ClimateRegions (NXPowerLite)

7/31/2019 ClimateRegions (NXPowerLite)

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Climate Regions


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What is Climate?

Weather is the day-to-day changes inatmospheric conditions

Climate is long-term weather conditions

Temperature and precipitation are the mostimportant expressions of climate


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What aspects of the environment are

influenced by climate? Vegetation Animal life

Soils

Landforms

Water resources


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Ecosystems

What is an ecosystem?

An area of interaction between plants,animals,and their environment

Unique ecosystems evolve as a result of

differing climate conditions Climatology studies the climate regions that

have evolved in response to different moistureand temperature conditions


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Does Climate Repeat Itself?

Koppens Climate Region Map


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Can we make any generalizations?

Latitude Single most important factor-Why?

Maritime versus continental locations

Windward coasts have cooler summers and warmerwinters

Precipitation related to pressure andwind belts

High pressure dry, Converging winds - rainy

Mountains have different climates Mountains are cooler than lowlands


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Greeks Climate Regions

Frigid

Frigid

Temperate

Temperate

Torrid

Latitude


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Maritime and Continental Climates

Crescent City

Chicago

New York

Maritime climates areunder the influence ofwesterly winds

Continentalclimate

dominated bycontinentaltemperatures

Continental climates are

under the influence ofwinds from thecontinental interior

Cold CaliforniaCurrent bringscoolertemperatures to the

coast in summer


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Herbertsons Climate Regions


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Pressure and Wind Belts

Polar High

Polar Easterlies

Polar Front

Westerlies

SubtropicalHigh

N E TradeWinds

IntertropicalConvergence Zone

SE Trades

What is the climate of each of these pressure and wind belts?


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What happens to all these pressure

and wind belts?

They shift north and south with the overheadsun

Do they shift as far north and south as theTropics of Cancer and Capricorn?

No, about 5 N and 5 S


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Where in the World is it Raining Today ?

The worlds rainy places coincide with

global pressure and wind belts


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Three Major Rain Belts

The Northern Hemisphere Polar Front

Midlatitude Cyclonic Storms - low pressure

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

Trade winds converge along the equatorial low

Convectional lifting produces cumulus clouds

The Southern Hemisphere Polar Front

Midlatitude Cyclonic Storms - low pressure


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Animation Showing Monthly Rainfall


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Mean Annual Precipitation

STH STH

STH STHSTH


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Africas Climate Regions

Tropic of Cancer

Equator


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North America Climates


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Koppens Climate Classification

Most widely used map of climate regions

Empirical-quantitative approach that uses climatestatistics compiled over 30 years

Designed with plants in mind Each climate is defined according to set values of

mean monthly precipitation and mean monthytemperature


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Koppens Climate Regions


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Koppen Classification

(A) Tropical rainy climates

Every month over 64.4 F

(B)Dry climates

Evaporation exceeds precipitation


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Koppen Classification

(C) Mild, humid climates Coldest month below 64.4 F but above 26.6 F

(D) Snowy-forest climates

Coldest month below 26.6 F but warmest month over50F

(E) Polar climates

Warmest month below 50 F


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Why is the Bay Area rainy in

winter and dry in summer?

The jet stream and the Polar Front move intothe Bay Area in winter

The Subtropical High dominates our weatherin Summer


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Global Regions of Mediterranean and Marine

west-coast C climates.

Mediterranean Climate Zones: West coasts ~30-40 Latitude


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Global Regions of Moist Subtropical Climate

East coasts ~25-35

Latitude.


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East vs. West Coast Climates

Mediterranean Climate in

Monterey, CA

Moist subtropical climate in

Charleston, South Carolina.


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West Coast Precipitation

Dry all year

~20-30

Dry summer wet

winter ~30-40

Dry summer wet

winter ~30-40


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Reality Check

Most climates between thetropics of Cancer andCapricorn are:

Which major climate group isnot in the Southernhemisphere?

Which major group forms thecold summer climates of theArctic?

Which climates are dry?

What climate dominatesAustralia?

Does the U.S. have any A(tropical moist) climates?

Does the U.S. have a BWh (hotdesert)?

What major climate groupdominates Canada andRussia?

What climate makes up most ofWestern Europe?

What climate is not classifiedusing Koppen?


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Berkeley and San Jose Climographs

Annual rainfall 14.6 inchesAnnual rainfall 22.3 inches


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Review Questions

1. What do clouds need in addition to saturation?

2. Consider the topographic profile diagrammed below.

Cloud condensation nuclei

Ocean

Prevailing windsA

C

B

This would induce what type of lifting?

What is the process that causes condensation?

How would the amount of precipitation at A, B, and C

compare?


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What is the cause of the seasons?

Tilt of earths axis as it orbits the sun

Revolution

Parallelism

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ClimateRegions (NXPowerLite)