Physical Geography

Climate Characteristics Elements Temperature Precipitation Seasons (hot/cold, wet/dry) Latitude Winds – Distributes heat Elevation Water – Moderate temperature Ocean Currents

Latitude

Climate Regions Low Latitudes Tropical Wet – Rains a lot and is hot (Rainforest) Tropical Wet and Dry – Rains half the year and is hot (Savanna)

Climate Regions Middle Latitudes Mediterranean Humid Continental Humid Subtropical Marine West Coast

Climate Regions High Latitudes Subarctic (boreal forests such as Taiga) Tundra (cold grassland) Icecap

Climate Regions Other Arid (desert) Semiarid (dry grasslands such as steppe) Highland (located in mountains)

Vegetation Rainforest – Forest with broadleaf trees located in low latitudes (jungle) Savanna – Tropical grassland in Africa Steppe – Dry grassland near deserts (Sahara, Gobi) Middle Latitude Forest – Mixed forest with coniferous and deciduous trees Taiga – Coniferous forest located in Russia (boreal forest) Tundra – Cold grassland with permafrost

Rainforest

Savanna

Steppe

Mixed Forest

Taiga

Tundra

Weather Monsoons – Seasonal wind patterns in South and Southeast Asia that bring rain Typhoons – Tropical storms in Pacific Ocean Hurricanes – Tropical storms in Atlantic Ocean Tornadoes – Twisting funnel shaped storms in U.S.

Monsoons Positive – Brings rain so people can grow crops Negative – Rain causes flooding near rivers and areas with low elevation

Monsoons

Tornadoes

Climate Climate has an effect on: Crops Clothing Housing Natural Hazards

Crops

Clothing

Housing