WORLD WORLD CLIMATE CLIMATE REGIONSREGIONS

Low Latitudes (tropical regions)

Mid Latitudes (temperate regions)

Mid Latitudes (temperate regions)

High latitudes (polar regions)

High latitudes (polar regions)

Low Latitude Climate Low Latitude Climate RegionsRegions

TROPICAL TROPICAL WETWET

found in the found in the rain forestrain forestdaily raindaily rain

always hot always hot and humidand humid

little little variation in variation in temperaturetemperature

TROPICAL WET TROPICAL WET AND DRYAND DRYfound in found in

tropical regionstropical regionsseasonal rainsseasonal rainscooler in dry cooler in dry

seasonseasonhotter in wet hotter in wet

seasonseason

SEMIARIDSEMIARIDfound in thefound in theinterior of interior of continentscontinentsrains less rains less than 16” than 16” per yearper year

summers hotsummers hotwinters mild winters mild

to coldto cold

Mid-latitude climate Mid-latitude climate regionsregions

MEDITERRANEANMEDITERRANEANfound around thefound around the

Mediterranean Mediterranean andand

in other areasin other areassummers dry and summers dry and

hothotwinters cool and winters cool and

rainyrainy

MARINE WEST MARINE WEST COASTCOAST

found near found near the oceanthe ocean

in Europe andin Europe andNorth AmericaNorth America

moderate moderate temperaturestemperatures

rainy and rainy and foggyfoggy

throughout throughout the yearthe year

HUMID HUMID SUBTROPICALSUBTROPICALfound on the found on the east coastseast coasts

of continentsof continentssummers hot summers hot

and and humidhumid

winters mildwinters mildabundant abundant

rainrain

HUMID HUMID CONTINENTALCONTINENTALfound in the found in the

interiorsinteriorsof continentsof continentsmild to hot mild to hot summerssummers

cold winterscold winters20-40” of 20-40” of

yearly rainyearly rain

High Latitude Climate Regions

SUBARCTICSUBARCTICfound in the found in the high latitudeshigh latitudessummers are summers are

shortshortand cooland cool

winters are long winters are long

and very coldand very coldlittle little

precipitationprecipitation

TUNDRATUNDRAfound in found in

arcticarcticregionsregions

or in high or in high altitudesaltitudesvery cold very cold summerssummers

and wintersand winterspermafrostpermafrost

ICE CAPICE CAPfound on the found on the

North and North and South PolesSouth Polesbitter cold bitter cold

all yearall yearvery little very little

precipitationprecipitation

Other Climate RegionsOther Climate Regions

HIGHLANDSHIGHLANDSfound in highfound in high

elevationselevationsrainfall dependsrainfall dependsupon directionupon directionof slope faceof slope facetemperature temperature

variesvaries

DESERTDESERTfound in the found in the

mid-latitudes and mid-latitudes and the tropicsthe tropics

rains less thanrains less than10” per year10” per yeartemperaturestemperatures

can be hotcan be hotor coldor cold

Antarctica is classified as a Antarctica is classified as a desert. Why?desert. Why?

THE FOUR THE FOUR VEGETATIONVEGETATION

REGIONSREGIONSOR BIOMESOR BIOMES

1. FORESTS1. FORESTS

•RainforestsRainforests

•Deciduous forestsDeciduous forests

•Coniferous forestsConiferous forests

•Chaparral forestsChaparral forests

WHAT TYPES OF FORESTS ARE THESE?

2. GRASSLANDS2. GRASSLANDS

•TROPICAL GRASSLANDSTROPICAL GRASSLANDS

also called also called savannassavannas

•TEMPERATE GRASSLANDSTEMPERATE GRASSLANDS

also called also called steppessteppes

SAVANNASSAVANNAS

STEPPESSTEPPES

3. DESERTS3. DESERTS

4. TUNDRA4. TUNDRA

•Arctic tundraArctic tundra—found within the —found within the Arctic Circle where it is cold and Arctic Circle where it is cold and

drydry

•Alpine tundraAlpine tundra—found anywhere —found anywhere at high altitude where it is cold at high altitude where it is cold

and dryand dry