Climate, 2015-2017
Pages covering environmental policy terms, panels, or organizations were last updated between 2015 and 2017. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
 |
|
Climate is a combination of normally prevailing weather conditions averaged over decades, centuries, or longer periods of time. These conditions include air pressure, atmospheric conditions, humidity, temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, fog, frost, sunshine, winds, and more. By contrast, weather is a combination of the same conditions in an area or region over shorter periods of time, such as days, weeks, or months.[1][2][3][4]
Background
Climate is the sum of averaged weather conditions that describe a particular area or region. The earth's climate system is affected by several factors, including the atmosphere; volcanic eruptions; snow; ice; oceans and other bodies of water; land surface; biological organisms, including human beings, wildlife, and vegetation; changes in Earth's orbit; and changes to the sun. Similarly, multiple factors determine a particular area or region's climate, such as precipitation, temperature, cloudiness, humidity, air pressure, topography, elevation, distance from the ocean, wind velocity, and more.[3][5][6]
Climate zones
The first climate classification system was formulated by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1886 and modified by other climatologists in later decades. Climate can be classified into several zones—sometimes called climate groups—based on average temperature and average rainfall. Climate zones can be divided into three main categories (polar, temperate, and tropical) or five main categories, which are described below: tropical, dry, mild, continental, and polar. [5][7]
Tropical
.jpg)
Tropical climates have the highest average temperatures and the most rainfall on average compared to other climates. This category includes wet tropical climates, monsoon climates, and wet and dry climates:[5][7]
- Wet tropical climates are found in rainforest areas where average monthly temperatures and annual rainfall remain constant. Some wet tropical areas are wet throughout the year. Areas with wet tropical climates include Brazil, the Congo, and Indonesia.
- Tropical monsoon climates are located in West Africa and South Asia, including countries like India and Bangladesh. These zones experience monsoons—wind systems that reverse every six months—in the summer and winter months. Monsoons bring large amounts of rainfall from oceans to land during summer months and from land to oceans during winter months. Farmers in these environments rely on monsoon rains during summer to water crops.
- Tropical wet and dry climates experience cool and dry seasons, hot and dry seasons, and hot and wet seasons. Areas with tropical wet and dry climates include Havana, Cuba, and the Serengeti Plain in west-central Africa.
Dry
Dry climates are found in areas where evaporation generally exceeds precipitation. Two types of dry climate are semiarid and arid regions:[5][7]
- Semiarid regions receive enough rainfall during the year to support grasslands. Areas with semiarid climates include the Great Plains in the United States (a flat area west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains).
- Arid regions have a desert climate where precipitation is too low to support vegetation. Areas with this climate include Death Valley, California, and the Sahara Desert in North Africa.
Mild
Mild climates (also known as temperate climates) generally experience mild winters and humid, warm summers. Three types of mild climates are Mediterranean, humid subtropical, and marine climates:[5][7]
- Mediterranean climates, which are found in areas along the Mediterranean Sea, generally experience mild, rainy winters and warm summers.
- Humid subtropical climates generally experience hot, humid summers. Areas with this climate include Savannah, Georgia, and Sydney, Australia. Humid subtropical climates can also experience hurricanes.
- Marine climates have longer, cooler winters characterized by frequent rain. Areas with this climate include Seattle, Washington, and Wellington, New Zealand.
Continental
Continental climates experience a range of weather events, including wet winters, dry winters, warm summers, and cool summers. Three types of continental climates include warm summer climates, cool summer climates, and subarctic:[5][7]
- Warm summer climates experience wet summers similar to tropical monsoon climates. Areas with this climate include Romania and Georgia in Eastern Europe.
- Cool summer climates have low-temperature winters and high snowfall. These conditions are caused by cold winds delivered from the Arctic during winter months. Areas with this climate include Russia and portions of the upper Midwestern United States, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin.
- Subarctic climates have cold, extended winters with little precipitation. Areas with this climate include northern Scandinavia and Siberia.
Polar
Polar climates experience cold temperatures throughout the year. Two types of polar climates include tundra climates and ice cap climates:[5][7]
- Tundra climates have short summers with an average high temperature up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Areas with this climate include coastal regions in northern North America and Europe.
- Ice cap climates have temperatures that generally stay below freezing temperature throughout the year. Surface ice in areas with this climate reflect most solar energy back into the atmosphere, which keeps the climate cold.
Climatology
Climatology is the scientific study of climate and a subset of environmental science. Climatologists observe the various features of climate, including precipitation, temperature, wind, and more, in a particular region. Climatologists study the climatic features of these regions to understand climatic trends.[8]
Climatology includes the following sub-disciplines:
- Paleoclimatology is the study of climatic changes throughout Earth's history. Scientists use several types of data, including ice cores, tree rings, and lake and ocean sediments, to reconstruct a rough timeline of climate variability since the earth's formation.[9]
- Historical climatology focuses on the life cycles of plants and animals during specific climatic situations, such as ice ages, to understand climate variability during human history. In addition, these scientists examine earlier human societies, cultures, and economies to understand the ways in which human beings adapted to climatic changes.[10]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Oxford Dictionaries, "Climate," accessed June 5, 2017
- ↑ Dictionary.com, "Climate," accessed June 5, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, "What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?" February 1, 2005
- ↑ University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, "Introduction to Climate," accessed June 6, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 National Geographic, "Climate," accessed July 5, 2016
- ↑ American Geosciences Institute, "What factors determine the climate?" accessed June 5, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 PhysicalGeology.net, "Climate Classification and Climatic Regions of the World," accessed June 6, 2017
- ↑ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Climate Glossary," accessed March 10, 2015
- ↑ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Paleoclimatology Data," accessed March 10, 2015
- ↑ Historical Climatology, "What is Historical Climatology?" accessed March 10, 2015
