Climates of the World

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Climates of the World
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Climate

• long term weather conditions for a place
• temperature and precipitation
• annual averages
• annual ranges patterns
• climate classification
• relate climate types to environmental processes
  and landscapes
• note geology is also important for explaining
  landscapes

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Factors influencing Climate

• Latitude
• Altitude
• Proximity of Oceans/Seas
• Relationship to Air Masses and Prevailing Winds
• Ocean Currents
• Topographic Relationships
• Nature of Surface
• Human Interactions

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Köppen Climate Classification

• many different versions (variations)
• we will describe 14 climate types
• 2-3 letter designations plus names
• First letter major climate group
• Second letter precipitation pattern
• Third letter temperature pattern
• note second letter of polar climates relate to
  temperature

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Climograph
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Köppen Climate Groups

• A Tropical Humid
• B Dry
• C Mild Midlatitude
• D Severe Midlatitude
• E Polar
• H Highland

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Tropical Wet (Af)

• warm, wet all year
• low latitude
• equatorial low

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Tropical Monsoon (Am)

• warm all year
• low latitude
• short dry season
• dry trade winds
• prolonged rainy season
• moist trade winds ITCZ
• coastal

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Tropical Savanna (Aw)

• warm all year
• low latitude
• dry winter
• dry trade winds
• wet summer
• moist trade winds
• ITCZ

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Dry Climates (B)

• Subtropical Desert (BWh) Subtropical Steppe
  (BSh)
• Midlatitude Desert (BWk) Midlatitude Steppe
  (BSk)
• deserts drier than steppes
• high pressure systems
• rainshadow
• subtropics warmer than midl.
• latitude

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Mediterranean (Csa Csb)

• moderate temps.
• midlatitudes along west coasts
• dry summer
• high pressure
• moist winter
• westerlies

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Marine West Coast (Cfb Cfc)

• Moderate to cool temps.
• higher midlatitudes along west coasts
• moist most of year
• westerlies
• least moist in summer
• high pressure influence

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Humid Subtropical (Cfa)

• Hot summer mild winter
• midlatitude
• moist all year
• convectional precip.
• cyclonic precip.

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Humid Continental (Dfa, Dfb)

• warm to hot summer cold winter
• midlatitude
• continentality
• moist all year
• cyclonic precip.
• convectional precip.

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Subarctic (Dfc)

• cool to warm summer
• very cold winter
• high latitude
• Continentality
• high latitudes not much precip. needed

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Polar Climates

• Tundra (ET)
• at least one month above freezing
• Ice Cap (EF)
• freezing all year
• high latitudes
• not much precip. needed

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Highland Climates (H)

• large mountainous regions
• modification of surrounding lowland climate
• lower temperatures
• usually higher precipitation
• can differ markedly in highest elevations
• ex. Alpine tundra

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Readings Text pp. 571-584 Homework