World Climates

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World Climates
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1. Climate Controls

• Latitude
• Land and water
• Moderating effect
• Thermal low in summer
• Thermal high in winter

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• Geographic position and prevailing winds
• Mountains and highlands
• Barriers
• Orographic rainfall
• Own climatic regions
• Ocean currents

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2. Climate Classification

• Purpose
• Simplify, organize and generalize

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• Climograph

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• The Köppen system 4 climate zones based on
  temperature1 zone based on moisture1 zone for
  highlandszones subdivided into types

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3. World distribution
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A) Tropical moist climates (Zone A)

• Within 25 of the equator most within 20
• Winterless (high temperatures all year)
• sun high in sky every day
• very humid
• high rainfall totals

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• Af Tropical Moist Climate
• Wet all year rain about every day
• Control location of ITCZ onshore flow

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• World records
• Highest one-day rainfall total
• 74 in (188 cm) March 15, 1952, at Chilaos, La
  Reunion (island in Indian Ocean)

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• Am Tropical Monsoonal Climate
• Monsoonal precipitation regime
• Control ITCZ movement continental pressure
  change
• Location windward tropical coasts of
• Asia,
• Latin America
• Guinea coast of Africa

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• World Record
• Greatest one-year precipitation
• 1042 in (2647 cm) in 1860-61 at Cherrapunji,
  India
• Highest average annual precipitation
• 468 in (1,189 cm) at Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India

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• Aw Tropical wet and dry climate (tropical
  Savanna)
• Winter dry
• Less annual precipitation than Am
• Controls
• Shifting of ITCZ, subtropical high
• Location poleward of Af

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B) Dry Climates (Zone B)
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• BWh Subtropical Desert
• Arid conditions year-round, rainfall
• scarce
• unreliable
• intense
• Long, hot summers

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• Controls
• Subtropical anticyclonic subsidence
• rain shadow
• cold ocean currents

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• Cultural Adaptations
• Nomadic life style
• Long, flowing robes
• Thick adobe or brick walls small windows
• Wind towers / wind catchers sometimes combined
  with moist reed mats

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• World Records
• Highest annual average temperature
• 94 F (34C) at Dallol, Ethiopia
• Highest Average daily max temperature
• 106 F (41 C) at Dallol, Ethiopia
• Least annual average precipitation
• 0.03 in (0.8 mm) at Arica, Chile

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• World Records
• Highest temperature
• 136 F (58C) on September 13, 1922 at El Azizia,
  Libya
• Greatest temperature range in one day
• 100F in 1927 at In-Salah, Algeria

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• BSh Subtropical Steppe
• Similar to subtropical desert
• Slightly more rainfall
• Temperatures moderated

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• BWk Midlatitude Desert
• In interiors of continents
• Cold winters
• Controls
• Distance from moisture source
• Rain shadow

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• BSk Midlatitude Steppe
• Similar to Midlatitude Desert
• More precip
• More moderate temp

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C) Mild Midlatitude Climates (Zone C)

• Marked seasonal contrasts
• Alternating incursions of tropical and polar air
• Summers long, hot
• Winters short, mild

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• Humid Subtropical (Cfa)
• Hot, muggy summers
• Mild winters
• Well-distributed precipitation throughout the
  year

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• Along east of continents 25-40 lat
• Southeastern US
• Eastern China
• Southern Japan

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• Controls
• Western side of subtropical highs
• Westerlies in winter

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• Mediterranean (Csa/Csb)
• Modest precipitation in winter
• Summer dry warm/hot
• On western side of continents 35
• limited e-w extent

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• Controls
• subtropical high in summer
• westerlies in winter

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• Marine West Coast (Cfb/Cfc)
• Western side of continents
• Lack of extreme temperatures
• Much cloudiness
• Frequent precipitation low intensity

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• Controls
• westerly flow
• oceanic influence

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D) Severe Midlatitude Climates (Zone D)

• Only in Northern hemisphere
• Continentality
• Large annual temperature range
• Moderate precipitation mostly in summer

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Humid continental (Dfa/Dfb/Dwa/Dwb)

• Between 35-55º N America, Asia
• Frequent weather changes
• 1-5 months below freezing

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• Controls
• Westerlies
• Storms
• Monsoon in Asia

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• World Record
• Greatest Temperature change in one day
• 100ºF (55.6ºC) from 44ºF to -56ºF on 22 January
  1943 in Spearfish, S.D.

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• Subarctic/Subpolar (Dfc/Dfd/Dwc/Dwd)
• Higher latitudes
• Long, cold winters
• 6-7 months below freezing
• Greatest annual temperature range
• Very little precipitation

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• Controls
• continentality
• westerlies
• anticyclones

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• World Record
• Greatest average annual temperature range
• 112F (62C) at Yakutsk, Siberia

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E) Polar Climates (Zone E)
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• Cultural adaptations
• efficient clothing
• shelters out of caribou or raindeer hides igloo
• diet large amounts of animal fats (esp. fish
  oils)

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• Polar Tundra (ET)
• gt 1 mo above freezing
• Between treeline and 32 isotherm
• Long, cold winters
• Brief, cool summers
• Small daily temperature range

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• Polar Ice Cap (EF)
• No month above freezing
• Perpetual frost

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• World Records
• Lowest absolute temperature
• -130F (-88C) on July 21, 1983, at Vostok,
  Antarctica
• Windiest location
• Winds reaching 200 mph at Commonwealth Bay,
  George V Coast, Antarctica

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F) Highland Climate (Zone H)

• Complex local climate variation in small areas
• Altitude variations in
• temperature
• pressure
• wind movement
• Sudden weather changes possible