Chapter 9

Midlatitude Desert (BWk)

Temperature: Cold winters; generally cooler temperatures than subtropical deserts; greater annual temperature range than subtropical deserts Precipitation: Minimal and erratic; most occurs during the summer

Tropical humid, dry/arid-semiarid, mild midlatitude, severe midlatitude, polar, and highland

What are the six climate groups in the Koppen Climate Classification System?

Tropical Rainforest

Which climate type has the greatest biodiversity?

Tropical humid (A)

Climate group found in regions within 5-10 degrees latitude of the equator; winterless climate with little temperature change throughout the year, consistently high temperatures and prevalent precipitation influenced by the ICTZ

Dry/Arid-Semiarid (B)

Climate group that covers a greater portion of earth's surface than any other type; found in areas that lack sufficient lifting of air to generate condensation and precipitation; associated with subtropical highs and are generally sunny

Highland (H)

Climate group that only occurs at elevations greater than 10000 feet in many mountainous areas; the effect of altitude is more significant than latitude; experiences high daily temperature variations due to the thin, dry air; mimics the effect of an increase of latitude (going toward the poles) since air temperature decreases as one rises higher in the troposphere

Severe Midlatitude (D)

Climate group that only occurs in the northern hemisphere since there is insufficient land mass in the southern hemisphere for this type of climate to exist; known for large variations in temperature throughout the year that result from their remoteness from oceanic influence; summers tend to be short and warm to cool while winters are long, cold, and often snowy

Mild Midlatitude (C)

Climate group that represents a transition from warmer tropical climates to colder severe midlatitude climates; characterized by hot summers and mild winters with highly variable precipitation

Polar (E)

Climate group with year-round cold that receives very little insolation as a result of very high latitude; the highest average monthly temperature does not exceed 50 degrees, and it tends to be extremely dry but not as dry as dry climates (B); year-round ice and snow cover

Six

How many groups are in the Koppen Climate Classification System?

Tropical savanna

In which climate would you find classic safari wildlife - large predators and grazing animals?

Subarctic

In which climate would you find boreal forests of spruce, fir, and larch but no agriculture and little permanent human occupation?

Humid Continental

In which climate would you find deciduous forests of oak, maple, beech, and ash as well as some conifers mixed with deciduous trees?

Highland

In which climate would you find distinctive zones with specific climate types and vegetation communities?

Mediterranean

In which climate would you find hard-leaved plants adapted to summer droughts; tough, leathery, shiny foliage; and low scrubby chaparral bushes?

Humid Subtropical

In which climate would you find lush vegetation such as broadleaf deciduous forests and pine forests as well as a long growing season suited for agriculture?

Great Basin of western USA and Gobi Desert in Central Asia

Location of Midlatitude Desert Climates (BWk) (2)

Sahel of West Africa

Location of Subtropical Steppe (BSh) (1)

East Africa

Location of Tropical Savanna (Aw) (1)

Northeast and Great Lakes Regions, western/central Europe

Locations of Humid Continental Climates (2)

Southeastern US, eastern China, and southern Japan

Locations of Humid Subtropical Climate (3)

Pacific Northwest, British Isles, northwest Europe, and New Zealand

Locations of Marine West Coast Climates (Cfb, Cfc) (4)

Areas adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, southern/central California, southernmost Africa, and southern Australia

Locations of Mediterranean Climates (Csa) (4)

Sahara Desert and Sonoran Desert

Locations of Subtropical Desert (BWh) (2)

India, coastal West Africa, and southeast Asia

Locations of Tropical Monsoon Climate (Am) (3)

Amazon River Basin and central Africa

Locations of Tropical Rainforest Climate (Af) (2)

b

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes a cool climate

a

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes a hot climate

m

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes a monsoon pattern of extremely heavy summer precipitation and very dry winters

c

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes cold summer periods

s

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes summer drought

t

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes that an area is wet year-round

w

Lowercase letter in the Koppen Climate Classification System that denotes winter drought

Biomes

Major vegetation communities that often correspond to climate groups

Subarctic (Dfc, Dfd, Dwc, Dwd)

Temperature: Cool, short summers; some days can be hot from high sun angles; long, severely cold winters; largest temperature range of any climate type Precipitation: Limited precipitation (about 20 in/yr) because the cool/cold air holds little moisture

Subtropical Steppe (BSh)

Temperature: Cooler temperatures than subtropical deserts Precipitation: Greater precipitation than subtropical desert (transition area from desert to more humid climates); seasonal concentration during summer months

Tropical Monsoon (Am)

Temperature: Extensive cloud cover during the period of heavy summer rain reduces temperatures slightly compared to other tropical climates Precipitation: Short dry season (winter) followed by intense rainy season (summer)

Humid Continental (Dfa, Dfb)

Temperature: Four distinct seasons marked by great temperature changes; warm summers; not as hot or humid as Cfa, cool/cold winters; short-lived fall and spring Precipitation: Abundant snowfall in winter; moderate precipitation evenly distributed throughout the year (25-50 in)

Mediterranean (Csa)

Temperature: Hot summers, mild winters Precipitation: Drought common in the summer; rainy winters; about 15-30 inches of precipitation a year

Humid Subtropical (Cfa)

Temperature: Long, hot, humid summers; mild winters due to proximity to warm ocean waters and distance from cP air masses Precipitation: Abundant year-round; 40-100 inches a year; no dry season; maximum in the summer

Tropical Savanna (Aw)

Temperature: Summer temperatures consistently Precipitation: Abundant rain during the summer and little to no rain during winter; prone to winter drought or unpredictable weather conditions caused by the shifting ICTZ; smallest amount of rainfall of all tropical regions

Marine West Coast (Cfb, Cfc)

Temperature: Temperate due to prevailing onshore winds and air masses even though often found at higher latitudes; winters are less cold than inland areas at the same latitude; reduced daily temperature ranges Precipitation: Moist and rainy; continuous precipitation, clouds, and fog

Subtropical Desert (BWh)

Temperature: Very high with large daily temperature range Precipitation: Scarce, unreliable, short-lived, intense (less than 10 inches a year)

Tropical Rainforest (Af)

Temperature: yearlong summer, constant heat and humidity Precipitation: steady, year-round rain and storms associated with the ICTZ and daily afternoon rain

Koppen Climate Classification System

The climate system most widely used by physical geographers and climatologists today that classifies climates into six basic groups, each defined by a capital letter