21.2 World Climates Notes

The Koppen Climate Classification System

• Many classification systmes have been used to classify climates.
• Perhaps the best known and most commonly used system is this type.
• This system is often used because it classifies the world into climatic regions in a realistic way.

Humid Tropical Climates

• Humid tropical climates are climates without winters.
• Every month in such a climate has a mean temperature above 18 degress Celsius.
• There are two types of tropical climates -Wet tropical climater & - Dry tropical climates.

Wet Tropical Climates

• The tropical rain forests of Costa Rica are typical of a wet tropical climate.
• Wet tropical Climates have high temperatures and much annual precipitation.
• The intensity of the sun's rays in the tropics is consistently high

Tropical Wet and Dry Climates

• Bordering the wet tropics are climates classified as tropical wet and dry climates.
• Tropical Wet and dry climates have temperatures and total precipitations similar to those in the wet tropics, but experience distinct dry seasons
• Savannas, Which are tropical grasslands with drought resistant trees, are typical of tropical wt and dry climates.

Humid Mid-latitude Climates

• Humid mid-latitude climates fall into groups - Climates with mild winters & - Climates with sever winters
• Climates with mild winters have and average tmeperature in the coldest month that is below 18 defrees Clesius but above -3c.
• Climates with severe winters have an average tempertaure in the coldest month that is below -3c.

Humid Mid-latitude with severe winters.

• There are two types of humid mid-latitude climates with severe witners: the humid continental climates and the subarctic climates.
• Continental landmasses strongly influence both of these climates.
• As a result, both of these climates are absent from the Southern Hemisphere. There, oceans dominate the mid-latitude zone.

Dry Climates

• A dry climate is one in whcih the yearly precitation is not as great as the potential loss of water by evporation
• Evaporation, in turn, is heavily linked to the temperature of an area.
• There are two type of dry climates: -arid(desert)

Polar climates

• Polar climates are those in which the mean temperature of the warmest is below 10 degress Celsius.
• Polar winters are periods of perpetual night, or nearly so.
• During the summer, temperatures remain cool despite the long hours of daylight.
• Very little precipitation falls in polar regions.

Highland Climates

• Highland climates are localized.
• This means they are much different from climates in nearby surrounding areas.
• Conditions of highland climates often vary abruptly from one place to another.