Tropical Wet (Af)

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Tropical Wet (Af)

• Rainfall is heavy in all months. The total annual
  rainfall is often more than 250 cm. (100 in.).
  There are seasonal differences in monthly
  rainfall but temperatures of 27C (80F) mostly
  stay the same. Humidity is between 77 and 88.
• High surface heat and humidity cause cumulus
  clouds to form early in the afternoons almost
  every day.
• The climate on eastern sides of continents are
  influenced by maritime tropical air masses. These
  air masses flow out from the moist western sides
  of oceanic high-pressure cells, and bring lots of
  summer rainfall. The summers are warm and very
  humid. It also rains a lot in the winter

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Tropical Wet
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Tropical Dry (Am)

• Not given on many maps often combined with the
  tropical rainforest (Af)
• Temperatures are very similar to Af
• Precipitation differs there is a short dry
  season that is long enough to allow some
  deciduous trees to be part of the forest.

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Savanna (Aw)

• A seasonal change occurs between wet tropical air
  masses and dry tropical air masses. As a result,
  there is a very wet season and a very dry season.
  Trade winds dominate during the dry season. It
  gets a little cooler during this dry season but
  will become very hot just before the wet season.
• Temperature Range 16 C
• Annual Precipitation 0.25 cm. (0.1 in.). All
  months less than 0.25 cm. (0.1 in.)
• Latitude Range 15 to 25 N and S
• Global Range India, Indochina, West Africa,
  southern Africa, South America and the north
  coast of Australia

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Tropical Savanna
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Desert Arid

• These desert climates are found in low-latitude
  deserts approximately between 18 to 28 in both
  hemispheres. these latitude belts are centered on
  the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which lie
  just north and south of the equator. They
  coincide with the edge of the equatorial
  subtropical high pressure belt and trade winds.
  Winds are light, which allows for the evaporation
  of moisture in the intense heat. They generally
  flow downward so the area is seldom penetrated by
  air masses that produce rain. This makes for a
  very dry heat. The dry arid desert is a true
  desert climate, and covers 12 of the Earth's
  land surface.
• Temperature Range 16 C
• Annual Precipitation 0.25 cm (0.1 in). All
  months less than 0.25 cm (0.1 in).
• Latitude Range 15 - 25 N and S.
• Global Range southwestern United States and
  northern Mexico Argentina north Africa south
  Africa central part of Australia.

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Desert Arid
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Semi-Arid/ Steppe

• Characterized by grasslands, this is a semiarid
  climate. It can be found between the desert
  climate (BW) and more humid climates of the A, C,
  and D groups. If it received less rain, the
  steppe would be classified as an arid desert.
  With more rain, it would be classified as a
  tallgrass prairie.
• This dry climate exists in the interior regions
  of the North American and Eurasian continents.
  Moist ocean air masses are blocked by mountain
  ranges to the west and south. These mountain
  ranges also trap polar air in winter, making
  winters very cold. Summers are warm to hot.
• Temperature Range 24 C (43 F).
• Annual Precipitation less than 10 cm (4 in) in
  the driest regions to 50 cm (20 in) in the
  moister steppes.
• Latitude Range 35 - 55 N.
• Global Range Western North America (Great Basin,
  Columbia Plateau, Great Plains) Eurasian
  interior, from steppes of eastern Europe to the
  Gobi Desert and North China.

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Semi-Arid/Steppe
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Humid Subtropical

• The Köppen definition of this climate is for the
  coldest month's mean temperature to be between
  -3 C (26.6 F) and 18 C (64.4 F), and the
  warmest month to be above 22 C (71.6 F). Some
  climatologists prefer to use 0 C (32 F) as the
  lower bound for the coldest month's mean
  temperature. It is either accompanied with a dry
  winter (Köppen w) or has no distinguished dry
  season (Köppen f
• Under the more modern Trewartha climate
  classification, climates are termed Humid
  Subtropical when they have mean temperatures of
  10 C (50 F) for eight or more months a year. In
  most locations classed within this system, the
  mean temperature of the coldest month is between
  3 C (35 F) and 18 C (65 F). Some climatologists
  who consider the Trewartha grouping of
  subtropical climates to be more real-world and
  fitting on a global scale.
• Rainfall in humid subtropical climates often
  shows a summer peak, and where monsoons are well
  developed, like Southeast Asia, a strong summer
  peak and winter drought is common. Due to the
  influence of the subtropical highs and
  subsidence, droughts can be severe and often
  catastrophic to agriculture. Winter rainfall is
  associated with large storms and fronts that the
  westerlies steer from west to east, that on
  occasion reach down into subtropical latitudes.
  Most summer rainfall occurs during thunderstorms
  and weak tropical lows that move in from adjacent
  warm tropical oceans.

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Humid Subtropical
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Mediterranean

• This is a wet-winter, dry-summer climate.
  Extremely dry summers are caused by the sinking
  air of the subtropical highs and may last for up
  to five months.
• Plants have adapted to the extreme difference in
  rainfall and temperature between winter and
  summer seasons. Sclerophyll plants range in
  formations from forests, to woodland, and scrub.
  Eucalyptus forests cover most of the chaparral
  biome in Australia.
• Fires occur frequently in Mediterranean climate
  zones.
• Temperature Range 7 C (12 F)
• Annual Precipitation 42 cm (17 in).
• Latitude Range 30 - 50 N and S
• Global Position central and southern California
  coastal zones bordering the Mediterranean Sea
  coastal Western Australia and South Australia
  Chilean coast Cape Town region of South Africa.

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Mediterranean
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Marine West Coast

• The Marine West Coast climate stretches from
  northern California through the coastal sections
  of Oregon, Washington, and southern Alaska. Mild
  winters and summers distinguish this climate,
  even though inland climates at the same latitude
  have bitter winters and hot summers.
• In the Marine West Coast region, summer
  temperature averages range from 15 C to 20 C
  (from 59 F to 68 F), and the coldest months
  have a temperature range of 4 C to 10 C (40 F
  to 50 F). These locations receive the prevailing
  westerly winds, which bring moist air off the
  Pacific Ocean. The Marine Northwest experiences
  frequent storms involving cool, moist air masses.
  Where the coast is mountainous, the moist air
  from the ocean rises as it climbs over the
  mountains and releases its moisture the result
  is high annual precipitation with extensive cloud
  development and profuse rainfall. With the
  exception of a few warm, sunny summer months, the
  area experiences fog, drizzle, and gray, leaden
  skies almost daily. The annual total rainfall may
  be as much as 1,450 mm (57 in), most of which
  falls during the winter months.
• The region has thin podzol soil, which is poor in
  agricultural productivity because of excess
  acidity. Farmers must apply lime and heavy
  fertilizers to make agriculture viable.
  Agricultural crops include deciduous fruits
  (apples and pears), berries, grapes, winter
  wheat, and horticultural items. Because of the
  mild winters and lush grasses, dairy farming is
  also an important agricultural activity.
• The Marine West Coast is a land of magnificent
  coniferous forests with huge stands of tall
  trees, particularly Douglas fir. In California,
  some giant sequoias, known as redwoods, reach
  heights of more than 90 m (300 ft).

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Marine West Coast
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Humid Continental

• General Characteristics - warm to cool summers
  and cold winters. Winters are severe with snow
  storms, blustery winds, bitter cold - climate is
  controlled by large continent
• controlled by large land masses - found only in
  northern hemisphere
• found between about 40-70 latitude
• warm-cool summers, cold winters
• average temperature of coldest month must dip
  below -3C (27F)) - Koppen found that this
  temperature value marks the southern extent of
  persistent snow cover during the winter
• Extent - north of moist subtropical mid-latitude
  climates

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Humid Continental
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Subarctic/ Tundra

• The tundra climate is found along arctic coastal
  areas. Polar and arctic air masses dominate the
  tundra climate. The winter season is long and
  severe. A short, mild season exists, but not a
  true summer season. Moderating ocean winds keep
  the temperatures from being as severe as interior
  regions.
• Temperature Range -22 C to 6 C (-10 F to 41
  F).
• Average Annual Precipitation 20 cm (8 in).
• Latitude Range 60 - 75 N.
• Global Position arctic zone of North America
  Hudson Bay region Greenland coast northern
  Siberia bordering the Arctic Ocean.

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Subarctic/ Tundra
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Permanent Ice and Snow

• Glacial areas such as mountain glaciers or
  continental glaciers (Antarctica Greenland)
• No vegetation or permanent human habitation.