Ch14: Climates

• Factors influencing global climates:

  • Latitude - how far north or south a location is from the equator. The closer to the equator the location is, the warmer. The further it is from the equator, the colder the location is.
  • Distance from the sea - as the sea takes longer to cool down and heat up, coastal areas, ex) Ireland, are warmer in the winter and colder in the summer than landlocked areas, ex) USA.
• Factors influencing local climates:

  • Aspect - the direction a sloped surface faces in relation to the Sun.
  • Altitude - the height of an area above sea level. The higher the altitude of a location, the colder it will be due to thinner (less dense) air. Temperature drops by 1 degree celsius for every 100m.
• Hot Climate; Savannah:

  • Located between 5 degrees to 15 degrees of latitude, both north and south of the equator
  • Has two seasons, a dry season and a wet season
  • Average temperature is 30c in the dry season and 20c in the wet
  • Annual precipitation is 75-150cm
• Temperate Climate; Cool Temperate Oceanic:

  • Located between 40 degrees and 60 degrees of latitude north and south of the equator
  • Has four seasons
  • Average temperature is 14-20c in the Summer, and 5-6c in the Winter
  • Annual precipitation is 70-200cm
• Cold Climate; Boreal:

  • Located in the Northern Hemisphere, between 55 degrees of latitude north of the equator and the Arctic Circle
  • Has two seasons
  • Average temperature is 15-20c in the Summer, and -15c in the Winter
  • Annual precipitation is 20-200cm, mostly of snow