Climatology, Chapter 14.1-2 Guided Notes
•Climatology is the study and the that affect past, present, and future climatic changes.
•Climate describes the of an area.
•The data used to describe an area’s climate include daily , amounts of , wind , humidity, and pressure.
•The data are averaged on a monthly or annual basis for a period of at least 30 years to determine the normals, which are the standard values for a location.
•Normals apply only to the specific place where the meteorological data were collected.
•Changes in elevation and other factors, such as proximity to large bodies of water, can cause climates to vary.
Causes of Climate
1) ______
–The amount of solar radiation received on Earth from the equator to the poles
–The area between 23.5° S and 23.5° N of the equator is known as the .
–Tropical areas receive the and are generally year-round.
–The lie between 23.5° and 66.5° north and south of the equator.
–As their name implies, temperatures in these regions are .
–The polar zones are located from 66.5° north and south of the equator to the poles.
–______temperatures tend to be cold.
2) ______
–Water heats up and cools than land. Thus, large ______affect the climates of coastal areas.
–Temperatures in the lower atmosphere generally with altitude. Thus, mountain climates are usually than those at sea level.
–Orographic lifting leads to rain on the of a mountain. The ______side is usually dry and warm.
3) ______
–Air masses affect regional climates by transporting the of their source regions.
Köppen Classification System
A / Tropical humid / Af / Tropical wet / No dry seasonAm / Tropical monsoonal / Short dry season; heavy monsoonal rains in other months
Aw / Tropical savanna / Winter dry season
B / Dry / BWh / Subtropical desert / Low-latitude desert
BSh / Subtropical steppe / Low-latitude dry
BWk / Mid-latitude desert / Mid-latitude desert
BSk / Mid-latitude steppe / Mid-latitude dry
C / Mild Mid-Latitude / Csa / Mediterranean / Mild with dry, hot summer
Csb / Mediterranean / Mild with dry, warm summer
Cfa / Humid subtropical / Mild with no dry season, hot summer
Cwa / Humid subtropical / Mild with dry winter, hot summer
Cfb / Marine west coast / Mild with no dry season, warm summer
Cfc / Marine west coast / Mild with no dry season, cool summer
D / Severe Mid-Latitude / Dfa / Humid continental / Humid with severe winter, no dry season, hot summer
Dfb / Humid continental / Humid with severe winter, no dry season, warm summer
Dwa / Humid continental / Humid with severe, dry winter, hot summer
Dwb / Humid continental / Humid with severe, dry winter, warm summer
Dfc / Subarctic / Severe winter, no dry season, cool summer
Dfd / Subarctic / Severe, very cold winter, no dry season, cool summer
Dwc / Subarctic / Severe, dry winter, cool summer
Dwd / Subarctic / Severe, very cold and dry winter, cool summer
E / Polar / ET / Tundra / Polar tundra, no true summer
EF / Ice Cap / Perennial ice
H / Highland
Microclimates
•Many concrete buildings and large expanses of asphalt can create a heat island, where the climate is than in surrounding rural areas.