A. Organize, Simplify and Generalize Data
B. Similarities vs. Dissimilarities
C. 6 - Climate Controls
II. GREEK CLIMATE SYSTEM (latitude based)
A. torrid zone
B. temperate zone
C. frigid zone
III. MODIFIED KÖPPEN CLIMATE SYSTEM
(based on vegetation types)
A. Three letter system (descriptive terms)
- First (upper case) letter is a general temperature profile based on latitude:
- Second letter (lower case) = additional precision in precipitation pattern:
- Third letter (lower case) = additional precision in temperature pattern:
- Tropical Rainforest (Af):
- Tropical Savanna (Aw):
- location = adjacent to trop. rainforest climate
- temperatures = warm year-round
- precipitation = dry winter
- Acapulco
- Nigeria
- Darwin, Australia
- Tropical Monsoon (Am):
- location = SE Asia
- temperatures = warm year-round
- precipitation = dry winter
- climographs:
- Mumbai and Cherrapunji, India
- Liberia
- Humid Subtropical (Cfa):
- location = SE corner of continents
- temperatures = warm/hot summers, cool winters
- precipitation = no dry season
- Atlanta
- Baton Rouge
- southern hemisphere: New Zealand
- Mediterranean (Cs):
- location = 30-35° lat., W side of continents
- temperatures = warm summer, mild winter
- precipitation = dry summer
- Los Angeles
- Santiago, Chile
- Marine West Coast (Cfb):
- location = poleward of Mediterranean climate
- temperatures = mild year-round
- precipitation = no dry season
- Eugene, OR
- Vancouver, B.C.
- Humid Continental (Dfa/Dfb):
- location = central and east portion of continents
- temperatures = warm summer, cold winter
- precipitation = no dry season
- Chicago
- Duluth
- Toronto
- Bucharest, Romania
- Sub Arctic (Dfc):
- location = 50-70° lat. (Siberia)
- temperatures = mild summer, frigid winter
- precipitation = no dry season
- NW Territories
- Fairbanks, AK
- Tundra (ET):
- location = Arctic fringe
- temperatures = cold, but above freezing in summer
- Barrow, AK
- Resolute, NWT, Canada
- Ice Cap (EF):
- location = Antarctica and Greenland
- temperatures = cold; below freezing even in summer
- Antarctic comparison
- Desert (BW):
- location = 20-30° latitude
- temperatures = vary
- precipitation = evaporation exceeds precipitation !!
- Phoenix
- Cairo, Egypt
- Steppe (BS):
- location = transition between humid and dry
- temperatures = vary
- precipitation = evaporation exceeds precipitation
- Denver
- Salt Lake City
- Highland (H):
- location = mountainous regions throughout the world
- temp/precip = vary dramatically with change in altitude
- Berthoud Pass, Colo ←7.5 miles→ Georgetown, Colo
- 11,300 ft vs. 8,500 ft.
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