Geography 120

World Climates and the Factors that Influence Them

Conjecturing A Climate

Conjecturing a Climate
Of unsuspended Suns—
Adds poignancy to Winter—
The Shivering Fancy turns
 
To a fictitious Country
To palliate a Cold—
Not obviated of Degree—
Nor erased—of Latitude—
 
-- Emily Dickinson

Planet Earth, diverse in many things, is certainly so in its various and unique climates. Climate can vary in tens of miles, or be the same for thousands. Understanding the factors that contribute to a specific climate can help in understanding the geography of a place.

The following is a summary of the main factors which ultimately create climate:

1. Solar input
1. Latitude
2. Seasons
3. Cloud cover
4. Land cover
2. Elevation
3. Proximity to mountain ranges, in conjunction with prevailing winds
4. Proximity to large water bodies, in conjunction with prevailing winds
5. Semi-permanent large-scale pressure systems
6. Jet streams
7. Ocean currents

Although climates throughout the world are each unique in their own way, scientists prefer to generally classify them for the purposes of study. Wladimir Köppen in 1918 proposed a system of climate classification, a version of which we still use today. Table 2-1 on page 75 of your text presents this system.

A graphical tool often used as a basic description of a places climate is called a climograph. Climographs are graphs that simultaneously show precipitation (with bars) and temperature (with a line) for each month of the year at a given location.

In the following sections, you will be provided with a place, its absolute location, and a climograph. You should also reference Table 2-1 and figures 2-22, 2-23 and 2-26 in your text. For each, you should first locate the place in your atlas. Then, review each of the climate determining physical factors (listed above) and write down which physical factors are at play and, as appropriate, specifically what features are present. Then, examine the climograph. Based on the climograph, determine, to the best of your ability, the correct classification from table 2-1. Finally, explain, in as much detail as possible, why the climate is what it is, referring to the determining factors and explaining the processes involved. Finally, consider how the culture of the inhabitants might be affected by the specific climate and physical surroundings.

1.

Lat/Long = 3.39^o S, 73.18^o W
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) = 26.1
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) = 1.4
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 2879.2
Summer Precipitation (mm) =1583
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 1294.7

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

2.

Latitude/Longitude = 49.1^o N; 123.06^o W
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) = 9.8
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) =16
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) =1048
Summer Precipitation (mm) = 277
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 771

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

3.

Latitude/Longitude = 71.2^o N; 156^o W
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) = -12.7^o
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) = 32^o
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 110
Summer Precipitation (mm) = 74
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 36

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

4.

Latitude/Longitude: 27.7^o N; 8.1^o W
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) = 22.8
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) = 21.2
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 43.8
Summer Precipitation (mm) =11.8
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 32

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

5.

Latitude/Longitude = 41.9^o N; 87.5^o W
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) =10.3
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) =29.2
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) =904.4
Summer Precipitation (mm) = 545.5
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 358.9

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

6.

Latitude/Longitude = 37.45^o N; 122.26^o W
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) = 13.75
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) = 9
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 475
Summer Precipitation (mm) = 54
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 421

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

7.

Latitude/Longitude: 16.25^oS N; 133.3^oE
Average Annual Temperature (C) = 26.5^o
Annual Temperature Range (C) = 10^o
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 536.2
Summer Precipitation (mm) =500
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 36.2

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

8.

Lat/Long = 12.53^o N, 74.52^o E
Average Annual Temperature (^oC) = 27.05
Annual Temperature Range (^oC) = 3.6
Total Annual Precipitation (mm) = 3409.2
Summer Precipitation (mm) = 3115.9
Winter Precipitation (mm) = 293.3

• Determining physical factors:

• Köppen classification:

• Explanation:

• Influences on culture:

Reflection

In the following space, consider what you have learned from this activity. Do you view the complexity and nature of physical forces and their impacts on specific places differently than before? How and Why?