Global Climate Patterns
Introduction
Climate refers to the average weather that occurs across the surface of the earth. Climates vary dramatically from one region of the earth to the next, ranging from the warm, humid conditions found along the equator, to the hot deserts and cold polar regions. Climates influence the growth of vegetation, the productivity of agriculture and the distribution of the human population. An understanding of global climate patterns provides a fundamental basis for studying world geography.
Learning Objectives
This activity is designed to help you learn the following:
The basic characteristics of the world’s major climate zones
Setup
In your browser, open the mapping program URL: http://geogserver1.fullerton.edu/webmaps/climatejava_2/climate.html
If the map fails to appear, try the alternate site http://geography.fullerton.edu/webmaps/climatejava_1/climate.html
When the map appears, resize the browser window to make the scroll
bars disappear. Note: your browser must be Java-enabled for the
program to work properly.
Overview of Global Climate Patterns
To begin your exploration of climate and geographic regions, bring up a map of the world’s major climate zones.
Press the Climates button
Geographers distinguish six general climate types:
A. Humid Equatorial
When all six are viewed together on one map, the general geographic patterns can be difficult to discern. Instead, let’s look at maps of the individual types.
Humid Equatorial Climate Zones
Humid equatorial climates are marked by two dominant features:
Warm temperatures
There is little change in temperature from one season to the next, though there may be distinct wet and dry seasons.
Press the Climates button
Note the two large areas of Humid Equatorial Climates in South America and Africa. Let’s look first at Africa.
Press the Zoom button
Information about the location you clicked on should appear in the lower right of the screen. You probably clicked on the country known until recently as Zaire – now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Much of the humid equatorial climate occurs in the Congo River Basin of the DR of Congo. Use the Scantron form to answer the numbered questions below:
1. Which geographic region includes the Congo River Basin?
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a. North Africa and Southwest Asia |
b. South America |
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c. Subsaharan Africa |
d. South Asia |
Nearly all the major geographic regions are associated with more than one climate type. Let’s overlay a map of the Subsaharan Africa region to see how well it matches the boundaries of the humid equatorial climate zone.
Press the Regions button
The northern boundary of the Subsaharan Africa region closely matches the northern boundary of the equatorial climate zone, but the southern boundary of the region does not. Restore a view of all climate zones to see which ones are found in southern Africa.
Press the Climates button
2. What other two climates are found within the Subsaharan Africa Region?
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a. Dry & Highland Climate |
b. Humid Temperate & Dry |
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c. Humid Temperate & Humid Cold |
d. Humid Cold & Cold Polar Climate |
Now repeat the process for South America:
3. What part of South America has a humid equatorial climate?
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a. Northeast |
b. Southeast |
c. Southwest |
Much of the humid equatorial climate occurs in the Amazon River Basin of northern South America. Use the mouse to identify the largest country of South America that is located primarily within the Humid Equatorial Climate Zone?
4. What is the name of that country?
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a. Brazil |
b. Columbia |
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c. Chile |
d. Argentina |
5. What other two climate zones dominate the southern "cone" of South America?
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a. Humid Temperate & Dry |
b. Humid Cold & Dry |
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c. Humid Temperate & Humid Cold |
d. Humid Cold & Cold Polar |
6. Is the climate pattern of equatorial and southern South America similar to that found in equatorial and southern Africa? (Zoom back to Africa if necessary.)
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a. Yes, the pattern is similar |
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b. No, the pattern is very different |
Press the Reset Map button before continuing
Dry Climate Zones
Dry climates are characterized by two fundamental features:
Abundant energy from the sun
Let’s take a look at the geographic distribution of dry climates:
Press the Climates button
The map shows a large region of dry climates extending across northern Africa into southwest and central Asia. It also shows significant areas of dry climate conditions in North America, South America and Australia. Only Europe shows a lack of areas of dry climate. Let’s look first at northern Africa:
Click inside the yellow Dry Climate Zone that extends across North Africa
7. Which geographic region is identified in Info Box One?
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a. Subsaharan Africa |
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b. North Africa/Southwest Asia |
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c. South Asia |
Now add the boundaries of that region to your map:
Press the Regions button
8. How would you describe the climates of the North Africa/Southwest Asia region
a. Large areas of dry climate with some areas of other climates
b. Some areas of dry climate with large areas of other climates
The boundary between the Humid Equatorial climate of Subsaharan Africa with its abundant rainfall and the dry climate of North Africa with its low rainfall is a rather abrupt geographic boundary. This boundary is also reflected in the peoples and cultures of the region. These climatic and cultural differences are the main reasons why Africa has been separated into the two regions of North Africa/Southwest Asia and Subsaharan Africa.
Now add all the regions to the map to see if other regions are dominated by dry climates.
Press the Zoom button
If necessary, click with the mouse to identify the regions
9. What one other region is dominated by dry climates?
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a. Europe |
b. North America |
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c. Russia |
d. Australia |
10. Which one of the following regions does NOT have approximately one-half of its area in dry climates, one-half in other climates?
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a. East Asia |
b. South Asia |
c. North America |
Press the Reset Map button before continuing.
Humid Temperate Climate Zones
The humid temperate climates can be characterized by their relative lack of extremes:
Cool winters that are not too cold
Let’s look at the map:
Press the Climates button
The pattern shows numerous areas of humid temperate climate scattered across each of the continents. Now add the regions to your map.
Press the Regions button
11. Which region has the largest proportion of its area located in the humid temperate zone
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a. North America |
b. South America |
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c. Europe |
d. East Asia |
Now look at humid temperate climates in the North America and East Asia regions. Do you see any similarity in the patterns of humid temperate climate zones?
12. Which quadrant of both North America and East Asia has the largest area of humid temperate climate?
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a. Southeast |
b. Southwest |
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c. Northeast |
d. Northwest |
13. Which two countries in North America and East Asia have these large areas of humid temperate climate (click with the mouse if you aren’t sure)?
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a. Canada & Korea |
b. Canada & China |
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c. US & China |
d. Canada & Japan |
Press the Reset Map button before continuing.
Humid Cold Climate Zones
The humid cold climates are characterized by:
Cool summers
Take a look at the map:
Press the Climates button
Humid cold climates stretch across vast areas of northern North America, Europe and Asia. There are no areas of humid cold climates in the southern hemisphere because none of the three southern continents – South America, Africa, and Australia – extend far enough to the south.
In the northern hemisphere, the warmer southern margins of the humid cold climate zone support agriculture, but farther north the growing season is too short for farming.
Most of the area of humid cold climate occurs in two geographic regions. Add the regions to your map to see which ones these are:
Press the Regions button
14. What region is the most dominated by humid cold climate zones?
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a. Russia |
b. North America |
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c. Europe |
d. North Africa/Southwest Asia |
15. What two regions have the largest areas of humid cold climate zones?
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a. Europe & Russia |
b. North America & Russia |
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c. East Asia & Russia |
d. South Asia & Russia |
Press the Reset Map button before continuing.
Cold Polar Climate Zones
The cold polar climate zones are characterized by one dominant feature:
Long cold winters
Look briefly at the map:
Press the Climates button
One large area of blue stands out in the center of your map.
16. What is the name of this landmass?
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a. Canada |
b. Greenland |
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c. Europe |
d. Russia |
You should have clicked on the island (inappropriately) named Greenland, a large area covered by glacial ice. Although it is close to North America, it is usually included in the Europe region because it is historically linked to the European country of Denmark.
Our world map doesn’t include the large continent of Antarctica that encircles the south pole. If it did, it would show an area of Cold Polar climate covered by glacial ice that is much larger than Greenland.
Press the Reset Map button before continuing
Highland Climate Zones
There is no one type of highland climate. Rather, highland climates represent the distortion of other climates due to elevation. Highland climates are generally cooler and wetter than the climates that occur in neighboring lowland regions.
Climate Controls
To complete our discussion of global climates, we need to consider some of the major earth processes that shape our long-term weather patterns. Although an in-depth explanation of climate processes lies outside the scope of an introductory course in world regional geography, there are two major principles you will need to know:
Latitude is the dominant influence on climate
To illustrate the first point, we’ll take a brief look at climate zones which are strongly linked to latitude. To illustrate the second, we’ll consider examples of two additional influences: wind patterns and ocean currents. Our discussion of wind patterns will look at the summer monsoon of Asia. Our example of ocean currents will look at the North Atlantic Drift that flows across the Atlantic Ocean toward Europe.
The Importance of Latitude
Latitude directly influences the amount of solar energy reaching any point on the earth’s surface over the course of the year. Let’s look at the map:
Press The Earth button
Note the four latitude zones in each hemisphere:
Tropics: The tropical zone between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5 degrees south of the equator receives abundant solar energy throughout the year. Everywhere in this zone, the sun is directly overhead at noon at some point during the annual cycle.
Subtropics: The subtropical zone extends from 23.5 degrees to 35 degrees in each hemisphere. This zone has no real winter, but it does have significant variations in the amount of energy received from the sun. The sun is high overhead and solar energy is very high in June & July in the northern hemisphere (December and January in the southern hemisphere), but six months later the sun is lower in the sky and solar energy is reduced.
Midlatitudes: The midlatitude zone between 35 degrees and 55 degrees experiences a sharp seasonality. During the summer, the sun is high in the sky, the hours of daylight are long, and solar energy is abundant. During the winter, the sun is low in the sky, days are short, and solar energy is in short supply.
High latitudes: Above 55 degrees latitude, the summer sun never gets very high overhead. In winter, at best, the sun barely rises above the horizon even at noon.
How do climate zones relate to these latitude bands?
Press the Climates button
On the map and you’ll see three climate zones that are have a strong west-to-east pattern.
17. Which climate zone is almost entirely in the tropics?
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a. Humid Equatorial |
b. Dry |
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c. Humid Temperate |
d. Highland |
18. In the northern hemisphere, which climate zone extends across the northern portion of the midlatitudes and the southern portion of the high latitudes?
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a. Humid Temperate |
b. Humid Cold |
c. Cold Polar |
19. In the northern hemisphere, which climate zone is entirely in the middle and northern portions of the high latitudes?
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a. Humid Temperate |
b. Humid Cold |
c. Cold Polar |
20. How do temperatures change as you move from the Midlatitudes northward into the High Latitudes in the northern hemisphere?
a. Average temperatures are warmer
b. Average temperatures are colder
Press the Reset Map button before continuing.
The Summer Monsoon of Asia
Some climates are not as closely linked to latitude. Lets look first at south and southeast Asia.
Press the Climates button
Now look at the northern portion of the tropical zone of Africa and Asia.
21. What climate is found at those latitudes in Africa and Southwest Asia?
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a. Dry |
b. Humid Equatorial |
c. Humid Temperate |
22. What climates are found at the same latitudes in South and Southeast Asia?
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a. Dry |
b. Humid Equatorial |
c. Humid Temperate |
How do we explain this?
Press The Earth button
The blue arrows show how the atmospheric circulation over Asia in the summer draws a warm, humid, rain-producing Monsoon circulation into India and the other countries of South and Southeast Asia. Those wind patterns are absent over North Africa and Southwest Asia, resulting in extremely dry climates.
Press the Reset Map button before continuing.
The North Atlantic Drift
Now let’s look at the northern portion of the midlatitudes in the northern hemisphere.
Press the Climates button
23. What climate occurs in the northern half of the midlatitudes in North America?
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a. Humid Temperate |
b. Humid Cold |
24. What climate is dominant at the same latitude in western and central Europe?
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a. Humid Temperate |
b. Humid Cold |
How do we explain this difference?
Press The Earth button
The red arrows show the movement of a large warm water current from the tropical Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico northeastward to the shores of Europe. Winds moving across this warm current bring milder winter temperatures to Europe. As a result, the climate of western and central Europe is much milder than that found at the same latitude on the east coast of North America.
The summer monsoon of Asia and the North Atlantic Drift represent two of the many factors that influence the earth's climates. For a fuller discussion of climate, you would need to take a course in Physical Geography.
Review Questions Try to answer the following review questions without looking back at your answers or at the computer. If you don't remember, then look back to find the answers.
What type of climate do the Congo and Amazon have?
What two climate types occur in South America and Africa south of the humid equatorial zone?
What type of climate is found in Africa north of the humid equatorial zone?
Which part of Asia has a dry climate – the southwest or the southeast?
Which two regions are dominated by dry climates?
What climate occurs across most of western and central Europe?
Where are the largest areas of humid temperate climate in both the U.S. and China?
Which region is almost entirely located in the humid cold climate zone?
What is the dominant influence (or control) on the world’s climates?
What are the four latitude zones?
Which three climate zones are most closely linked to latitude?
In addition to latitude, what are two other influences which control climate?
Which regions are influenced by the summer monsoon of Asia? How do they differ from other regions at the same latitude but which are not influenced by the monsoon?
Which region has a humid temperate climate despite its high latitude due to the North Atlantic Drift?
Exit the GIS Program
When you are finished:
Close your browser to exit the GIS program
Be sure to put you name on the completed Scantron form and hand it in to the lab instructor. Keep the activity questions.