Microthermal and Polar Climates & Biomes

Question 1

What is the symbol for Microthermal climates?

Answer 1

(D)

Question 2

What are the characteristics of a Microthermal climate?

Answer 2

• colder winters
• greater temperature variation than Tropical or Mesothermal
• further away from large bodies of water = colder
• more polar latitudes = colder
• Divided from Mesothermal based on colder winters
• increasing seasonality

Question 3

What are the defining characteristics that divide up the Microthermal climates?

Answer 3

Precipitation:
f = no dry season
w = winter time dry
Temperature:
a = hot summer
b = warm summer
c = cool summer
d = really cold winter

Question 4

What are the 2 groups of of Microthermal climates?

Answer 4

• Humid continental (a,b) = warm, hot summer

- Subarctic (c,d) = cool summer, horrible winter

Question 5

Humid Continental Hot-Summer

Answer 5

(Dfa, Dwa)

• hot summer, averages dip below freezing in winter
• warmest of Micorthermal
• big temperature variation
• cold winters (really below freezing)

Question 6

Humid Continental Mild-Summer

Answer 6

(Dfb, Dwb)

• 22-90 frost free days in a year
• colder temperatures overall
• less precipitation than Dfa or Dwa but heavier snowfall
• summers not as hot, colder winters

Question 7

Subarctic Climates

Answer 7

(Dfc, Dwc)

• most extreme seasonable variability
• very short growing season but long days
• some areas have permafrost
• very few people live here
• average summer temperature is 60 degrees F
• January average is -20 degrees F

Question 8

Extreme Subarctic Cold Winter

Answer 8

(Dfd, Dwd)

• average summer temperature is 60 degrees F
• January average is -50 degrees F

Question 9

Describe the Microthermal Biome

Answer 9

• overlap with Mesothermal (Midlatitude Broadleaf and Mixed Forest, Midlatitude Grasslands)
• Needleaf Forests (Christmas tree forest)
• Northern Hemisphere or on tops of mountains

Question 10

Polar & Highlands Climate

Answer 10

-Antarctica = generally uninhabited
-no true warm season
-times where sun never rises or never sets
-low intensity insolation
-average temperature never above 50 degrees F
extremely low humidity
-intolerant to tree growth
-mostly Northern Hemisphere

Question 11

Tundra

Answer 11

(ET)

• 1 or more months of averages above freezing
• permafrost
• snow briefly melts

Question 12

Ice Cap

Answer 12

(EF)
-average temperatures always below freezing
-permanently covered in snow and ice
doesn’t snow often but the snow/ice stays permanently

Question 13

What is the Biome in Polar Climates?

Answer 13

Tundra Biome

Question 14

Describe a Tundra Biome

Answer 14

• no biome in Ice Cap (no life developing)
• Tundra Biome is in the Tundra
• no trees, just dwarf plants, moss, grass, etc.
• high latitude or altitude
• no deep root systems due to permafrost
• plants low to ground with shallow, spread-out roots