1. Chapter 13- Polar and highland climates temperature is key (again)
cold due to limited solar radiation
low angle of incidence of insolation
Moisture is relatively scarce all the time
except where oceans intercede
Annual fluctuation is much greater than diurnal changes
Earth - Sun relationships

4. Ice Pack extent changes with seasonal variation in insolation
extent influenced by gyres
Changes atmosphere/ ocean interactions when it is present
especially moisture

5. Because the north pole is mostly ocean, climate classification schemes do not apply to the northern Pole
Exception is Greenland and other small land masses; northern extents of major continents (e.g., northern Russia, North America)
Would classify as as polar wet climate
Antarctica is a different matter…
Land is present although covered with ice

6. Polar Lows (Arctic hurricanes)
much smaller than in the lower latitudes
less severe wind speed than in lower latitudes
Form along the margins of continents in open water
Bergeron called these intense systems extra-tropical hurricanes
called Arctic hurricanes by modern climatologists

7. A Polar Low pressure cell

8. NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

9. Much colder than arctic
Antarctica
Much colder than arctic
Winter is colder due to less insolation
Land rather than water
Elevation is much higher
Cold water ocean current

10. Arctic regions act as an energy sink
i.e., more energy is lost than is gained

11. Fun stuff in Antarctica! Which way to the beach?!

12. Polar wet climates
found in the Antarctic continent
polar means its bitterly cold in winter; cold in summer
never actually gets warmer than 40° F in summer
Wetter in summer because in winter, air is cooler, and drier.
What precip. does fall is primarily snow

14. Highland climates
Regions at higher elevations above sea level
Affects temperature
Cools -7.7 °F per 1000 ft
Influences moisture
Cooler air holds less moisture
Other factors relate to these two…

15. More cold weather fun in highlands

16. Highlands present some interesting micro and mesoscale climate conditions
slope steepness and aspect are important
influences the ability of sunlight to strike the surface and the angle at which it strikes it