WORLD CLIMATE PATTERNS

1
WORLD CLIMATE PATTERNS

• CH. 3
• SECTION 3
• p. 52-57

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TROPICAL CLIMATES

• FOUND IN THE LOW LATITUDES (THE TROPICS)

3
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

• AT OR NEAR EQUATOR (DIRECT SUN)
• AVG. 80 F AND 80 INCHES OF RAIN
• THICK VEGETATION IN LAYERS (CANOPY)
• AMAZON IS THE LARGEST TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

4
TROPICAL SAVANNA

• FARTHER FROM EQUATOR THAN RAIN FOREST, BUT HAVE
  HIGH TEMP.S
• DRY WINTER, WET SUMMER
• COARSE GRASSES AND FEW TREES
• LION IS ACTUALLY KING OF THE SAVANNA

5
DRY CLIMATES
6
DESERT

• SPARSE PLANT LIFE SUCH AS SCRUBS AND CACTI
• LESS THAN 10 INCHES OF RAIN/YEAR
• OASIS- WATER IN A DESERT
• SOME FERTILE SOIL, SOME ROCKY, SOME SAND DUNES
• EXTREME TEMP. CHANGES
• COVER 1/5 OF EARTH- 1/3 OF AFRICA

7
STEPPE

• USUALLY BORDER DESERTS
• 10-20 INCHES OF RAIN PER YEAR
• VEGETATION- BUSHES, SHORT GRASSES, FEW TREES
• LARGEST STRETCHES FROM EASTERN EUROPE TO WESTERN
  AND CENTRAL ASIA

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MID-LATITUDE
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MARINE WEST COAST

• FOUND ALONG WEST COASTS BETWEEN LATITUDE 30 AND
  60
• OCEAN WIND PRODUCE COOL SUMMERS- MILD, DAMP
  WINTERS
• HEAVY RAINS- EVERGREEN AND DECIDUOUS TREES ( LOSE
  LEAVES )
• MIXED FORESTS HAVE BOTH EVERGREEN AND DECIDUOUS

10
MEDITERRANEAN

• COASTAL LANDS AT LATITUDE 30-40
• NAMED FOR CLIMATE AROUND MEDITERRANEAN SEA
• MILD RAINY WINTERS- HOT, SUNNY SUMMERS
• VEGETATION IS CHAPARRAL- WOODY BUSHES AND SHORT
  TREES
• SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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HUMID SUBTROPICAL

• MID-LAT. ON S.E. OF CONTINENTS
• WIND AND HIGH PRESSURE FROM OCEANS CAUSE HIGH
  HUMIDITY
• RAINFALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR- THUNDERSTORMS IN
  SUMMER
• SHORT MILD WINTERS
• HOT, HUMID SUMMERS
• GRASSLANDS (PRAIRIE) FORESTS

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HUMID CONTINENTAL

• NORTHERN
  HEMISPERE ONLY
• INLAND ON LARGE LANDMASSES
• LITTLE INFLUENCE BY WIND, OCEAN TEMP., OR
  PRECIPITATION
• LONG, COLD WINTERS
• SHORT, COOL SUMMERS
• MIXED FOREST VEGETATION

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HIGH LATITUDE
PERMAFROST- FROZEN SUBSOIL
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SUBARCTIC

• NEEDLE-LEAVED EVERGREEN TREES
• TAIGA- RUSSIAN WORD FOR FOREST, SOMETIMES USED
  INSTEAD OF SUBARCTIC
• BITTERLY COLD WINTERS
• SHORT, COOL SUMMERS
• GREATEST RANGE OF TEMP. ( 120 F )

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TUNDRA

• BITTERLY COLD WINTERS
• SHORT SUMMERS WITH CONSTANT LIGHT BUT LITTLE HEAT
• THIN LAYER OF SOIL ABOVE PERMAFROST
• TREELESS PLAIN OF MOSSES, BUSHES, SHORT GRASSES,
  AND LICHENS

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ICE CAP

• ALMOST NO VEGETATION DUE TO AVERAGE TEMPERATURES
  BELOW FREEZING- ONLY PLANTS THAT CAN LIVE ON
  ROCKS (LICHENS)
• CONSTANTLY COVERED BY ICE AND SNOW (SOMETIMES 2-3
  MILES THICK)

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HIGHLAND

• CLIMATE AND VEGETATION VARY WITH ELEVATION
• HIGHER ALTITUDES MEAN LOWER TEMPERATURES AND LESS
  VEGETATION
• TIMBERLINE- ELEVATION ABOVE WHICH TREES CAN NOT
  GROW
• LACK OF OXYGEN

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CLIMATES CHANGE