1. The Environment Chapter 2 Landforms Latitude & Climate
South America
Middle America
Latitude & Climate
Climatic Factors
World Climate Zones – Latin America
Altitudinal Zonation

2. Landforms Andes – 100 million years Brazilian Highlands
Mt. Aconcagua (6,962 m) (Highest elev. in Americas)
Brazilian Highlands
300 million years
Mato Grosso Plateau
Paraná Plateau – Iguazu Falls (Paraná R.)
Sertão – São Francisco R.
Patagonian Plateau
Guiana Highlands
Tepuis – Mt. Roraima
Angel Falls – 979 m/3,212’ (Highest on Earth)
Lowlands
Amazon Basin – Amazon R.
Llanos – Orinoco R.
Gran Chaco
Pampa – Paraná R.
LLANOS
Angel Falls
Mt. Roraima
SERTÃO
GRAN CHACO
Iguazu Falls
PARANÁ PLATAEU

5. The Ring of Fire

6. Plate Tectonics

7. Subduction

8. Plate Tectonics in Central America

9. Middle America
MESA DEL NORTE
MESA CENTRAL
SIERRA MAESTRA

10. MESA CENTRAL

11. SIERRA MAESTRA
CENTRAL VOLCANIC AXIS

12. Latitude & Climate Northern Hemisphere Subtropical Belt Tropical Belt
Humid Tropics – year-round rainfall
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
Tropical Wet-and-Dry – wet season and dry season
Southern Hemisphere Subtropical Belt
Southern Hemisphere Temperate Mid-Latitude Belt
El Niño

13. T r o p i c s Latitudinal Belts Northern Hemisphere Sub-Tropical Belt
Tropic of Cancer – 23.5°N
Tropical Wet and Dry – rainy & dry seasons
Tropical Wet – rainy all year
T r o p i c s
Equator – 0°
Tropical Wet – rainy all year
Tropical Wet and Dry – rainy & dry seasons
Tropic of Capricorn – 23.5°S
Southern Hemisphere Sub-Tropical Belt
35°S
Southern Hemisphere Mid-Latitude Belt
Latitudinal Belts

14. Climatic Factors Latitude – Earth/sun relationship
Ocean currents/Gyres
Atmospheric pressure belts
Continentality
Aspect
Rain shadow
Prevailing Winds
World climate zones
Altitude – Life Zones

15. Ocean Currents - Gyres
Humboldt

16. Atmospheric Pressure Belts
Subtropical High
Equatorial Low (ITCZ)
Northern Tropics
Wet season:
May – October
Southern Tropics
Wet season
October – March
Wet season = “winter/invierno”
Dry season = “summer/verano”
Prevailing Winds
“Trade Winds”

17. Humid Tropical (Tropical Rainforest)
Tropical Wet & Dry (Tropical Savanna)
Steppe
Desert
Humid Subtropical/Maritime
Upland Wet & Dry (Temperate Savanna)
Mediterranean

19. Altitudinal Life Zones in Tropical Latin America
- Found in mountainous Middle and South America
Temperature decreases with altitude
Has a great impact of which crops can be grown where
(Puna & Páramo)