3-2: world climates
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3-2: World Climates. I. Major Climate Zones. As we discussed in our previous section weather and climate are not interchangeable terms. Climate is the average weather conditions over a long period of time. I. Major Climate Zones. Earth is a complex mix of climates. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
3-2: World Climates
I. Major Climate Zones As we discussed in our previous section
weather and climate are not interchangeable terms.
Climate is the average weather conditions over a long period of time.
I. Major Climate Zones Earth is a complex mix of climates.
Geographers identify these climate by observing: Temperature Precipitation Native plant life
I. Major Climate Zones With these observations we can divide
Planet Earth into fiver basic climate zones: Tropical Temperate Polar Dry Highland/Mountain
I. Major Climate Zones Tropical Climates
Occur near the equator and the lower latitudes
I. Major Climates Zones Temperate
Climates Occur about
halfway between the equator and the poles in the middle latitudes.
I. Major Climate Zones Polar Climates
Occur near the poles
Higher latitudes
I. Major Climate Zones Dry and Highland
Climates These can be
found in many different latitudes.
I. Major Climate Zones World Climate Regions:
Humid Tropical Tropical Savanna Desert Steppe Mediterranean Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast Humid Continental Subarctic Tundra Ice Cap Highland
World Climate Regions
Humid Tropical Tropical Savanna
World Climate Regions
Desert Steppe
World Climate Regions
Mediterranean Humid Subtropical
World Climate Regions
Marine West Coast Humid Continental
World Climate Regions
Subarctic Tundra
World Climate Regions
Ice Cap Highland
II. Tropical and Dry Climates These climates are some of the most
extreme on earth, because they include the wettest driest, and hottest places on earth.
A. Tropical Climates These climates
extend from the Tropic of Cancer through the Equator and down to the Tropic of Capricorn.
A. Tropical Climates Humid Tropical
This climate tends to be warm, muggy, and rainy year-round.
Temperatures average around 80°F Rainfall averages between 70-450 inches
per year!!! This is why it is known as the rainforest.
Monsoons- Seasonal winds that bring either dry or moist air
A. Tropical Climates With its warm
temperatures and heavy rainfall, this climate is able to support an amazing amount of plants and animals. Ex. Amazon River
Basin in South America.
A. Tropical Climates Tropical Savanna
Moving north and south of the Equator, you reach the savanna, which are areas of tall grasses and scattered trees and shrubs.
It tends to have a long, hot, dry season and short periods of heavy rainfall.
Temperatures are often as high as 90°F, with “cooler” winters.
B. Dry Climates
B. Dry Climates Desert Climate
Earth’s hottest and driest climate! Rainfall can be very scarce with desert
receiving less than 10 inches per year. Atacama Desert has averages less than 1
in.!! Temperatures can be very extreme due to
the dry air and clear skies. Temperatures can be as high as 130°F
during the day and drop into the 40s and 50s at night.
B. Dry Climates With these
extremes in the desert climates, animals and plants need to be hardy and very adaptive. Cactus Nocturnal Animals
B. Dry Climates Steppe
This climate tends to have semidry grasslands or prairies.
They often border most deserts Tend to have short grasses, but will have
shrubs and trees that grow along streams.
III. Temperate Climates “Temperate” means moderate or mild.
These climates tend to have all four seasons with warm or hot summers and cool to cold winters.
These climates are located between the equator and the poles.
Air masses from the tropics and the poles often meet here, which creates the variety.
III. Temperate Climates Mediterranean
Named after the climate found in countries along the Mediterranean Sea.Summers tend to be hot, dry, and sunny.Winters tend to be mild, but wet.Plant life can be found as shrubs, shorter trees, and scattered larger trees.
This climate can be found in California and northern Africa.
III. Temperate Climates Humid Subtropical
This climate tends to occur along the east coasts near the tropics. Ex. Florida
Warm, moist air blows in from the ocean. Summers are hot and humid, while winter
and mild with some frost and snow. Hurricanes are a real threat to this
climate, which can bring heavy rains, violent winds, and high seas.
III. Temperate Climates This climates tends to have mixed
forests.
Deciduous trees Lose their leaves each fall.
Coniferous trees Do not shed their leaves and are green
year-round.
III. Temperate Climates Marine West Coast
This climate occurs on the west coasts where winds carry moisture from the oceans.
These winds assist with keeping temperatures mild all year long.
Winters tend to be foggy, cloudy, and rainy, while summers can be warm and sunny.
Plant Life: Dense evergreen forests
III. Temperate Climates Humid Continental
This climate has four distinct seasons. Summers are short and hot. Springs and falls are mild. Winters are long, cold, and typically
snowy. Plant Life: Tall grasslands to both
coniferous and deciduous trees Main areas in U.S.: Great Plains, Midwest
IV. Polar and Highland Climates
Subarctic This climate tends to be found the
Northern Hemisphere only, south of the Arctic Ocean.
Winters are long and bitterly cold. Summers are short and cool. Temperatures are below freezing for more
than half the year. Plant Life: Evergreen forests (Taiga)
IV. Polar and Highland Climates
Tundra Occur along the coastal areas along the
Arctic Ocean. Winters are bitterly cold. Temperature reach barely above freezing
during the short summers. Rainfall is light. Plant Life: Mosses, lichens, and small
shrubs
IV. Polar and Highland Climates
Tundra Permafrost- permanently frozen layers of
soil
This frozen earth makes it hard for water to be absorbed into the soil.
In summer, this can create ponds and marshes for many breeding animals.
IV. Polar and Highland Climates
Ice Cap This may be the harshest climate on
Earth’s surface. Temperatures can reach as low as -120°F
or colder. That is bone-chilling cold!!
Snow and ice remain year-round with little new precipitation.
No vegetation.
IV. Polar and Highland Climates
Even with this extreme cold, polar bears, penguins, whales, and seals are able to survive quite well in this frigid climate.
IV. Polar and Highland Climates
Highland This climate can be
several climates at once.
It depends upon elevation.
As you go up the mountain, temperatures drop and plant life grows more scarce.