World Geography Chapter 3 Outline and Notes

Section 2 Climate Factors Affecting Climate Wind Currents Distribute the sun’s heat from one part of the world to another Convection – Hot air rises and cooler air masses move in underneath Winds blow straight but since the earth is rotating they appear to be bending

Climate Ocean Currents Rivers flowing through the ocean Warm water flows away from the equator and cold water flows back towards the equator Affect temperature of an area and also the amount of precipitation received

Climate Zones of Latitude Elevation Topography Tropical, Temperate, Polar Elevation Topography Affects weather patterns

Defining a Climate Region Two significant factors in defining a climate region Temperature Precipitation Tropical Tropical Wet Little variation in temperature – always hot, average temp. 80*F Rainfall is around 80 inches a year, raining almost daily Tropical Wet and Dry Has a rainy season in the summer and a dry season in the winter Cooler in the dry season and warmer in the wet season

Types of Climates Deserts Semiarid Desert Receives about 16 inches of precipitation per year Summers are hot and winters are mild to cold Desert Less than 10 inches of precipitation per year Hot during the day and cold at night

Types of Climates Mid-Latitudes Mediterranean Marine West Coast Summers are dry and hot, and its winters cool and rainy Marine West Coast Located close to the ocean, warm Cloudy, Foggy and Damp Humid Subtropical Summer heat and humidity Found on the east coast of continents (subject to hurricanes late summer) Humid Continental Arctic air masses and tropical air masses frequently collide Usually toward the middle of these mid-latitude continents

Types of Climates Polar Climate Regions Subarctic Tundra Ice Cap Evergreen forests cover the region Summers are short and cool, Winters are very cold Tundra Flat, treeless lands forming a ring around the Arctic Ocean Almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere Precipitation is less than 15 inches a year Permafrost – subsoil is constantly frozen Ice Cap Snow, Ice and permanently freezing temperatures characterize the region Highland Variable mountain climate region

Climate Region Map World Climate Regions