Climate Regions

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Climate Regions
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Climate is the average of all weather conditions
if An area over a long period of time.

• The main factors that influence temperature are
  latitude, altitude, distance from a large body of
  water, and ocean currents.
• Latitude is the distance from the equator ,
  measured in degrees
• Earths surface can be divided into 3 temperature
  zones.

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• Tropical Zone
• Located near the equator between 23.5 north
  latitude and 23.5 south latitude.
• It receives direct or nearly direct sunlight all
  year around.
• Climate is warm.
• Polar Zone
• It extends from 66.5 to 90 north or south
  latitude.
• The suns rays strike at a lower angle neat the
  north and south poles.
• Climate is cold.
• Temperate Zone
• It is located between the tropical and polar
  zones.
• Located 23.5 to 66.5 north or south latitude.
• In the summer, the suns rays strike the zone
  more directly.
• In the winter , the rays strike at a lower angle.
• Climate is warm to hot in the summer and cool to
  cold in the winter.

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• Altitude
• Why does a mountain have polar caps if they are
  located in the tropical zone?
• Temperature of the troposphere decreases about
  6.5 degrees Celsius for every 1km increase in
  altitude. Therefore highland areas everywhere
  have cool climates no matter what their latitude.

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Distance from a Large Body of Water

• Water heats up more slowly than land it also
  cools down more slowly. Therefore, winds from
  the ocean keep coastal regions from reaching
  extremes of hot and cold.

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Ocean Currents

• Warm ocean currents carry warm water from the
  tropics toward the poles. Cold currents bring
  cold water from the polar zones toward the
  equator. The surface of the water warms or cools
  the air above it. The warmed or cooled air then
  moves over the nearby land. So a warm current
  brings warm air to the land it touches. A cold
  current brings cool air.

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Humid Tropical

• Found near the equator
• Temperature is always 64 degrees F or higher.

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Tropical Wet

• Always hot and humid
• Heavy rain, at least 6cm a month all year around.
• Lush vegetation
• Ex. Amazon rain forest in South America.

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Tropical Wet-Dry

• Always hot
• Alternating wet and dry seasons
• Heavy rainfall
• Tropical grassland
• Ex. Miami, Florida

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Dry

• Evaporation is greater than precipitation.
• May be cold or hot
• Inland from the ocean

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Desert

• Desert (hot and sandy or cold and rocky)
• Gets less than 25cm of rain all year
• Includes hottest places on Earth.
• In most deserts high daytime temperatures lead to
  rapid evaporation.
• Ex. Phoenix, Arizona

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Semiarid

• Edge of the desert prairies or grasslands
• Great plains
• Receive about 25-50cm of precipitation all year.
• Ex. Denver, Colorado

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Moist Mid-latitude with Mild Winters

• Average Temperature 50 degrees F or above in the
  warm months
• Between 26-64 degrees F in the coldest months

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Mediterranean

• Warm, dry summers
• Rainy winters
• Dense shrubs and small trees
• Olives and grapes
• Some coastal areas have cool summers and frequent
  fog.
• Ex. San Fransico, California

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Humid Subtropical

• Hot, muggy summers
• Cool Mild winters
• Southeast United States
• Mix forests
• Precipitation fairly even throughout the year.
• Ex. Charlotte, North carolina

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Marine West Coast

• Mild Winters (rainy)
• Cool summers
• Moderate precipitation due to coastal region.
• Cone bearing trees
• Low clouds and fog.
• Ex. Seattle, Washington

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Mid-latitude with Severe winters

• Average Temperature 50 degree F or above in warm
  months
• 26 degrees F or below in the coldest months

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Humid Continental

• Bitterly cold winters
• Warm humid summers
• Moderate rainfall year around
• Northeastern United States
• Our Climate

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Subartic

• Summer short and cool
• Winter long and bitterly cold
• Light precipitation in summer
• Ex. Russia, Canada, and Alaska

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Polar

• Average Temperature is always below 26 degrees F
  even in the warm months
• Near Poles

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Ice Cap

• Average Temperature is always at or below
  freezing.
• Covered with snow and ice
• Intense cold makes the air dry
• Ex. Greenland and Antarctica.

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Tundra

• Short cold summers
• Bitterly cold winters
• Frozen soil (no tree or plant growth)
• Warmest temperature about 26 degrees F.

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Highlands

• Temperature drops as altitude increases mountain
  region can contain many climates.
• Mountain can have a year round covering of ice
  and snow at their peaks
• Ex. Rocky Mountains