Class #36: Wednesday, April 8 Climate Types Past Climates Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

The 6 major climate groups A: Tropical moist B: Dry (can be subtropical or mid latitude) C: Moist with mild winters (mid latitude) D: Moist with severe winters (mid latitude) E: Polar (high latitude) H: Highland (rapid climate change with elevation) 2nd letter: usually latitude (except B) 3rd letter: differences in temperature Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Tropical Humid Climates: Af, Aw, Am All tropical (A) climates are humid Letter “f” means no dry season, rain year round, usually closest to the equator Letter “m” means “monsoonal”, with a short dry season and a very rainy season Letter “w” means “winter dry season” except no real winter in tropics, just cool Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Tropical humid climates (continued) Af Closest to the equator Smallest annual range of temperature 6.9-10 inches of rain per month Most thunderstorms in afternoon Linked to ITCZ Tropical rain forests Am Seasonal onshore winds during summer monsoon Climates with most yearly precipitation Jungle vegetation Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Tropical moist climates (continued) Aw Farthest A climate from the equator Often border Af Tropical wet and dry Wet summers, dry, cooler winters Linked to the seasonal migration of the ITCZ Vegetation is savannah or tropical grasslands with scattered deciduous trees, as in the grasslands of Africa. Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8 Dry (B) climates Potential evaporation minus precipitation <0 More land of this climate type than any other Lubbock has a B climate Descending branch of the Hadley circulation near the subtropical highs or Rain shadow of a mountain range Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8 Dry climate subtypes 2nd letter “S” for steppe or semi-arid (like Lubbock) “W” for true desert (extremely dry) 3rd letter “h” for low-latitude, hot (yearly average temperature >= 64ºF) “k” for mid latitude, cool (yearly average temperature <64ºF) Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Dry climate subtypes (continued) BWh Extremely dry and hot; can have large sand dunes; Sahara, Arabian peninsula, central Australia, most extreme B climate BSk Least extreme B climate; midlatitude steppe, often high plateau, Lubbock, Denver, San Diego; often rain shadow BSh Much of Mexico, lower latitude, subtropical steppe BWk Central Asia, very dry, midlatitude rain shadow, continental interior Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8 C Climate type All C are moist, plentiful precipitation All C are midlatitudes Average temperature of coolest month between 27ºF and 65ºF Have many subtypes; Chapter 14 concentrates on a few 2nd letter like A subtypes “f” no dry season “w” brief dry period in winter Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

C Climate type (continued) 3rd letter “a” hot summer “b” warm summer “c” cool summer Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8 C Climate subtypes Cfb, Cfc Marine west coast Northwest coast of US, Canada Often cool ocean currents Cfa, Cwa Humid subtropical Southeastern US 30-100 inches of rain per year Csa, Csb Mediterranean Along a coast, mild winter Greece Dry summer, semi-permanent subtropical high Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

D Climate type Severe (winter) Midlatitude Similar to C but severely cold winter Average temperature of coldest month <27ºF Snow on ground for extended periods Average temperature of warmest month >50ºF Overall, large change in temperature with season Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

Class #36: Wednesday, April 8 D climate subtypes 2nd letter “f” no dry season “w” winter dry season 3rd letter “a” hot summer “b” warm summer “c” cool summer “d” extremely severe winter Class #36: Wednesday, April 8

D Climate Subtypes (continued) Humid continental Dfa, Dfb, Dwa, Dwb Dfa, for example, Chicago Subarctic Dfc, Dfd, Dwc, Dwd Long winter Brief cool summer Class #36: Wednesday, April 8