Mexico and Central America

1
Mexico and Central America

• Christina Gonzalez and Reynel Oliva

2
Physical Coordinates of Mexico

• 23 00 N, 102 00 W
• Mexico is located in North America.
• It borders the United States to the north, the
  Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Gulf
  of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea to the east also
  Guatemala and Belize to the south.
• Mexico's total area covers 1,972,550 square
  kilometers, including approximately 6,000 square
  kilometers of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Gulf
  of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of California.
  

3
Physical Coordinates of Central America

• Central America is the central geographic portion
  of the Americas.
• It is a narrow neck of land which contains
  Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua,
  El Salvador, and Costa Rica
• 592,000 square kilometers.
• The Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, the
  Caribbean sea lies to the northeast, and the Gulf
  of Mexico lies to the north.

4
Length Variation of Days and Nights of Mexico

• During the Autumnal Equinox, days and nights are
  of equal length.
• During the Vernal Equinox, days vary within
  minutes.
• March 17- 12 hours of day and night. March 18- 12
  hours 3 minutes of day, 12 hours 5 minutes of
  night.

5
Length Variation of Days and Nights of Central
America

• During the Autumnal Equinox, both day and night
  are of equal length
• During the Vernal Equinox, hours vary in terms of
  minutes
• March 17-Sunrise 6am Sunset 6pm. March 18,
  Sunrise 604am Sunset 605 pm
• 12 hours of day and night in all equinox, except
  the vernal (spring) equinox

6
Time Zones for Mexico

• Mexico uses three time zones.
• Central Standard Time-most of the country uses
  this.
• Mountain Standard Time- states of Chihuahua,
  Nayarit, Sonora, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur.
• Pacific Standard Time- Baja California Norte.
• Daylight Saving Time begins at 200 a.m. local
  time on the first Sunday in April. On the last
  Sunday in October areas on Daylight Saving Time
  fall back to Standard Time at 200 a.m. The names
  in each time zone change along with Daylight
  Saving Time. Central Standard Time (CST) becomes
  Central Daylight Time (CDT), and so forth. The
  state of Sonora does not observe Daylight Saving
  Time.
• Mexico has a Central Standard Time with the UTC
  of 6 subtracted hours and 5 daylight savings time
  hours, based on the mean solar time of the 90th
  degree meridian west of the Greenwich
  Observatory.

7
Time Zones for Central America

• Central America has a Central Standard Time
• Subtraction of 6 hours from the Coordinated
  Universal Time, and 5 hours during daylight
  savings time
• The clock time in this zone is based on the mean
  solar time of the 90th degree meridian west of
  the Greenwich Observatory

8
Locations for Mexico and Central America

• Tropic of Cancer- directly separates Central
  America from Mexico.
• Tropic of Capricorn-Central America lies south of
  it, and Mexico lies north of it, also lies west
  of the Prime Meridian.
• Equator-Both are north of the equator.

9
Rocks and Minerals for Mexico
Apatitie
Amethyst
Rosasite
Legrandite
Danburite
Grossular
Boleite
Acanthite
Mimetite
Arsenopyrite

Topaz
Wulfenite Barite
10
Rocks and Minerals for Central America

• In Central America we have many calcites and
  crystals like Red Opal, Blue Opal, Pink Opal, and
  spikes.
• Elements, Oxides, carbonates

11
Plate Tectonics for Mexico

• North American plate- Most of the Mexican
  landmass rests on this westward moving plate.
• Cocos plate- The Pacific Ocean floor off southern
  Mexico is being carried northeast by the
  underlying motion of this plate.
• Pacific plate- Areas of Mexico's coastline on the
  Gulf of California, including the Baja California
  Peninsula, are riding northwestward on this plate.

12
Plate Tectonics for Mexico and Central America

• The Plate Tectonics of both Mexico and Central
  America are intertwined.
• This means that the possibility of volcanoes
  erupting is plausible.
• Earthquakes are created by these eruptions and
  tsunamis are triggered as well.

13
Physical Features of Mexico

• Ocean floor material is relatively dense when it
  strikes the lighter granite of the Mexican
  landmass, the ocean floor is forced under the
  landmass, creating the deep Middle America Trench
  that lies off Mexico's southern coast.
• The westward moving land atop the North American
  plate is slowed and crumpled where it meets the
  Cocos plate, creating the mountain ranges of
  southern Mexico.
• Mexico is crossed from north to south by two
  mountain ranges known as Sierra Madre Oriental
  and Sierra Madre Occidental, which are the
  extension of the Rocky Mountains from northern
  North America. From east to west at the center,
  the country is crossed by the Trans-Mexican
  Volcanic Belt also known as the Sierra Nevada. A
  fourth mountain range, the Sierra Madre del Sur,
  runs from Michoacán to Oaxaca. As such, the
  majority of the Mexican central and northern
  territories are located at high altitudes, and
  the highest elevations are found at the
  Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Pico de Orizaba
  (5,700 m), Popocatépetl(5,462 m) and
  Iztaccíhuatl(5,286 m) and the Nevado de Toluca
  (4,577 m). Three major urban agglomerations are
  located in the valleys between these four
  elevations Toluca, Greater Mexico City and
  Puebla.
• The subduction of the Cocos plate accounts for
  the frequency of earthquakes near Mexico's
  southern coast. As the rocks constituting the
  ocean floor are forced down, they melt, and the
  molten material is forced up through weaknesses
  in the surface rock, creating the volcanoes in
  the Cordillera Neovolcánica across central
  Mexico.
• Rather than one plate subducting, the Pacific and
  North American plates grind past each other,
  creating a slip fault that is the southern
  extension of the San Andreas fault in California.
  Motion along this fault in the past pulled Baja
  California away from the coast, creating the Gulf
  of California. Continued motion along this fault
  is the source of earthquakes in western Mexico.

14
Physical Features of both Mexico and Central
America

• Mountain ranges vary from big to small like any
  other place in the world that contains mountains.
  Mountains like Epicztal and Topectzal.
• All of the volcanoes are located on the eastern
  side of Central America among them are Santa
  Maria, Fuego, Arenal, Terica, Casita, etc.
• No glaciers, however in terms of lakes and rivers
  we have the San Juan Lake, Marion, Putnam,
  Osceola, among others. In terms of Rivers we have
  Rio Lempa and Rio Grande (Mexico border) also
  Veracruz.
• The possibility of earthquakes is moderate since
  volcanoes are present, but calm (sleeping).
  Tsunamis can also be created by these earthquakes
  due to both geographic parts of the world.

15
Atmospheric Pressure in Mexico

• Since atmospheric pressure results from the
  weight of the overlying air, it is less at higher
  altitudes.
• According to the formula given above, the
  atmospheric pressure in Mexico City is 764 atm.
  Keeping in mind that oxygen makes up 21 of the
  atmospheric constituents, the partial pressure of
  oxygen (O2) in 2240 m altitude is roughly 160
  atm, compared to the 213 atm at sea level.

16
Atmospheric Pressure in Central America

• The mercury level at a high atmospheric pressure
  in Central America is somewhere between 20-25
  inch of mercury. Its low points are between 12-15
  inches of mercury

17
Carbon Dioxide Levels in Mexico and Central
America

• In the western cities of Central America and
  Mexico we have a moderate concentrated amount of
  carbon dioxide.
• Both Central America and Mexico do not contribute
  as much to Global Warming as other places due to
  shortage of technology.
• In the countryside, ironically the level of
  carbon dioxide is higher.
• There are too many volcanoes located to the
  eastern portion of both geographic places, as a
  matter of fact, all of them are there.
• High amounts of both carbon dioxide and carbon
  monoxide.

This corrected chart shows carbon dioxide
emissions for Mexico. They are expressed in total
metric tons, metric tons per capita and metric
tons per 1,000 of gross national product.
Country 1988 Total Per Capita Emissions/GNP Ratio
Mexico 306.9 3.7 1.74
Carbon Dioxide emissions chart
18
Wind Patterns Latitude Reference for Mexico

• The surface wind speed, zonal and meridional wind
  and the surface pressure averaged over 93W - 97W.
• Winds tend to blow across the city from the
  northeast, where a slight opening in the
  mountains allows moisture and winds from the Gulf
  of Mexico to enter the basin. These winds blow
  pollution from the region of heaviest industrial
  development towards downtown and the residential
  areas southwest of the city are pressed against
  the southern mountain chain.

19
Wind Patterns Latitude Reference for Central
America

• Wind patterns tend to vary from cold fronts to
  warm fronts.
• (Not Miami weather) this means that when it is
  summer it is hot, and when it is winter its
  cold, no variance.
• Mostly in all directions, however south of the
  equator, wind tends to blow eastward.

20
Humidity Levels for Mexico and Central America

• Mexico-The rainy season of the interior Mexico
  falls during the Summer.  However, since the
  major part of the interior is on a high
  elevation, the temperature and humidity are
  fairly moderate. 
• Central America- this applies too, however
  certain differences can be noted during winter
  the humidity levels are extremely high, and on
  low elevations it is quite dry.

21
Climate Zones for Mexico and Central America

• A)The Tropic of Cancer effectively divides the
  country into temperate and tropical zones. Land
  north of the twenty-fourth parallel experiences
  cooler temperatures during the winter months.
  South of the twenty-fourth parallel, temperatures
  are fairly constant year round and vary solely as
  a function of elevation.
• B) This high-elevation region exhibits a huge
  difference between Summer and Winter.  Summer
  generally covers the period from June to October,
  but it may rain in the central and southern
  regions while the north remains relatively dry. 
  Winter is traditionally the tourist season and
  December is by default the busiest month for the
  big beach resorts. 
• During Winter, it is not surprising for snow bed
  to cover the upper regions from December through
  February.  The temperatures can drop to ten
• degrees and highs to sixty degrees. On the
• other hand, Summer rim temperatures can be
• in the eighties whereas deep in the canyons
• it can reach a hundred twenty or higher.

22
Climate Zones for Central America

• C) Maritime climates are fairly moderate and
  soothing during summer seasons and Continental
  climates vary, but it is mostly dry in cities,
  the countryside is humid, this is due to humid
  climates among mountain ranges like Sierra Madre.
  
• D) Results show a marked seasonal variation of q
  (humidity) from around 79 g kg-1 during the dry
  months to 10 g kg-1 in the wet season
  (May-October) on both urban and suburban sites.
• E) Vegetation is diverse due to microclimates
  among other factors that are involved.

23
Oceans and Seas bordering Mexico and Central
America

• Both Central America and Mexico are surrounded by
  the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean sea.
• The Gulf of Mexico is located northeast of
  Central America, and east of Mexico
• Salinity varies in terms of latitude. The water
  near the equator is less salty than that found in
  the mid-latitudes because of abundant equatorial
  precipitation throughout the year. In terms of
  poles the temperate latitudes salinity is also
  low, because little evaporation of seawater takes
  place in these frigid areas.

24
Weather Disturbances in Mexico
http//www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN2
7394059

• Mexico lies squarely within the hurricane belt,
  and all regions of both coasts are susceptible to
  these storms from June through November.
  Hurricanes on the Pacific coast are less frequent
  and often less violent than those affecting
  Mexico's eastern coastline. Several hurricanes
  per year strike the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico
  coastline, however, and these storms bring high
  winds, heavy rain, extensive damage, and
  occasional loss of life.
• Situated atop three of the large tectonic plates
  that constitute the earth's surface, Mexico is
  one
• of the most seismologically active
• regions on earth. The motion of
• these plates causes earthquakes
• and volcanic activity.

25
Weather Disturbances in Central America

• Everything ranging from severe thunderstorms to
  major hurricanes and typhoons
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis (triggered by these earthquakes)

26
Biomes in Mexico and Central America

• Desert
• Aquatic (in low amounts)
• Forests
• Grasslands
• Tundra
• Tropical Rainforest
• Both contain all of these, however Mexico does
  not have many aquatic biomes

27
Population Distribution in Mexico and Central
America

• Population density ranks among the top most
  reproductive populations, which amounts to 4.4
  people per square smile.
• This has lead to exponential growth in terms of
  immigration.
• Large-scale immigration from Mexico is a very
  recent phenomenon. In 1970, the Mexican immigrant
  population was less than 800,000, compared to
  nearly 8 million in 2000.
• In a 2008 study, it was shown that 12.7 million
  Mexicans migrated.

28
Resources

• Chapter 19 and 20 PSC1515 Science book
• Chapter 24
• www.wikipidia.com
• http//www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/central_
  america_1892.jpg
• www.britannica.com (encyclopedia)
• http//www.atmos-chem-phys.org/6/1249/2006/acp-6-1
  249-2006.html
• http//www.timetemperature.com/tzmx/mexico_time_zo
  ne.shtml
• http//cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/emis/tre_mex.htm
• http//www.asp.bnl.gov/MAX-Mex.html
• http//www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t3004
  9
•  http//www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierofun/mexico
  /air.htm
• http//www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/12453/a
  bstract?CRETRY1SRETRY0