months. DRY CLIMATES (B) The most obvious feature of these regions is potential evaporation and transpiration which can exceed precipitation. This climate is characterized by less precipitation year round and a wide range of daily temperatures. This type of weather is common in places like southwestern United States and northern Mexico, Argentina, North Africa, South Africa, and central parts of Australia. Minor types of this climate include: Bw dry arid (desert) is a true desert climate. It covers 12 % of the earth's land surface and is dominated by xerophytic vegetation (plants adapted for life with a limited supply of water). Bs dry semiarid (steppe) is a grassland climate that covers 14% of the earth's land surface and receives more precipitation than Bw. 3
MODERATE CLIMATES (C) This climate generally has warm and humid summers and mild winters and is located mainly on the eastern and western borders of most continents. There is precipitation, however it varies during each season. There is a possibility of during the humid summers. This kind of climatic condition is generally seen in the west side of subtropical continents and along the coastal regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Usually the places near the Mediterranean coast witness high in temperature while the regions bordering the colder ocean water generally tend to witness dry summer subtropical climate. Three minor types exist: Cfa humid subtropical Cs mediterranean and Cfb marine. The humid subtropical climate (Cfa) has hot muggy summers and mainly thunderstorms. Winters are mild and precipitation during this season. With their heavy rainfall, marine and humid subtropical climates support a variety of forests. The drier Mediterranean climates have their own vegetation, known as Mediterranean vegetation. Southwestern Australia, Western Cape in South Africa, California and borders of the Mediterrian Sea are all characterized by this particular climate. 4
CONTINENTAL CLIMATES (D) Continental climates are described as warm to cool summers and cold winters. The warmest month is greater than 10 degrees Celsius, while the coldest month is less than 30 degrees Celsius. Winters are severe with, strong winds, and are bitter cold from Continental Polar or Arctic air masses. Summers are characterized with moderate precipitation, while the east coast areas especially along the North American regions are marked with even precipitation. Continental climatic conditions occur due the impact of cold air mass which penetrates the region during the winter time and the warm air mass that breaks in at the summer time. These regions affected with Continental weather conditions comprises of tall grass or forests. The Midwestern United States, northeastern areas of U.S, southern Canada, parts of China and most of Russia are known for their continental climate. Like the C climates there are three minor types: Dw dry winters Ds dry summers and Df wet all seasons. POLAR CLIMATES (E) Polar climates have year round temperatures with warmest month less than 10 degrees Celsius. Polar climates are found on the northern coastal areas of North America and Europe, Asia and on the landmasses of Greenland and Antarctica. Two minor climate types exist. ET or polar tundra is a climate where the soil is permanently to depths of hundreds of meters, a condition known as permafrost. Vegetation is dominated by mosses, lichens, dwarf trees and scattered woody shrubs. EF or polar ice caps have a surface that is permanently covered with snow and ice. vegetation can grow here. 5
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