Climates

Tropical climates

 - between the TRopic of Cancer and Capricorn
 - inclination of sunrays is at least once a year 90°

Equatorial wet

 - a lot of rain:annual amount of precipitation 2-3000mm

 - high moisture content of the air (75%)

 - mean annual temperature: 25-27°C

 - difference between the highest and the lowest monthly temperature is 2-3 °C

 - difference between the highest and the lowest temperature of the day is 10°C

 - flora: rainforest         fauna: snake, anakonda

Tropical wet-dry

2 seasons:

1., summer-wet

 - the ITCZ is above the area. This is why air rises, clouds and precipitation form

 - cooler by 1-3°C because of constant clouds

2., winter – dry

 - the ITCZ moves away from the area
 - no rising air, no clouds form, no precipitation

 - warmer because of less clouds

 - the dry season becomes longer if you move away from the Equator

 - the amount of precipitation decreases as well

Tropical steppe and desert

 - annual amount of precipitation: 150-200 mm

 - real deserts from if lands are big enough e.g.:Sahara

Tropical monsoon

Monsoon wind: one type of wind that changes in direction seasonly

ITCZ:-Inter Tropical Convergence Zone

 - changes its place because of the revolution of the Earth and the angle of the rotational axis (inlination of sunrays changes)

- in January it is under the Equator
 - in June it is above the Equator

Two seasons are: a wet and a dry one

Midlatitude climates

 - between the Tropic of Cancer and the polar circle and the Tropic of Capricorn and the polar circle

 - 4 seasons

 - most important winds of this region: Westerlies, descending part of trade winds, polar winds

 - mean annual temperature is 0-20 °C
Marine west coast climate, Moist continental, Dry continental, MIdlatitude desert, Mediterranean climate

Marine west coast

 - a lot of precipitation – 800-1500 mm

 - annual change in mean monthly temperatures: 7-8 °C

 - low amount of sunny hours

 - frequent fog

Weather is stable on yearly basis

 - on daily basis: unstable->weather changes quickly

 - flora: deciduaous forest: oak, maple, beech, willow, elm

Moist continental:

 - East of marine west coast climates

 - Eastern part of continents

• the amount of precipitation decreases if you move inwards the continents (W->E) 800-500 mm
• annual change in temperature becomes bigger as well 10°C->20°C
• precipitation falls int he beginning of summer, many fall as snow
• flora: decidious forest, grassland

Dry continental

 - annual change in temperature: 25-30°C

 - annual amount of precipitation: 300-500 mm – regularly distributed

 - Flora: temperate grassland, steppe(Asia), pampa (S-America), prairie ( N-America), veld ( S-Africa)

Midlatitude desert:

 - inner parts of continents

 - territories surrounded by mountains

extreme conditions:
 - daily change in temperature: 20-40°C

 - annual amount of precipitation: 100-200mm

-flora: plants with long taproots

Succulens – plants srtong water in different of theirs eg: cacti, aloe

Mediterranean climate

 - around the Mediterranean Sea

Summer:

- descending part of trade winds rule the area

- no precipitation

- hot, dry

Winter:

- trade winds reatreat, give way to the westerlies

- precipitation forms

- mild, wet

Flora: plants have to withstand drought shrub (aromatic shrub), sage, rozemary, oregano
maquis: indeciduous forest

High latitude climates

 - between the polar circle and the poles

 - under the influence of polar winds troughout the year

 - mean annual temperature alwasy below 0 °C

 - highest mean monthly temperature is not higher than 10 °C

Boreal forest climate

 - 2 seasons: winter: 9-10 months long: very cold
                     summer: short, cool

 - annual amount of precipitation is lower than 200 mm

 - low amount of evaporation, low inclination of sunrays, precipitation freeses to the ground

 - flora: mosses, dwarf shrubs

Polar climates

 - only one season: cold

 - days and nights change in longer period

polar areas have 6 months of day and 6 months of night

 - the lenght of days/nights becomes shorter in areas closer to the polar circle

 - mean annual temperature: -11-(-56°C)

 - mean temperature of  warmest mounth: below 0 °C

 - Annual amnount of precipitation: 200-400 mm monthly is from snow

-> low amount of evaporation ->snow accumulates->the ground is covered by several kms of ice