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18-2 Climate Regions18-2 Climate Regions Scientists classify Scientists classify

climates according climates according to 2 major factors:to 2 major factors:*temperature*temperature*precipitation*precipitation

• There are 5 major There are 5 major climate regions: climate regions: tropical rainy, dry, tropical rainy, dry, temperate marine, temperate marine, temperate temperate continental, and continental, and polarpolar

Example of a Climate Example of a Climate Regions MapRegions Map

images.encarta.msn.com/.../maps/map/T373599A.gif

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Tropical Rainy ClimatesTropical Rainy Climates

TROPICAL RAINY CLIMATESTROPICAL RAINY CLIMATES*Tropical Wet*Tropical Wet

*Tropical Wet-and-Dry*Tropical Wet-and-Dry Tropical wetTropical wet climate has many rainy days with year- climate has many rainy days with year-

round heat and heavy rainfall. Found in equatorial round heat and heavy rainfall. Found in equatorial lowlandslowlands

*Rain forests*Rain forests often grow in this climate. often grow in this climate. Rain forests are forests in which plenty of rain falls Rain forests are forests in which plenty of rain falls year-roundyear-round

* * Windward side ofWindward side of Hawaiian island Kauai Hawaiian island Kauai is only area in United States is only area in United States

Background: http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/sevcik/tropical-rain-forest--destny-les-bali.jpg

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Tropical Rainy ClimatesTropical Rainy Climates

Tropical Wet-and-DryTropical Wet-and-Dry climates get climates get less rain than tropical wet climates less rain than tropical wet climates and have distinct dry and rainy and have distinct dry and rainy seasonsseasons

* * Has Has savannassavannas which are which are tropical grasslandstropical grasslands

*Southern tip of Florida is *Southern tip of Florida is exampleexample

Background photo from: www.micro.utexas.edu/.../SAVANNA/savanna.gif

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18-2 Climate Regions:Dry Climates

• DRY CLIMATES exist where the amount of precipitation is less than the amount of water that could evaporate

*Arid*Semiarid

• Arid regions, or deserts, get less than 25 centimeters of rain each year

* only specialized plants like cactus can survive

* Parts of Southern California and southwestern United States have arid climates

http://weathersavvy.com/desert2_OPT.jpg

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18-2 Climate Regions:Dry Climates

• Semiarid areas are usually located on the edges of deserts and often get enough rainfall for short grasses and low bushes to grow

* A steppe is a prairie or grassland found in the semiarid climate region

* The Great Plains of the United States are a semiarid region.

http://weathersavvy.com/desert2_OPT.jpg

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Temperate Marine ClimatesTemperate Marine Climates

TEMPERATE MARINE CLIMATESTEMPERATE MARINE CLIMATES are humid and have are humid and have mild winters and are located on the coasts of mild winters and are located on the coasts of continents in the temperate zonescontinents in the temperate zones

**Marine West CoastMarine West Coast *Mediterranean*Mediterranean

*Humid Subtropical*Humid Subtropical• Marine West CoastMarine West Coast is the coolest temperate marine is the coolest temperate marine

climateclimate* found on west coasts north of 40* found on west coasts north of 40° North and ° North and

south of 40° South south of 40° South *Humid ocean air brings cool, rainy summers and *Humid ocean air brings cool, rainy summers and

mild, rainy winters. Thick forests of tall trees are here.mild, rainy winters. Thick forests of tall trees are here.* Northwestern U.S. such as Washington state, * Northwestern U.S. such as Washington state,

Oregon, and northern CaliforniaOregon, and northern California

http://southhill.vsb.bc.ca/Departments/Humanities/Geogpraphy/Kyle/Notes/2_Atmosphere/Climographs/MarineWestCoastClimate/marine_forest.JPG

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Temperate Marine ClimatesTemperate Marine Climates

• Mediterranean Mediterranean is a coastal climate that is is a coastal climate that is drier and warmer than west coast marine. drier and warmer than west coast marine.

*Climate is mild with “two seasons”*Climate is mild with “two seasons”winter has cool, rainy weather, summer is winter has cool, rainy weather, summer is warmer with little rain.warmer with little rain.

*Grasses and dense shrubs and *Grasses and dense shrubs and small treessmall trees

*Southern coast of California*Southern coast of California

Background from- http://www.move-to-cyprus.com/images/About%203.jpg

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Temperate Marine ClimatesTemperate Marine Climates

• Humid Subtropical Humid Subtropical has the warmest has the warmest temperate marine climate, it is wet temperate marine climate, it is wet and warm but not constantly hot like and warm but not constantly hot like tropicstropics

* Summers are hot with more rain than * Summers are hot with more rain than in winterin winter

*Winters are cool to mild, with *Winters are cool to mild, with more rain than snowmore rain than snow

*Southeastern U.S.*Southeastern U.S.

99Image from- images.encarta.msn.com/.../maps/map/T373599A.gif

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Temperate Continental Temperate Continental

ClimatesClimates• TEMPERATE CONTINENTAL TEMPERATE CONTINENTAL

CLIMATESCLIMATES are found in Northern are found in Northern Hemisphere are not influenced much Hemisphere are not influenced much by oceans, they tend to have by oceans, they tend to have extremes of temperatureextremes of temperature

*Humid Continental*Humid Continental

*Subarctic*Subarctic

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Temperate Continental Temperate Continental

ClimatesClimates Humid Continental Humid Continental climates have constantly changing climates have constantly changing

weather due to shifting tropical and polar air massesweather due to shifting tropical and polar air masses

*moderate amounts of rain in summer with smaller *moderate amounts of rain in summer with smaller amounts of rain or snow in winteramounts of rain or snow in winter

*Northeastern and Midwest U.S. from New York to *Northeastern and Midwest U.S. from New York to Kansas and states to the northKansas and states to the north

• SubarcticSubarctic climates lie north of humid continental climates lie north of humid continental

* Short, cool summers and long, bitterly cold * Short, cool summers and long, bitterly cold winterswinters

* Climates of Russia, Canada, and * Climates of Russia, Canada, and Alaska Alaska

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Polar ClimatesPolar Climates

POLAR CLIMATE POLAR CLIMATE is the coldest climate is the coldest climate region, only in far north and south, near region, only in far north and south, near North and South polesNorth and South poles

*Ice Cap*Ice Cap*Tundra*Tundra

Ice Cap Ice Cap climates have average climates have average temperatures always below freezingtemperatures always below freezing

*covered in ice and snow*covered in ice and snow*Greenland and Antarctica*Greenland and Antarctica

Background from- http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photogallery/NWPilots-Transatlantic/Day2SouthGreenland-Icecap2.JPG

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18-2 Climate Regions:18-2 Climate Regions:Polar ClimatesPolar Climates

TundraTundra climates have short, cool summers with climates have short, cool summers with bitterly cold wintersbitterly cold winters

*Permafrost*Permafrost is permanently frozen soil, is permanently frozen soil, doesn’t allow water to drain well so it is wet and doesn’t allow water to drain well so it is wet and boggy in the summerboggy in the summer

*Northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia*Northern Alaska, Canada, and RussiaHIGHLANDS CLIMATE REGIONHIGHLANDS CLIMATE REGION are high areas are high areas

that are colder than the areas that surround themthat are colder than the areas that surround them**temperature falls as altitude increases, temperature falls as altitude increases,

climbing 1,000 meters up is like traveling 1,200 climbing 1,000 meters up is like traveling 1,200 kilometers northkilometers north

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/images/biosphere/vegetation/tundra_ice_mounds_Alaska_DDS21_LMC0007.jpg

http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Imgs/Jpg/Hood/Images/Hood85_mount_hood_and_lost_lake_ca1985_med.jpg