Geography E2
in what ways is altitude important in determining a highland climate than latitude?
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What information is conveyed in a climograph?
A climograph is a dual-purpose graph, showing two different kinds of information: Precipitation: A bar graph showing how much precipitation a given place receives during a period of time. Temperature: A line graph shows the temperature conditions for the same place during the same period of time.
Why do Cs (mediterranean) climates have dry summers and wet winters?
Mediterranean climates (Cs) receive rain primarily during winter season from the mid-latitude cyclone. Extreme summer aridity is caused by the sinking air of the subtropical highs and may exist for up to 5 months. Locations in North America are from Portland, Oregon to all of California.
What is meant by the phrase "continentality is a key notes in D climates"?
The phrase "conventionality is a keynote in Micro thermal climates" means the distance to the ocean.
What causes the relatively mild temperatures of marine west coast climates?
The relatively mild temperatures of marine west coast climates is caused by the westerly winds.
Why do subarctic (Dfc) climates have such a wide annual temperature range?
the intensity of the light is low ( because of the small level of incidence)
In the Koppen Climate Classification letter code system, what information is given by the first letter, the second letter, and the third letter?
1. First letter indicated the climate group 2. The second letter indicates the precipitation pattern (for example, w indicates dry winters, s indicates dry summers, and f means significant precipitation in all seasons.) 3. The third letter indicates the degree of summer heat and/or temperature — Example: 'a' indicates warmest month average temperature above 22 °C (72 °F) with at least four months averaging above 10 °C, 'b' indicates warmest month averaging below 22 °C, but with at least four months averaging above 10 °C, while 'c' means three or fewer months with mean temperatures above 10 °C.
Describe the general location, temperature characteristics, precipitation characteristics, and main controls of the following climates. You should be able to recognize these climates from a climograph: Af Tropical Wet Aw Tropical Savanna Am Tropical Monsoon
AF Tropical wet-Tropical rainforest climate (Af):All 12 months have average precipitation of at least 60 mm (2.4 in). These climates usually occur within 5-10° latitude of the equator. In some eastern-coast areas, they may extend to as much as 25° away from the equator. This climate is dominated by the doldrums low pressure system all year round, so has no natural seasons. Aw Tropical savanna- Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate (Aw):These climates have a pronounced dry season, with the driest month having precipitation less than 60 mm and also less than 1/25 the total annual precipitation. Examples: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia Caracas, Venezuela Am Tropical Monsoon- Tropical monsoon climate (Am): This type of climate, most common in South America, results from the monsoon winds which change direction according to the seasons. This climate has a driest month (which nearly always occurs at or soon after the "winter" solstice for that side of the equator) with rainfall less than 60 mm, but more than 1/25 the total annual precipitation. Examples: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Why do Af (tropical wet) climates receive rain all year, whereas Aw (tropical savanna) climates receive rain only in the summer (the high-Sun season)?
Because the distinctive characteristic of the Aw climate is it's clear-cut seasonal alternation of wet and dry periods. During the low-Sun season (winter), all wind and air-pressure systems shift toward the opposite hemisphere so that savanna regions are dominated by subtropical high-pressure conditions. In summer, the systems shift in the opposite direction, bringing the ITCZ and its wet tropical weather patterns into the Aw region. As for 'Af ', the average daily temperature range exceeds the average annual temperature range. Also, Convective lifting causes a lot of precipitation.
why are polar climates so dry?
Being farthest from the equator, the polar climates receive too little insolation for any significant warming. The air is too dry and too stable for precipitation
Describe the general location, temperature characteristics, precipitation characteristics, and main conrtols for: BWh - Subtropical desert BWk - midlatitude desert
Bwh-Centered at latitudes 25-30 degrees on western sides of continents, extending into interiors; most extensive in northen Africa and southwestern asia. Very hot summers, relatively mild winters. The distinctive climatic characteristic of deserts is lack of moisture: scare, unreliable, intense. BWk- BWk climates occur primarily in the deep interior of continents, where they are either far removed geographically or blocked from oceanic influence by mountain ranges. The principal climatic differences between midlatitude and subtropical deserts are in temperature, especially winter temperature, with BWk regions having severely cold winters.
Describe the general location, temperature characteristics, precipitation characteristics, and main conrtols for: Cs - Mediterranean Cfa - Humid Subtropical Cfb - Marine west coast
Cs-Mediterranean climates are found on the western side of continents. Cs climates have three distinctive characteristics: 1. the modest annual precipitation falls in winter, summers being virtually rainless. 2. Winter temperatures are unusually mild for the midlatitudes, and summers vary from hot to warm. 3. Clear skies and abundant sunshine are typical especially in summer. Cfa- Humid Subtropical-Humid subtropical climates are found on the eastern side of continents at about the same latitude as Csa. It covers more extensive area both latitudinally and longitudinally. The humid subtropical climates differ from mediterranean climates: 1. Higher humididty in summer, higher temperatures. 2. Precipitation in humid subtropical regions tends to have a summer maximum 3. Winters are colder Cfb-Marine West Cost Climate (Cfb) Marine west coast climates are situated on the western side of continents between about 40 and 65 degrees; Cfb marine climates are found on the western coasts of continents. They have a humid climate with short dry summer. Heavy precipitation occurs during the mild winters because of the continuous presence of mid-latitude cyclones.
Describe the general location, temperature characteristics, precipitation characteristics, and main conrtols for: Dfa - Humid continental Dfc - subartic
Dfa- The latitudinal range of humid continental climate in North America and Asia is between 35 and 55 degrees. Variability, then, both seasonal and daily, s a prominent characteristic. Dfc-The subarctic climate occupies the higher midlatitudes generally between 50 and 70 degrees. Annual temperature ranges in this climate are the largest in the world. Summer is short, and winter is dominant. Low temperatures allow for little moisture in the air.
Briefly describe the major climate groups of the modified Koppen climate classification system A,B,C,D,E, and H.
GROUP A: Tropical Humid climates/megathermal climates Tropical climates are characterized by constant high temperatures (at sea level and low elevations) — all 12 months of the year have average temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F) or higher. GROUP B: Dry Climates (arid and semiarid) These climates are characterized by actual precipitation less than a threshold value set equal to the potential evapotranspiration. GROUP C: Mild Midlatitude Climates /mesothermal climates These climates have an average temperature above 10 °C (50 °F) in their warmest months (April to September in northern hemisphere), and a coldest month average between −3 and 18 °C. GROUP D: Severe Midlatitude climates/microthermal climates; HUMID. These climates have an average temperature above 10 °C (50 °F) in their warmest months, and a coldest month average below −3 °C (or 0 °C in some versions, as noted previously) GROUP E: Polar and alpine climates These climates are characterized by average temperatures below 10 °C in all 12 months of the year: Group H: Highland climates Highland climates, in which altitude plays a role in determining climate classification.
Explain the basic concept of the Koppen Climate Classification System
It was introduced by Wilmer Koppen; It is a system for classifying climates; The Köppen climate classification scheme divides climates into five main groups, each having several types and subtypes. Each particular climate type is represented by a two- to four-letter symbol.
What is the general difference between a desert climate and a steppe climate?
The main difference between a steppe and a desert is the annual mean temperatures and amounts of precipitation. If a steppe rained a little less, it could be classified as a desert, but if it rained a little more, it would be considered a prairie.