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

2. 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
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6. 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

7. Tropical humid climates (continued)Af
Closest to the equator
Smallest annual range of temperature
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

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

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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

11. 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

12. 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
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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

16. C Climate type (continued)
3rd letter
“a” hot summer
“b” warm summer
“c” cool summer
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17. 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
inches of rain per year
Csa, Csb Mediterranean
Along a coast, mild winter
Greece
Dry summer, semi-permanent subtropical high
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21. 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

22. 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

23. 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