Climate

(A) Tropical Climates:

Tropical Wet: 60-100” a year (rainforests);Tropical Monsoonal: 100-200” (India and southern Asia); Tropical Savanna (Wet/Dry): 35-70” (4 months very wet, 4 months very dry: Central Africa & S. Brazil).

(B) Arid (Dry) Climates

Deserts: less than 15” of rain a year.Semiarid or Steppe climates: 15-30”.

Drought can be deadly!

(C) Mid-latitude Climates

Mediterranean: 15-25” of rain a year, dry warm summers, cool wet winters, found on western sides of continents. Humid Subtropical and Marine West Coast: 25-60” a year.

(D) Continental

Precipitation all seasons, cold winters that have snow cover. Includes the Canadian Boreal and Russian Taiga forests.

(E) High Latitude (Polar) Climates:

Tundra: At least one month above 32F; permafrost widespread; vegetation includes mosses, small grasses and low shrubs. Ice Cap: No month above 32F; less than 5” of precipitation per year—sometimes called an “ice desert” (Greenland and Antarctica).

During the long days of summer, the sun melts the snow cover of the tundra. Because the subsoil remains frozen, the surface in many places is wet and marshy.

(H) Highland (or Mountain) Climates

Climate and vegetation varies with elevation.

H