Download World Climate Patterns

Chapter 3 Section 3
WORLD CLIMATE
PATTERNS
Essential Question:
Why is Climate
important to life on
earth? How are
climates and biomes
organized?
Why it matters: Climate patterns vary
from region to region. However, factors
such as wind and air pressure can create
zones where a climate becomes quite
dramatic. For example, most of Australia
has a dry climate, but when trade winds
meet during the summer months,
Australia’s northern coast sees intense
thunderstorms.
Four climate zones:
Tropical
Dry
Mid-latitude
High-latitude
 Each Climate zone is associated
with different types of
 Biomes: ecological community defined
by distinctive plant and animal groups.
Tropical climates are found in or near
the low latitudes.
Biome= Tropical Rain forest
Temp= Warm to Hot
Rainfall= 50-260 inches
Vast amounts of food/wildlife
Dry climates are in the low and mid
latitudes.
Biomes= desert and steppe
 Temp=Warm summers/cold winters
Rainfall= Steppe: 10-30 Desert= >10
in
Very little wildlife/vegetation
Midlatitude climates have
variable weather patterns.
4 types: Marine West Coast,
Sub Tropical, Mediterranean,
humid-continental
 Biomes= many different (pg. 70)
 Temp= a little of everything
 Rainfall=Moderate
High-latitude
 Biomes=Tundra/Tiaga
 Temp=cold/below freezing
 Rainfall=mostly snow
 Very little vegetation due to PERMAFROST
Climate change: major changes in the
climate over an extended period of
time.
Indicators include:
Rising global temperatures
Severe weather changes
Heat waves
Severe weather events