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Slide 1: Global Climates Chapter 7--Part 1 1
Slide 2: What is Climate?  Climate is the condition of the lower atmosphere in a particular region on Earth that is the average of at least 30 years worth of weather conditions in that place. 2
Slide 3: How is Climate Determined?  Climatic elements considered when determining the climate of a region: • Temperature • Moisture  Precipitation, humidity, cloudiness, surface water, evaporation conditions • Related to temperature • Vegetation and soil conditions  May be used to determine climatic conditions where unclear 3
Slide 4: Additional Conditions Considered: • Air pressure, wind, air mass movements, and global atmospheric circulations are also considered  These are related to latitude, altitude, ocean circulation, topography, and spatial distribution of land and sea Also factored in: • Extreme weather conditions (flooding, drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) 4
Slide 5: Why do we care?  Climate and vegetation influence animal habitats Climate, vegetation, and animals together provide usable resources for humans These conditions influence (but do not ultimately determine) the manner in which people may inhabit a region 5  
Slide 6: Aristotle and Climate Classification What about the Incas/Mayas/Aztecs? What about Murmansk, Russia? 6
Slide 7: Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification (1900-1940) 7
Slide 8: [= Name given in the textbook] = Tropical = Desert = Mesothermal = Microthermal (Köppen only had five original categories—the Highland classification was added later) 8
Slide 9: Characteristics of the Major Climate Groups A Tropical Humid/Tropical—Avg. temp. of each month is > 64ºF (18ºC) B Dry/Desert—Evaporation exceeds precipitation C Mild Mid-Latitude/Mesothermal—Average temperature of the coldest month is between 27ºF (-3ºC) and 64ºF (18ºC) Average temp. of the warmest month is > 50ºF (10ºC) D Severe Mid-Latitude/Microthermal—The warmest month is > 50ºF (10ºC) The coldest month is < 27ºF (-3ºC) E Polar—No month has an average temp. > 50ºF (10ºC) H Highland—Significant climatic changes within short horizontal distances due to altitudinal variations 9
Slide 10: f 24 Subclassifications of the Climate Groups No dry season [German feucht, or “moist”] m Monsoon; a short dry season is opposed by heavy rains in other months w Winter dry season (low-sun season) a Hot summers b Warm summers c Cool summers d Very cold winters W Desert [German wüste, or “desert”] S Steppe (semiarid) h Low-latitude (subtropical) dry climate [German heiss, or “hot”] k Midlatitude dry climate [German kalt, or “cold”] s F Summer dry season (high-sun season) Ice cap climates (frost) 10 T Tundra climates
Slide 11: The Modified Köppen Classification System (Tropical) (Desert) (Mesothermal) (Microthermal) 11
Slide 12: Would you want to live here? This place exhibits a Csb climate  The C = mild midlatitudes  • temperatures above 50ºF (10ºC) in summer • winters are short and mild, with little frost The s = summer dry season (winter precipitation)  The b = warm summer  • warmest summer months below 72°F (22°C) Welcome to the lovely Mediterranean climate of Santa Barbara, California! 12
Slide 13: Modified Köppen Climate Map 13
Slide 14: Climograph Climate classification Temperature Location Precipitation 14
Slide 15: Trivia of the Day 15