Weather and Climate Chapter 15

easily obtained data and unambiguous criteria

2 reasons why we use the Koppen classification system

severe winters, rapid changes in weather

2 typical characteristics of D climates

average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, seasonal distribution of precipitation

3 factors determined by the Koppen classification system that establish the boundary between dry and humid climates:

slope orientation, exposure, winds and orographic effects

4 factors that play a role in controlling the climate of highlands

A, C, D, E

4 of the five/six principal climate groups that are determined by temperature

Latitude, land and water, geographic position and prevailing winds, mountains and highlands, ocean currents, pressure and wind systems

6 controls of climate

Humid tropical

A classification

small, year-round

Af and Am climates exhibit constant __ temperature ranges and rainfall is most common when?

wet/dry climate, seasonal shift of wind patterns

Am and Aw climates are differ from the Af climate because they have what? why does this type of climate occur?

Dry/Arid

B classification

semiarid or steppe

BS climate

arid or desert

BW climate

Subtropical

C classification

Cfb

Marine west coast climate; mild winters, cool summers and ample rainfall throughout the year

Cfa

Nola's climate; most commonly found on the eastern sides of continents and dominate the southeastern US with considerable variation in the high level of precipitation

monsoon

The Aw designation is characterized by what weather phenomenon?

Aw

The savanna is a part of this climate classification; it is tropical wet and dry; more pronounced seasonal fluctuations in humidity and more persistent summertime cloudiness

Csa, Csb

Two types of mediterranean (dry-summer subtropical) climate; the first one is warmer (with higher annual temperature ranges) and the second is cooler (restricted to coastal areas);

dry climate

defined zone where yearly precipitation is less than the potential water loss by evaporation

Humid middle-latitude, severe winters

description of the subpolar (D) classification

Humid middle-latitude, mild winters

description of the subtropical (C) classification

30%

dry climates cover what percent of the Earth's surface, more than any other climate group?

dry rain shadow

due to the effect of orographic rainfall on the windward side of a mountain, what occurs on the leeward side?

greater, larger

greater or smaller seasonal fluctuations in temperature as you move poleward? resulting in a larger or smaller annual temperature range?

Dfa

humid continental climate; land controlled relatively severe winter and summer; central and Easter US

water

land or water has a higher heat-capacity and therefore heats and cools more slowly?

windward

moderating influence of water is much more pronounced along which side of a continent?

taiga

other name for Dfc, Dfd (subarctic) climate zone, dominated by a long and bitterly cold winter with little precipitation

humid

polar climates are classified as ____ with meager precipitation

warmer, winter

poleward-moving ocean currents cause air temperatures to be warmer or cooler than would be expected for their latitudes? it is especially pronounced in which season creating a stabilizing effect?

west coast

sub-tropical deserts that appear on which coast are affected by cold ocean currents and therefore reduced temperatures?

continental climates

tend to be more extreme with a greater range of annual temperature

Atacama Desert in Chile

the driest desert on Earth is named what and where is it located?

torrid, temperate, frigid

the first attempt at climate classification by the ancient Greeks divided the world into three zones:

winter

the highest temperature gradient in the US is in what season?

precipitation

the primary factor that distinguishes the Aw climate from Af and Am

fluctuations in the amount of solar radiation at Earth's surface

the single greatest cause of temperature differences

Koppen classification

the system we use now to classify climate

misleading yearly rainfall averagers

what is the most confusing part of the classification of B climates?

low-latitude deserts in the interiors of continents

area that has the greatest daily temperature ranges on Earth

highland climate

characterized by a great diversity of climatic conditions over small areas, most known by the decrease in temperature with higher altitudes

marine climates

considered relatively mild for their latitude because the moderating effect of water produces summers that are warm and winters that are cool

10%

wet tropics cover what percent of the Earth's surface?

orographic rainfall

what do mountains and highlands trigger?

tropical rain forests

what ecosystem is present in the Af climate?

daily

what is greater in the A climates: daily temperature variations or seasonal differences?

Subpolar

D classification

Polar

E classification

distribution of natural vegetation

What Koppen believed to be the best expression of overall climate

Aw

this is the climate where monsoons occur, characterized by alternating periods of rainfall and dryness

ET, EF

tundra climate, ice cap climate

B, H

two of the principal climate groups that are able to occur anywhere on the planet. The first is determined by precipitation and the second is determined by altitude

latitude

variations in the receipt of solar energy are largely a function of what?

h, k

warmer BW/BS climate, cooler BW/BS climate