Transcript 1334342434.

3-2: World
Climates
I. Major Climate Zones
 As
we discussed in our previous section
weather and climate are not
interchangeable terms.
 Climate
is the average weather
conditions over a long period of time.
I. Major Climate Zones
 Earth
is a complex mix of climates.
 Geographers
observing:
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identify these climate by
Temperature
Precipitation
Native plant life
I. Major Climate Zones
 With
these observations we can divide
Planet Earth into fiver basic climate zones:
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Tropical
Temperate
Polar
Dry
Highland/Mountain
I. Major Climate Zones
 Tropical
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Climates
Occur near the
equator and the
lower latitudes
I. Major Climates Zones
 Temperate
Climates
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Occur about
halfway between
the equator and
the poles in the
middle latitudes.
I. Major Climate Zones
 Polar
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Climates
Occur near the
poles
Higher latitudes
I. Major Climate Zones
 Dry
and Highland
Climates
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These can be
found in many
different latitudes.
I. Major Climate Zones
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World Climate Regions:
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Humid Tropical
Tropical Savanna
Desert
Steppe
Mediterranean
Humid Subtropical
Marine West Coast
Humid Continental
Subarctic
Tundra
Ice Cap
Highland
World Climate Regions
Humid Tropical
Tropical Savanna
World Climate Regions
Desert
Steppe
World Climate Regions
Mediterranean
Humid Subtropical
World Climate Regions
Marine West Coast
Humid Continental
World Climate Regions
Subarctic
Tundra
World Climate Regions
Ice Cap
Highland
II. Tropical and Dry Climates
 These
climates are some of the most
extreme on earth, because they include
the wettest driest, and hottest places on
earth.
A. Tropical Climates
 These
climates
extend from the
Tropic of Cancer
through the
Equator and down
to the Tropic of
Capricorn.
A. Tropical Climates
 Humid
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This climate tends to be warm, muggy, and
rainy year-round.
Temperatures average around 80°F
Rainfall averages between 70-450 inches
per year!!!
 This
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Tropical
is why it is known as the rainforest.
Monsoons- Seasonal winds that bring either
dry or moist air
A. Tropical Climates
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With its warm
temperatures and
heavy rainfall, this
climate is able to
support an amazing
amount of plants
and animals.
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Ex. Amazon River
Basin in South
America.
A. Tropical Climates
 Tropical
Savanna
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Moving north and south of the Equator, you
reach the savanna, which are areas of tall
grasses and scattered trees and shrubs.
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It tends to have a long, hot, dry season and
short periods of heavy rainfall.
Temperatures are often as high as 90°F, with
“cooler” winters.
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B. Dry Climates
B. Dry Climates
 Desert
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Climate
Earth’s hottest and driest climate!
Rainfall can be very scarce with desert
receiving less than 10 inches per year.
 Atacama
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Desert has averages less than 1 in.!!
Temperatures can be very extreme due to
the dry air and clear skies.
Temperatures can be as high as 130°F
during the day and drop into the 40s and
50s at night.
B. Dry Climates
 With
these
extremes in the
desert climates,
animals and plants
need to be hardy
and very adaptive.
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Cactus
Nocturnal Animals
B. Dry Climates
 Steppe
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This climate tends to have semidry
grasslands or prairies.
They often border most deserts
Tend to have short grasses, but will have
shrubs and trees that grow along streams.
III. Temperate Climates
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“Temperate” means moderate or mild.
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These climates tend to have all four seasons
with warm or hot summers and cool to cold
winters.
These climates are located between the
equator and the poles.
Air masses from the tropics and the poles
often meet here, which creates the variety.
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III. Temperate Climates
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Mediterranean
Named after the climate found in countries along
the Mediterranean Sea.
 Summers tend to be hot, dry, and sunny.
 Winters tend to be mild, but wet.
 Plant life can be found as shrubs, shorter trees,
and scattered larger trees.
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This climate can be found in California and
northern Africa.
III. Temperate Climates
 Humid
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This climate tends to occur along the east
coasts near the tropics.
 Ex.
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Subtropical
Florida
Warm, moist air blows in from the ocean.
Summers are hot and humid, while winter
and mild with some frost and snow.
Hurricanes are a real threat to this climate,
which can bring heavy rains, violent winds,
and high seas.
III. Temperate Climates
 This
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climates tends to have mixed forests.
Deciduous trees
 Lose
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their leaves each fall.
Coniferous trees
 Do
not shed their leaves and are green yearround.
III. Temperate Climates
 Marine
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West Coast
This climate occurs on the west coasts
where winds carry moisture from the
oceans.
These winds assist with keeping
temperatures mild all year long.
Winters tend to be foggy, cloudy, and
rainy, while summers can be warm and
sunny.
Plant Life: Dense evergreen forests
III. Temperate Climates
 Humid
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Continental
This climate has four distinct seasons.
Summers are short and hot.
Springs and falls are mild.
Winters are long, cold, and typically snowy.
Plant Life: Tall grasslands to both coniferous
and deciduous trees
Main areas in U.S.: Great Plains, Midwest
IV. Polar and Highland
Climates
 Subarctic
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This climate tends to be found the Northern
Hemisphere only, south of the Arctic
Ocean.
Winters are long and bitterly cold.
Summers are short and cool.
Temperatures are below freezing for more
than half the year.
Plant Life: Evergreen forests (Taiga)
IV. Polar and Highland
Climates
 Tundra
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Occur along the coastal areas along the
Arctic Ocean.
Winters are bitterly cold.
Temperature reach barely above freezing
during the short summers.
Rainfall is light.
Plant Life: Mosses, lichens, and small shrubs
IV. Polar and Highland
Climates
 Tundra
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Permafrost- permanently frozen layers of soil
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This frozen earth makes it hard for water to
be absorbed into the soil.
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In summer, this can create ponds and
marshes for many breeding animals.
IV. Polar and Highland
Climates
 Ice
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Cap
This may be the harshest climate on Earth’s
surface.
Temperatures can reach as low as -120°F or
colder.
 That
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is bone-chilling cold!!
Snow and ice remain year-round with little
new precipitation.
No vegetation.
IV. Polar and Highland
Climates
 Even
with this
extreme cold,
polar bears,
penguins, whales,
and seals are able
to survive quite well
in this frigid climate.
IV. Polar and Highland
Climates
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Highland
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This climate can be
several climates at
once.
It depends upon
elevation.
As you go up the
mountain,
temperatures drop
and plant life grows
more scarce.