Climate &
Climate Regions
©2012, TESCCC
Weather v. Climate
►Climate: The average temperature and
precipitation in an area over a
long period of time.
►Weather: Current temperature & precipitation
in an area (Short period of time).
©2012, TESCCC
Terms to Know
►Low Latitude, Mid Latitude, High
Latitude
►Seasons, Solstice, Equinox
►Revolution, Rotation, Tilt
►Climate, Weather
►Greenhouse
►Vegetation: Coniferous, Deciduous,
Mixed Forest, Chaparral
©2012, TESCCC
Greenhouse Effect
►Natural way for Earth to retain its
warmth and for plants and animals to
survive.
►Global Climate Change –refers to the
change in climate due to actions by
man.
©2012, TESCCC
Important Lines of Latitude
Arctic Circle 66° N
Tropic of Cancer
23 1/2 °
N
Equator
0°
Tropic of
Capricorn 23 1/2 °
S
Antarctic Circle 66° S
©2012, TESCCC
Solstice &
Equinox
►Revolution
▪Movement of Earth
around the sun
▪1 Revolution = 365 ¼
Days
▪Seasons
►Marked by Solstice &
Equinox
►Tilt:
►N & S Hemisphere ►Rotation
▪ 23 ½ °
Difference ▪ Spin of Earth on it
▪Distribution of heat
Axis
▪Longer growing
▪ 1 Rotation = 1 Day
seasons
©2012, TESCCC
What Affects Climate?
►Latitude, Latitude, Latitude
►Landforms (location, size, etc.)
►Elevation
►Proximity to large bodies of water
▪ Water heats and cools slower than
does land
▪ Milder climates near large bodies of
water
▪ More extreme climates away from
large bodies of water (continental
©2012, TESCCC
climate).
Latitude, latitude, latitude
►Latitude: The most influential factor
that affects climate
type.
►There are three latitude zones:
▪ Low Latitude- between 23 ½° N and 23 ½
°S
▪ Mid Latitude- between 23 ½ °N and 66 ° N
AND
23 ½ ° S and 66 °
S
©2012, TESCCC
▪
Climate Zones Based on
Latitude
High Latitudes
Arctic Circle 66 ½° N
Middle Middle
Latitudes Latitudes
Tropic of Cancer 23 ½ ° N
Equator 0° Low
Low
Latitudes Latitudes
Tropic of 23 ½ ° S
Capricorn
Middle Middle
Latitudes Latitudes
Antarctic Circle 66 ½° S
High Latitudes
©2012, TESCCC
Low Latitude Climates
Latitude World Location Vegetation Seasons
Range
10° S to 25 ° N Amazon basin, equatorial A canopy of tall trees Heavy rainfall in all
Africa, East Indies, from with layers of months, no
Tropical Sumatra to New Guinea shorter trees and difference in
Rainforest plants seasons
underneath
15° to 25° N and S India, Southeast Asia, West Grasses, short trees Warm year round,
Africa, southern Africa, (Ex. Savanna in wet and dry
Tropical South America, north Africa) seasons
Grassla coast of Australia
nds
18° to 28° N and S, Western North America Scattered vegetation; Warm or Cold,
centered on (southwest U.S. short grasses little to no
Desert Tropics of southwest South America and shrubs, precipitation year
Cancer and (Chili) north central cacti round
Capricorn Mexico, north Africa,
southwest Africa, central
Australia, north Asia
(China, Mongolia)
©2012, TESCCC
Mid-Latitude Climates
Latitude World Location Vegetation Seasons/
Range Rainfall
Central areas of Western North America (Great Grassland, few trees Low precipitation
Grasslands continents Plains); Central South Steppe: Central Asia year round,
between 35° and America, Central Africa Llanos: Central South hot summers,
50° N (Sahel) (Patagonia) America cold winters
Eurasian interior Prairie: (North
(Kazakhstan) America)
Savanna (Africa)
Southeast coast Southeastern North America, Coniferous/Deciduous Warm, humid
Humid of continents Southeastern Asia, (Mixed) Forests summer, and
between 20° Southeastern Australia and grassland mild winters
subtropical
and 40° N precipitation
and S year round
30° to 50° N and The Mediterranean basin, west Shrubs, grasses, and Long, hot, dry
Mediterranean S coasts of California, central mixed trees summers, and
Chile, South Africa, (Chaparral) mild, rainy
western/southern Australia winters
©2012, TESCCC
Mid-Latitude Climates
Latitude World Location Vegetation Seasons/
Range Rainfall
30 to 55 N and North central North America; Mixed coniferous and Warm summer cold
Humid S, to 60 N in north central Asia (China); deciduous forest winters,
Europe Korea; Japan; central and moderate
Continental
eastern Europe rainfall
throughout
the year
30 to 60 N and S West coast of N. America, west Mixed coniferous and Cool summers,
Marine-West coast of southern Chile, deciduous forests mild winters,
and northwestern Europe high rainfall
Coast
year round
©2012, TESCCC
High Latitude Climates
Latitude Range World Location Vegetation Seasons/
Rainfall
50° to 60° N Northern North America Coniferous forests - taiga Extremely cold
and Eurasia winter, short,
Subarctic cool summer
60° to 70° N Northern North America Short grasses, mosses, Extremely cold and
and Eurasia lichens, tundra dry all year
Arctic
©2012, TESCCC
Other Climates
Latitude World Location Vegetation Seasons/Rainfall
Range
Found all over Mountain Ranges: Varies with elevation and Windward side
the world Himalayas, Andes, location on mountain. receives the most
Highland Rockies, Alps, etc. Leeward side is drier rainfall while
with less vegetation. leeward side
remains dry.
©2012, TESCCC
