Climate, Regional Climates Flashcards
Climate
The charcateristic atmospheric conditions of a region over an extended period of time (years to decades)
What three characteristics comprise climate?
Temperature, precipitation, and pressure
What is a climograph?
A graph depicting a region’s yearly temperatures and levels of percipitation on two y-axes
What two factors influence regional temperatures, and how?
Latitude: Determines incoming solar radiation
Topographical location: Places closer to the ocean/coast have less variation
What are the four temperature regimes?
- Equatorial
- Tropical Continental
- Tropical Coastal
- Midlatitude Coastal and Subantarctic Continental
What are the charcateristics of the Equatorial temperature regime?
Warm throughout the entire year because of minimal insolation variability
What are the charcateristics of the Tropical Continental temperature regime?
Greater seasoanlity due to insolation changes and reduced coastal influences
What are the charcateristics of the Tropical Coastal temperature regime?
Similar patterns to Tropical Continental but with less seasonality due to its coastal location
What are the charcateristics of the Midlatitude coastal and Subantarctic Continental temperature regime?
Declining temperature and increased seasonality nearer to the poles. Has singnificant maritime impacts
What three factors influence regional percepitation?
- Air temperature
- Wind direction/origin
- Orography (particularly mountains)
How does air temperature influence regional percipitation?
Warmer air holds more moisture than cold air (Equator is more moist than the poles)
How does wind direction/origin influence regional percipitation?
If wind is coming from the ocean, it will provide moisture to the environment
How does orography (emphasis on mountains) influene regional percipitation?
If wind encounters a high altitude obstacle like a mountain, air is directed upwards which causes precipitation (orographic rainfall)
What are the seven percipitation regimes (Equator → Asia → South America → North America?
- Wet Equatorial Zone
- Asiatic Monsoon
- Midlatitude Zone
- Tropical Wet-dry
- Tropical Desert
- Westerlies/Subtropical High
- Westerlies
What are the three characteristics of the Wet Equatorial Zone?
- Equatorial trough
- High pressure throughout the year
- Low seasonality