Climates

What is a Climate? A generalization of the typical weather experienced in a specific area, region, or location Classified by temperature and precipitation

Tropical Wet Climate Average temperatures in the low 80s Mostly sunny with afternoon rain storms More than 80 inches of rainfall each year Includes rainforests Hawaii, Pacific Islands, Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia

Tropical Wet/Dry Climate Rainy summers, dry winters Monsoons Less rainfall than Tropical Wet Central and South America, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia

Semi Arid Climate Around 16 inches of rainfall annually Hot summers; mild to cold winters Grasslands/Scrub forests Sahel/ Serengeti

Desert Climate Less than 10 inches of rainfall per year Hot Deserts Low humidity/high temperatures Chilly @ night (dry air cannot hold heat) Cool Deserts Victims of Rain shadows Mostly Northern hemisphere Summers are warm/hot; winters are cool to below freezing temps

Ice Caps (Polar Deserts) Ice / Permanently freezing temperatures Rare precipitation Antarctica Coldest temp on record: -128.6°F @ Vostock (Russian science station) 1983

Mediterranean Climate Surrounds Mediterranean Sea, parts of the USA and Australia Hot, dry summers; cool, rainy winters Rich Agriculture Dense populations

Marine West Coast Western USA/Canada, most of Europe Close to the Ocean Foggy / damp Evenly distributed precipitation year round Smog near industrial areas Acid rain

Humid Subtropical Climate Long Summers High heat / humidity Often found on the eastern coast of continents Suffer from hurricanes in late summer / fall Winters are mild to cool Can have temperatures below freezing Climate great for crops Rice, grains

Humid Continental Mid-latitude zones of northern hemisphere Arctic air masses collides with tropical air masses Creates changing weather patterns Truly experience all four seasons

Subarctic Climate Evergreen taiga Canada, Russia, Scandinavia Huge temperature variations between summer / winter Summers are short, cool Winters are long and very cold Freezing temperatures 5-8 months of the year

Tundra Flat, treeless ring around the Arctic ocean Less than 15 inches of rain annually Permafrost Permanently frozen subsoil Summer temperatures MIGHT reach 40°F

Highland Climate Temperature / weather varies with elevation, latitude, and location Rugged mountain areas Andes / Rocky Mountains, Tibetan Plateau Precipitation depends on slope-direction Differences between North/South facing slopes Winds carrying moisture or not -- rain shadow