Chapter 13- Polar and highland climates temperature is key (again) cold due to limited solar radiation low angle of incidence of insolation Moisture is relatively scarce all the time except where oceans intercede Annual fluctuation is much greater than diurnal changes Earth - Sun relationships

Ice Pack extent changes with seasonal variation in insolation extent influenced by gyres Changes atmosphere/ ocean interactions when it is present especially moisture

Because the north pole is mostly ocean, climate classification schemes do not apply to the northern Pole Exception is Greenland and other small land masses; northern extents of major continents (e.g., northern Russia, North America) Would classify as as polar wet climate Antarctica is a different matter… Land is present although covered with ice

Polar Lows (Arctic hurricanes) much smaller than in the lower latitudes less severe wind speed than in lower latitudes Form along the margins of continents in open water Bergeron called these intense systems extra-tropical hurricanes called Arctic hurricanes by modern climatologists

A Polar Low pressure cell

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Much colder than arctic Antarctica Much colder than arctic Winter is colder due to less insolation Land rather than water Elevation is much higher Cold water ocean current

Arctic regions act as an energy sink i.e., more energy is lost than is gained

Fun stuff in Antarctica! Which way to the beach?!

Polar wet climates found in the Antarctic continent polar means its bitterly cold in winter; cold in summer never actually gets warmer than 40° F in summer Wetter in summer because in winter, air is cooler, and drier. What precip. does fall is primarily snow

Highland climates Regions at higher elevations above sea level Affects temperature Cools -7.7 °F per 1000 ft Influences moisture Cooler air holds less moisture Other factors relate to these two…

More cold weather fun in highlands

Highlands present some interesting micro and mesoscale climate conditions slope steepness and aspect are important influences the ability of sunlight to strike the surface and the angle at which it strikes it