1ClimateEarth ScienceChapter 20Pages 560-573Elements of weather and climate• Temperature– Range of temperature– Seasonal temperature pattern• Rainfall–Overall rainfallOverall rainfall – Seasonal distribution of rainfall– Compared to evaporation potential• Pressure– Predominant pressure– Seasonal fluctuation of pressureWeather vs. Climate• Climate is the weather you expect• Weather is what you get, whether you expect it or not• (Note: if you spell it ‘whether’ it has a different meaning)Atmospheric Circulation Ocean circulation Jan and July tempsValues used for Koppen System• Overall temperature• Evaporation compared to precipitation• Absolute rainfall• Rainfall distribution• Extreme temperatureWorld climate map Koppen Climate System• A tropical: wet, monsoon, dry w/s• B dry: desert/steppe, low/mid latitude• C humid mid-latitude, mild winter: td ‘tt’wet summer, dry summer ‘west coast’• D humid mid-latitude severe winter• E polar: tundra, ice cap• H highland: modified version of local lowland area—cooler, moister2Af Tropical rainforest A Tropical climates• NEVER COLD• Rain forest—always wet• Monsoon—extreme seasonal rainfall• Savannah—very dry monthsA Climatic diagramsMonsoon Climatehttp://www.freewebs.com/scienceandsociety/summermonsoonpdem2.gifTropical Monsoon• Due to arrival of ITCZ in a local area at a certain season• ITCZ migrates out of area, leaving a distinct dry seasondistinct dry season• Southern Asia, Sothwestern Pacific islands, Western Equatorial Africa, Northeastern South America, Aw Tropical SavannahTropical Savanna• Never cold• Pronounced dry season: lasts longer than wet seasonWt i ’t t•Wet season isn’t as wet as monsoon climateSubtropical deserthttp://www.gerber-travel.ch/Tours/libya_1999_5.htmB Dry climates• EVAPORATION POTENTIAL EXCEEDS PRECIPITATION• Low latitude deserts always warmSbt i lhih–Subtropical high pressure– 20°-30° N and S of equator• Mid latitude deserts can be quite cold– Further poleward than low latitude deserts– Rain shadow effect3Cold deserthttp://www.asphalto.org/?user_id=907&PHPSESSID=a55...B Cilmate Diagrams Steppe Climate• Transition from desert climate to another climate next to the desert• Not as dry as desertDth ti dt•Desert has more evaporation compared to rainfall than steppe• Dessert: mmm….cake (Do you see they are spelled differently?)Sub-tropical Steppehttp://os.inf.tu-dresden.de/~nf2/nz_farewell/Mid latitude steppehttp://61966.rapidforum.com/topic=101082217975Worldwide arid zonesC Mild mid-latitude climate•Humid• MILD WINTER• Divisions:–Hot summer: dry or wet– Warm summer: dry or wet– Marine west coastal climate • unique subdivision of dry summer that extends far poleward of other mild climates• Moderated by the ocean and the westerliesMild Humid wet all yearhttp://www.us-parks.com/images/everglades-national-park/plantlife-of-everglades-p-3629-m.jpgMild, Dry summer climatehttp://usparks.about.com/od/nationalparksus/ig/santamonicaphotos/Scenery11.htm4C Climate Diagrams Marine west coasthttp://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/marine_west_coast.htmlCoastal Alaska• Northern mild climate due to incoming moist air from ocean by westerlieshttp://thewondersofnature.com/bears/co_scenery_01.htmlD Severe mid latitude• SEVERE WINTERS• Humid continental – Cold winterWt–Wet summer– Hardwood forests• Subarctic– Not warm in summer– Needle-leaf evergreens– ‘Taiga’ D Climate Diagrams Humid continental severe winterhttp://www.public.iastate.edu/~glh/NATREGION/FRONTIMAGES/front6.jpgMidlatitude humid continentalhttp://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/biogeography/biomes_midlatitude_forests_page_1.htmlMidlatitude humid continentalhttp://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/biogeography/biomes_midlatitude_forests_page_1.htmlTaiga5E Polar climate• TOO COLD FOR TREES• Tundra some month is above freezing• Ice cap no months are above freezingTundra E Climate DiagramsIce cap climatehttp://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/climate_systems/icecap.htmlWorld climate map Highland• Modified version of local climate• Cooler, moisterLowland adjacent to H Highland differenceH compared to adjacent
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