Unit 16 Major Climates of the Earth

Objectives

State the 3 major types of climate on EarthDescribe the distribution and characteristics of

the major climatic types in the world.

Major climates of the world

Tropical Climate

• Found between 23.5◦N and 23.5◦S of the Equator.

• Little fluctuations of temperature with a small diurnal temperature range.

• Max Daytime of 32◦C.• Min temperature at night falls no lower than

20◦C.• Annual rainfall is above 2000mm.

• Some examples are Brazil, India, Singapore, Indonesia and Uganda.

Compare the climograph of India and Singapore.

Temperate Climate

• Found between 30◦ to 50◦ north and south of the Equator.

• Four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter)

• Large temperature range.• Summer can be as high as 34◦C and winter can

be below 0◦C.• Precipitation can be in the form of rainfall or

snow and ranges from 500 mm to 1200 mm.

• Some examples of temperate climate are Australia, New Zealand, Korea, France and USA.

Describe the differences between the 2 climographs.

Polar Climate• Found in areas of high latitudes, from the Arctic

Circle (66.5◦N) to the North Pole, and from Antarctic Circle (66.5◦S) to the South Pole.

• Large temperature range of over 40◦C.• Mean monthly temperatures are below 10◦C all

year round.• Summers are short and winters are long and very

cold.• Annual precipitation of between 250mm to

400mm, mainly in the form of snow.

• Some examples of polar climate are northern Russia, Iceland, Antarctica and northern Canada.