Introduction to Climate

Climate Information All climates are the product of many factors, including: latitude, elevation, topography, distance from the ocean, and location on a continent. Climate has influenced the development of cultures and civilizations. People everywhere have adapted in various ways to the climates in which they live. The system for classifying Climates was developed by Wladimir Koppen in 1900. Koppen used average temperature and precipitation as important features of a climate. No climates are uniform and some contain microclimates. Most microclimates are caused by topographic features such as lakes, vegetation, mountains and cities. This climate information is tracked using climate graphs, which are calculated over a period of time.

5 Different Climate Regions There are five main climate groups. These groups are further divided into climate types. A. Tropical Climates 1) Wet (Rain forest) 2) Monsoon 3) Wet and Dry (Savanna) B. Dry Climates 1) Arid 2) Semiarid C. Mild or Temperate Climates 1) Mediterranean 2) Humid subtropical 3) Marine D. Continental Climates 1) Warm summer 2) Cool summer 3) Subarctic (Boreal) E. Polar Climates 1) Tundra 2) Ice cap

A. Tropical Climates 1) Tropical Wet (rain forest) Climate: Very consistent climate and has predictable weather Small seasonal variation and close to the Equator Averages around 1500mm of rainfall per year Average temperature around 25 degrees Celsius Examples: Hawaii; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Belem, Brazil 2) Tropical Monsoon Climate: A monsoon is a wind system which reverses direction every six months. Summer/Winter. Large seasonal variation. Average winter rainfall less than 250mm. Average summer rainfall over 3000mm. Examples: parts of Southwest Africa, Northern Brazil and Southwest India. Average annual temperature around 27 degrees Celsius 3) Wet and Dry Tropical Climate: A Savanna climate have distinct wet and dry seasons. Average annual temperature around 19 degrees Celsius Averages around 2500mm of rainfall per year Examples: Havanna, Cuba; Central India; and Africa’s Serengeti Plain

B. Dry Climates Dry Arid Climate: Average roughly 100-300mm of rainfall every year. Highest ever temperature recorded. Northern Libya reached 58 degrees Celsius. 2) Dry Semiarid Climate: Warm Summer, possible cold winter. There is another distinction in semiarid climates as they can be both hot and cold in temperature. Temperature changes can be up to 20 degrees Celsius depending on season. Example: Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Climate Graph – Medicine Hat, Alberta Dry Semiarid Climate

C. Mild Climates 1) Mediterranean Climate: Warm summer; short, mild and rainy winter. Western side of continents; maritime or coastal in location. Example: Vancouver, British Columbia 2) Humid Subtropical Climate: Summers hot and humid; severely cold winters Eastern side of continents. Subject to violent storms like hurricanes. Example: Prince Rupert 3) Marine Climate: Has a longer, cooler winter than the Mediterranean climate. Rain falls about two- thirds of winter days. Temperatures average about 5 degrees Celsius Example: Abbotsford, British Columbia

Climate Graph – Vancouver, British Columbia Mediterranean Climate

D. Continental Climates Areas with continental climates have colder winters, longer-lasting snow, and shorter growing seasons. They are the transition zones between mild and polar climates. Continental climates experience extreme seasonal changes. 1) Warm Summer Continental Climate: Wet summer seasons, similar to monsoon climates. Example: Philadelphia, USA 2) Cool Summer Continental Climate: Winters with low temperatures and snow. Cold winds, sweeping in from the Arctic, dominate the winter weather. Example: Toronto, Ontario 3) Subarctic or Boreal Continental Climate: experience very long, cold winters with little precipitation. Thunderstorms and tornadoes, among the most powerful forces in nature, form mostly in continental climates. Example: Red Deer, Alberta

Climate Graph – Toronto, Ontario Warm Summer Continental Climate

E. Polar Climates 1)Arctic Tundra Climate: Near the north and south poles Summers are short and cool, but plants and animals still live here. Temperatures can average as high as 10 degrees Celsius in July. Wildflowers dot the landscape, and flocks of birds return from their winter migrations to feed on insects and fish. Example: Iqaluit, Nunavut 2) Ice Cap Climates: Exist only in very close proximity to poles. Temperatures rarely rise above freezing. Almost no precipitation occurs.

Climate Graph – Iqaluit, Nunavut Arctic Tundra Climate

Canada’s Four Air Masses: Maritime Tropical (warm, moist) Maritime Polar (cool, moist) Continental Polar (cold, dry) Continental Tropical (warm, dry)