Download climates - Red Hook Central Schools

Climate is defined as:
The average weather conditions of a
region or the weather patterns that
occur over many years.
1. Average annual
temperature
2. Temperature distribution
3. Mean Annual Precipitation
4. Distribution of precipitation
Throughout the year
(elevation)
(windward vs. leeward)
Mount Everest
Generally, the temperature
Elevation:
averages 3.5º F. colder
for every 1000 feet of
elevation
Latitude
Low latitudes have
a higher angle of the
sun’s rays
Higher
latitudes
have a lower
angle of the
sun’s rays
High latitude
Middle latitude
Low latitude
Simple latitude based climate scheme
All other factors
being equal,
which city would
have the
highest average
temperature?
(elevation)
(windward vs. leeward)
Topography
• Windward side of Mountains: cool, wet
• Leeward side of Mountains: warm, dry
windward
leeward
desert
Or 10ºC/km
Or 5ºC/km
Ocean Currents
• Currents coming from the equator make
for milder climates
• Currents coming from the poles make for
colder climates
Warm currents in red
Cold currents in blue
Reykjavik Iceland is almost
on the artic circle, yet in the
Winter is 2 degrees warmer
than New York City from
the warm Gulf Stream
The Galapagos Islands
are right on the equator,
yet penguins have been
seen here
A cold current brings
water here from
Antarctica
Prevailing Winds
• See ESRT for wind belts
• Warm rising air causes wet climates
• Cool sinking air causes dry climates
Sinking air = DRY (90)
Rising air = WET (60)
Cool sinking air =
DRY (30)
Horse Latitudes
Warm rising air =
WET (0) Doldrums
Cool sinking air =
DRY (30)
Horse Latitudes
Rising air = WET (60)
Sinking air = DRY( 90)
Distance from large body of water
• Near large body of water = milder climate
mild winters, cool summers
• Far from large body of water = extreme
climate
hot summers, cold winters
Ice cap
Tundra
True
Continental (taiga)
Highland
Marine
West coast
Humid
continental
Steppe
Humid
subtropical
Desert
North America Climates
Tropical Savanna
Places 10 to 20 degrees from the equator
Have alternating wet and dry seasons from The
shifting belts and are called Tropical Savanna
Desert, Egypt
(the Horse latitudes) it is dry most of the
year from the dry horse latitudes, also
known as the subtropical high.
Steppe climate
in Arizona
Steppes are usually located on the edges
of true deserts
Steppes or deserts may be located
on the leeward side of tall mountain
ranges
The southeastern U.S. including most of
Florida is called a humid subtropical
climate because it catches the wet polar
front in winter, and the summer storm
tracks as you saw in the previous
slide
Tobacco Plantation in South Carolina
Mediterranean
Summers are hot and dry, winters are wet and mild
San Diego, California
Humid Continental
Hudson
Valley
This is our climate, summers are hot and
humid, and
winters cold and snowy
Oceanic
At higher latitudes, and towards the center
of continents, the temperature range
between winter and summer becomes huge.
This is because land gets very hot during the high
sun period of summer, and very cold during the
low sun period of winter
This climate is called true continental or taiga
At higher latitudes, and towards the
center
of continents, the temperature range
between winter and summer becomes
huge.
True Continental
(taiga)
Moosonee Canada
Taiga climate
Alaska tundra
At higher latitudes, and towards the
center
of continents, the temperature range
between winter and summer becomes
huge.
At the polar regions, especially Greenland
and Antarctica, no months go above
freezing and snow and ice persist all year
round. These climates are called ice cap
Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Ice cap
In Quito, every month is 55 degrees F.
Which location on the map could this be?
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