Download Weather and climate

Section 3
CLIMATE AND
VEGETATION PATTERNS
Climates of the World
• Tropical Climate
– Tropical Humid
– Tropical Wet and Dry
• Dry Climate
– Arid
– Semiarid
Climates of the World
• Middle Latitude
–
–
–
–
Mediterranean
Humid Subtropical
Marine West Coast
Humid Continental
• High Latitude
– Subarctic
– Tundra
– Ice Cap
• Highland
Ecosystems
• All of the world’s climates support a variety of
ecosystems
• Ecosystems: Community of plants and
animals in an area
TROPICAL CLIMATES
Tropical Humid Climate – Where?
• Close to the equator
Tropical Humid Climate – Weather?
•
•
•
•
Warm and rainy year round
Almost daily thunderstorms
Heavy rainfall
Monsoons in some areas
Monsoons
• Strong wind system that completely reverses
direction during the year, causing a very wet
season and a very dry season
• Summer: Wet air flows from ocean onto land
 heavy rains on land result
• Winter: Dry air from land flows onto ocean 
dry period on land results
• Monsoons do not just refer to intense rainy
seasons!
Tropical Humid Climate – Vegetation?
• Tropical rain forest
• Most complex ecosystem in world 
thousands of types of plants and animals live
there
Tropical Wet and Dry Climate –
Where?
• North and south of the tropical humid
climates
Tropical Wet and Dry Climate –
Weather?
• Warm all year
• Distinct rainy and dry seasons (difference with
Tropical Humid Climates where rain all year
round)
Tropical Wet and Dry Climate –
Vegetation?
• Savannas = areas of tropical grasslands,
scattered trees, and shrubs
DRY CLIMATES
Arid Dry Climates – Where?
• 30° latitude north and south of the equator
(subtropical high pressure zones)
• Rain shadows
• Middle latitude deserts in deep interior of
continents
• West coasts of continents
Arid Dry Climates – Weather?
• Little rain
• Dry climates in the tropics: Sunny and hot
• Dry climates in the Middle latitudes: sunny
with great ranges in temperature
Arid Dry Climates – Vegetation?
• Very little because must be resistant to
droughts
Semiarid Climate – Where?
• In a transition zone between arid and more
humid climates
– Example: area bordering a desert
Semiarid Climate – Weather?
• Some precipitation (more than arid at least)
• Summer: hot with little rain
• Winter: cooler than summer but still very dry
Semiarid Climate – Vegetation?
• Where rainfall heavy enough  grass
MIDDLE LATITUDE CLIMATES
Mediterranean Climate –
Where and Weather?
• Location:
– Along southern coasts of Europe
– West coasts of continents with cool ocean
currents
• Weather:
– Summer: long, dry and sunny
– Winter: mild with some rain storms
Mediterranean Climate – Vegetation?
Short trees and
shrubs
Humid Subtropical Climate –
Where and Weather?
• Location:
– Eastern side of continents where there are warm
ocean currents
• Weather:
– Summer: hot and humid
– Winter: mild with occasional snow
– Coastal areas can be paths for hurricanes and
typhoons
Humid Subtropical Climate –
Vegetation?
• Deciduous forests = lose leaves during part of
the year
• Coniferous forests = leaves remain all year
Marine West Coast Climate –
Where, Weather and Vegetation?
• Location:
– West coasts of continents in upper middle latitudes
• Weather:
–
–
–
–
Strongly influenced by ocean
Mild temperatures all year round
Summer: warm and sunny with occasional storms
Winter: cool and rainy
• Vegetation:
– Where enough rain, dense coniferous forests
Humid Continental Climate –
Where, Weather and Vegetation?
• Location:
– Interiors and east coasts of upper middle latitude
continents
• Weather:
– 4 distinct seasons
– Summer: short and warm
– Winter: long and cold with snow
• Vegetation:
– Deciduous and coniferous forests
HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATES
Subarctic Climate –
Location, Weather, Vegetation?
• Location: high latitudes in the interior and
east coasts of continents
• Weather:
– Most extreme temperature fluctuation in the
world
– Little precipitation
– Summer: short and mild
– Winter: long and cold
• Vegetation: Evergreen forests
Tundra Climate: Location, Weather?
• Location: high latitudes on coasts of
continents
• Weather: same as Subarctic except colder in
the summer
Tundra Climate – Vegetation?
• Permafrost
– Soil below the surface stays frozen all year long
– Water from melting snow cannot seep into ground
resulting in swamps forming on surface
(“permafrost bogs”)
• Tundra vegetation
– Lichens, mosses, herbs
– No trees
– Can have flowers in summer
Ice Cap Climate –
Location, Weather, Vegetation?
• Location: polar regions
• Weather: snow and ice year round
• Vegetation:
– No plants
– But rich marine ecosystems
• Falling Glacier
Highland Climate –
Location and Weather?
• Location: highland mountain regions
• Weather:
– Climate changes as elevation changes
– Also affected by whether on windward or leeward
side
Highland Climate – Vegetation?
• Lower elevation: like vegetation in
surrounding areas
• Higher up in mountains:
– Temp and air pressure lower
– Starts to limit kinds of plants can grow
– Beyond certain point, trees cannot grow  called
the “tree line”
• Near summit (the top): little plant life
Summit – no
vegetation
Further up mountain
– vegetation less and
less; becomes more
arid
Base of mountain – flowers,
grass, trees
Latitudes and Climates
• Subarctic, Tundra, Ice Cap
– High latitudes
• Mediterranean, Humid Subtropical, Marine
West Coast, Humid Continental
– Middle Latitudes
• Tropical humid, tropical wet and dry
– Low latitudes
Climates in Various Latitudes
• Arid and semiarid climates
• Highland climates
• Why in various climates?
– Arid and semiarid climates are usually at 30° north
and south of the equator, but could be at other
latitudes too
– Highland climates can be found at any latitude
Examples of World Climates
in the USA
Tropical Climate
• Tropical Humid – Few places because no part
of the continental USA is located in the Tropics
– USA Example: Hawaii
• Tropical Wet and Dry – None
– Non-USA Example: India
Dry Climate
• Arid –
– Mojave Desert
• Semiarid –
– Parts of Colorado and New Mexico that are not in
the desert
Middle Latitude
• Mediterranean
– California (central)
• Humid Subtropical
– Georgia
• Marine West Coast
– Washington (state)
• Humid Continental
– Michigan
High Altitude
• Subarctic
• Tundra
• Ice Cap
•ALASKA
Highland Climate
• Rocky Mountains in Colorado