Climate Zones Flashcards
Polar: polar or tundra zones
This climate is always cold, although some regions have chilly summers of above freezing temperatures. Little precipitation. Cold air holds moisture so evaporation is slow so the land become soggy and wet like marsh lands.
Temperate: Subpolar or subarctic
Characterized by long very cold winters and short cool summers. Precipitation is light to moderate. Because of low evaporation the flatter areas with poor drainage so they stay wet during the summer. Conifer trees cover parts of these regions.
Temperate: Humid/ Continental
Climate is characterized by wide extremes in temperature. Summers are mild but can get quite hot. Winters subject to severe cold periods. Moderate precipitation most of it falling during the warm summer.
Temperate: humid/ subtropical
Climate has warm summers and cool to cold winters. Subject to frequent cyclonic storms and highly variable weather. Rainfall is moderate.
Temperate: moist/coastal
Moderately wet and is characterized by frequent cloudiness and light rain. Summers are milder and winters are less severe than other places along the same laditudes
Temperate: Steepe
Dry climate with hot summers, can have very cold winters depending upon the latitude. Wide differences between day and evening temps. Often deprived of precipitation by adjacent mountain ranges. Found in large areas
Temperate: deserts
Very limited precipitation. Higher temperature altitudes, very cold winters can be experienced. Not necessarily sandy only 20%. Some tropical deserts. Can go many years without rain fall. They are deprived of rain by cooled ocean currents that cool the atmosphere, ringing the clouds before they can reach the land.
Temperature: Mediterranean
Very warm dry summers, with mild wet winters. West coast continents with Mediterranean climates are central and Southern California, southern coast of Australia, Cape Town region. These climates have moderate temperatures low humidity, plentiful sunshine and are generally very desirable places to live. Native trees and shrubs
Tropical zone: rainforest
Uniformly warm throughout the year. In the very humid rainforest climate precipitation is heavy. Other wet and Equatorial areas are the carribean coasts of Central America & the west coast of Africa. These are hot and wet environments creating lush vegitation.
Tropical: wet & dry savanna
Found in the tropics and are at times hotter than the rainforest. Rainfall is heavy only during the wet season. The savanna is dry.
Mountain climates
Can be found in any laditudes. Result of cold and cool temperatures in high altitudes. Wetter and wider than surrounding environments. Many are covered by snow and ice.
Polar: ice cap
Below freezing climate. Air is too cold to hold much moisture. The only precipitation is in for of light on the snow. Dryness- absence of plants also because plants can’t grow on the ice.
