Climatology Flashcards
What is the name for the latitudes 30 degrees north and south?
The horse latitudes
What is the name for the ITCZ latitude?
The doldrums
What is the name for the 40 and 50 degree latitudes?
Roaring forties
Furious fifties
Where do you find the tropical rain climate?
Between the equator and 20 degree latitude
Where do you find the dry climate?
Between 20 and 40 degrees latitude
Where do you find the mid latitude climate?
40 to 70 degrees latitude
Where do you find the sub arctic climate?
50 to 70 degrees latitude
Where do you find the snow climate?
70 to 90 degrees latitude
What are the characteristics of the tropical rain climate?
- Highest annual rainfall of any area on earth
- Where tropical rainforests are found
- 2 sub zones - rainforest (0-10 degrees) and savannah (10-20 degrees)
What are the characteristics of the tropical rain forest climate?
- 2 rainy seasons (March and September)
- Temps 25-30 degrees and high humidity
- Convective clouds and heavy rain
- Light surface winds (Doldrums)
What are the characteristics of the savannah climate?
- Equatorial rains in summer
- Dry trade wind conditions
- Average temp above 18 degrees
- Dry and wet seasons
What are the characteristics of the dry climate?
- Little cloud with little or no precipitation
- Huge diurnal temp range with frequent inversions
- 2 sub zones - desert and steppe
What is the difference between the desert and steppe climates?
- Desert has less rain, can go several years without precipitation
- Steppe has slightly more rainfall and produces low growing vegetation
What are the characteristics of the warm temperate zone?
Winter - generally mild and wet (colder inland)
Summer - hot and dry, high pressure systems over the Atlantic predominate
What are the characteristics of the cool temperate zone?
Winter - mild and wet
Summer - cool and dryer
Weather - westerly winds with frequent passage of frontal depression, interspersed with warm temporary anti-cyclones