Climate Zones

• Climate zones


  Six major types of climates each with different characteristics and subtypes
• Vladimir Koppen


  German climatologist who developed a way of classifying climates based on precipitation, temperature, and vegetation
• Tropical climate


  • Very high temperatures
  • Large amounts of rainfall
  • Humid tropical rainforest climate
  • Many unique species of animals and vegetation
• Tropical wet and dry climate


  • Hot all year
  • Wet and dry seasons
  • Dry seasons occur due to continental tropical air masses
• Tropical climate


  • French Polynesia, Marquesas Islands
• Continental climate


  • Long, cold, snowy winters
  • Cold, short summers
  • Warm summers and cold, snowy winters
• Dry climate


  • Arid
  • Semi-arid
  • Deserts
• Arid climate


  • Very little rainfall
  • Located near the Equator
  • Cooler, drier air from high in the atmosphere sinks
  • High temperature causes quick evaporation
• Mild climate


  • Subtropical humid
  • Mediterranean
  • Marine West Coast
• Subtropical humid climate


  • Moist high-pressure systems in summer
  • Dry and cool in winter
• Mediterranean climate


  • Warm summers
  • Bordered by warmer water than ocean
• Marine West Coast climate


  • Milder climate
  • Cool winters
  • Warm summers
  • Narrower temperature range than continental climate
  • Large amounts of precipitation
• Marine West Coast climate


  • Ionian Islands, Greek Islands
• Polar climate


  • Constantly cold year-round
  • Average temperature less than 10°C
  • Plenty of snow but low precipitation
  • No sun for 6 months of the year
  • Low angle of sun during 6 months of sunlight
• Polar climate


  • Polar ice cap
• Higher elevations


  • Can have polar-like climates even near the Equator
  • Temperature decreases as altitude increases
• Microclimate


  Very small climate area inside a larger climate region
• Microclimate


  • Small mountain in the desert
  • Oasis in a desert
• Heat island


  Large cities can create their own microclimate due to absorption of asphalt, concrete, and heat from vehicles and buildings
• Heat islands make cities much warmer than the surrounding countryside and have a greater effect on elevations
• Climate graph


  Representation of data collected by climatologists, showing average monthly temperatures and/or rainfall
• Climate graph


  • Rectangular shape with arrow on right
  • Three horizontal lines stacked
  • Three dots stacked
• Climate graphs can be used to compare different types of climate or the same area's climate over different time periods