Climate Types and Characteristics

WG SOL 2a

• World Climate Regions

–Low latitudes-tropical wet and tropical wet and dry

–Middle Latitudes- Mediterranean, humid continental, marine west coast, and humid subtropical

Climate characteristics cont.

–High latitudes- subarctic, tundra, and icecap

–Found in any belt: Arid, Semi-Arid and Highland

Low Latitude Climates:

Equator

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

Antarctic Circle

Arctic CircleHIGH

HIGH

MIDDLE

MIDDLE

90 S

90 N

0

23 ½ N

23 ½ S

66 ½ N

66 ½ S

LOW

North Pole

South Pole

TROPICAL(WET) RAIN FOREST CLIMATETROPICAL(WET) RAIN FOREST CLIMATEHOT, WET AND HUMID ALL YEAR ROUND, RAINS DAILY.DIRECT SUN KEEPS THE TEMPERATURES HIGH. FOUND IN THE EQUATOR REGION.

Tropical Rainforest-

• Abundant species of plants and animals

• Largest is Amazon Rainforest

• Many suffering from deforestation

TROPICAL SAVANNA CLIMATETROPICAL SAVANNA CLIMATEDRY WINTERS, WET SUMMERS, LOCATED IN THE TROPICS JUST BEYOND THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST. LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE WHICH IS ALWAYS HIGH.

Tropical Savanna • Aka Tropical Wet/Dry

• Vegetation known as “savannas”

• Largest region is in Africa

Savannas

What’s the Difference

• Rainforest climates – remain wet most of the year.

• Have a lot of vegetation

• Savanna Climates – have a distinct wet and dry season.

• Have minimal vegetation with very few trees.

Tropical Climate ZonesLocation

• Tropical Rain Forest:• South America• Africa • Asia

• Tropical Savanna:• South America• Africa• Asia

Various other plants and animals species of Tropical

Climates•

toucanSloth

Bromeliads

Venus Fly Trap

Poison Arrow Frog

Middle Latitude Climates:

Equator

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

Antarctic Circle

Arctic CircleHIGH

HIGH

MIDDLE

MIDDLE

90 S

90 N

0

23 ½ N

23 ½ S

66 ½ N

66 ½ S

LOW

North Pole

South Pole

MARINE WEST COAST CLIMATEMARINE WEST COAST CLIMATEOCEAN BRINGS OCEAN BRINGS COOL SUMMERS, WITH MILD

WINTERS, HEAVY RAINS IN THE WINTER

Marine West Coast

• Found where name states-west coast of continents Oregon and Washington state and the West Coast of Europe

• Vegetation-mixed latitude forests (coniferous and a few deciduous trees)

Marine West Coast Climate

Coniferous Deciduous

MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATEMEDITERRANEAN CLIMATEMILD RAINY WINTERS WITH HOT DRY

SUMMERS.Located near the Mediterranean Sea Australia

and California

Vegetation: Mediterranean Climate

chaparral

HUMID SUBTROPICAL CLIMATEHUMID SUBTROPICAL CLIMATERAIN FALLS ALL YEAR WITH HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SUMMER. WINTERS ARE SHORTER AND MILD SUMMERS ARE HOT AND HUMID

Humid Subtropical Climate: Vegetation

• Oaks

• Magnolias

• Palms

HUMID CONTINENTAL CLIMATEHUMID CONTINENTAL CLIMATECOLD SNOWY WINTERS, COOL TO WARM

SUMMERS WITH SOME PRECIPITATION EVERY MONTH.

Humid Continental Climate:

Vegetation • Deciduous trees

• Also vast grasslands may flourish

• Where in the United States might you find this type of area?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBHQVJ0bUms

High Latitude Climates

Equator

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

Antarctic Circle

Arctic Circle

HIGH

HIGH

MIDDLE

MIDDLE

90 S

90 N

0

23 ½ N

23 ½ S

66 ½ N

66 ½ S

LOW

North Pole

South Pole

SUBARCTIC CLIMATESUBARCTIC CLIMATELONG VERY COLD WINTERS WITH

SHORT COOL SUMMERS.

Subarctic vegetation

•Taiga – Huge evergreen forests

TUNDRA CLIMATETUNDRA CLIMATELONG BITTERY COLD WINTERS WITH VERY

SHORT COOL SUMMERS. SUMMERS GET CONSTANT LIGHT BUT LITTLE

HEAT FROM THE SUN.

Tundra

• Closer to the Poles than the subarctic• Tundra – cold and dry weather

• The Tundra is so cold that parts of the soil stay frozen permanently –

Permafrost• Only the few top layers of the soil thaw

during the summer months. • This thawed soil turns marshy in the

summer giving the plants the nutrients they need to live.

Tundra Vegetation

• There are no trees that grow in the tundra because it is too cold for their roots to set up in the ground

• There are however sturdy grasses and low bushes that grow

POLAR ICE CAP CLIMATEPOLAR ICE CAP CLIMATEALWAYS COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE. BITTERLY COLD ALL YEAR AROUND WITH

LITTLE TO NO PRECIPITATION.

Ice Cap Climate

• Antarctica and Greenland• Monthly temperatures average

in Antarctica is -128 degrees • No vegetation grows here

however some mosses and fungi can grow.

Ice Cap Climate

Found in any latitude:

STEPPE CLIMATESTEPPE CLIMATEDRY AREAS THAT BORDER DESERTS.

THESE AREAS HAVE VERY LITTLE RAINFALL ONLY ABOUT 10 TO 20 INCHES PER YEAR.

DESERT CLIMATEDESERT CLIMATEHOT DAYS, COOL TO COLD NIGHTS, THERE IS

LITTLE TO NO RAIN IN THIS CLIMATE, THEREFORE IT IS VERY DRY.

DESERTS COVER ABOUT 1/5 OF THE EARTH’S SURFACE.

Desert Vegetation

Highland Climate

• Cool or cold temperatures year round.

• TIMBERLINE – the elevation when above it trees can grow only small shrubs and bushes.

HIGHLAND CLIMATEHIGHLAND CLIMATEMOUNTAIN AREAS WHERE THE HIGHER IN ALTITUDE THE

COOLER THE AIR TEMPERATURE

Sea Level

1,000 ft

3,300 ft

6,600 ft

9,900 ft

13,200 ft

16,500 ft

19,800 ft

81°F

77°F

70°F

57°F

49°F

34°F

21°F

9°F

*GuayaquilGuayaquil

*QuitoQuito

Hot ZoneHot Zone

TemperateTemperate ZoneZone

Cold ZoneCold Zone

TundraTundra

Snow capSnow cap

Timberline