Chapter 15-2 Climate regions What factors are used to classify climate? What are the five major climate regions

Classifying Climate Climate is Classified by two major factors. Temperature Precipitation Five main climate types Tropical rainy Dry Temperate Marine Temperate continental Polar

Tropical Rainy Climates Tropical types Wet dry Tropical Wet Many rainy days Lush vegetation Rain forests Tropical Dry Less rainfall Grass lands Savannah

Dry Climate Arid or semiarid Arid – Less than 25 cm of precipitation per year Cactus Yucca Southwest US Semi arid edge of deserts Grasses and low bushes Called a Steppe or prairie The Great Plains

Temperate Marine Climate Three Types Marine West Coast North of 40 Lat and South of 40 Lat Humid cool rainy summers and mild rainy winters. Produce large forests Mediterranean Drier and warmer than the west coast Dense shrubs and small trees In California olives grapes and oranges are grown in this zone Humid Sub-Tropical The warmest region Hot wet summers Cool Winters Houston, new Orleans Mixed forest of Pine, oak, ash, hickory

Temperate Continental Climate Two types Humid Continental North East US Mixed forest Warm humid summers Subartic Russia, Canada, Alaska Winters are long and cold Coniferous tres Large mammals

Polar Climate Two Zones Ice Cap Tundra Greenland and Antarctica Temperature below freezing Land is covered with ice Few low plants Tundra Alaska, Russia, Canada Short Cool Summer Bitterly cold winters Permafrost Mosquitoes Caribou Musk oxen Wolves

Highlands Lower temperature than surrounding areas Animals typical of the subarctic Moose, porcupines Few trees above timberline

Summary What two factors are used to classify climate? Temperature, and Precipitation What are five Major Climate zones Tropical-Hot rainy, dry- little precipitation, temperate marine- humid and mild, temperate continental- warm summers cold winters, Polar- cool summers cold winters