Climate Family Climographs& Locations

Developed by

Joe Naumann

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A family of climates - Tropical

• Warm all months– Diurnal temperature range is usually greater

than the range of average monthly temperatures.

• Seasons based on precipitation, not on temperature.

• Differences in typical vegetation is based on differences of available precipitation.

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Climograph – Af (Tropical Rainforest)

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Tropical Rainforest Map

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Am – Tropical Monsoon

• Not given on many maps – often combined with the tropical rainforest (Af)

• Temperatures are very similar to Af• Precipitation differs: there is a short dry

season that is long enough to allow some deciduous trees to be part of the forest.

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Tropical Monsoon Climate

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Climograph – Aw (tropical Savanna)

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Savanna Locations

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B Family – Dry Climates

• The most important characteristic is the insufficiency of precipitation for any kind of continuous vegetation cover.

• Precipitation is also usually unreliable.• Temperatures are usually not considered

– High altitude & high latitude deserts (Bwk)– High altitude & high latitude steppe (Bsk)– Low latitude deserts (Bwh)– Low latitude steppe (Bsh)

• Temperatures – k = cold & h = hot

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Climograph – BW (Desert – Arid)

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Desert Locations

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Climagraph – Bs (Steppe or Semiarid)

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Steppe (Semi-arid) Locations

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C Family – 4 season temperate

• All members have four distinct seasons based primarily on temperature differences

• The receive enough precipitation to support some type of forest vegetation (Maquis of the Mediterranean is the result of human action of long ago – deforestation by the Romans)

• Summers can be very hot, but winters are mild compared to those of the D climates.

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C Family of Climates

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Climagraph – Cfa (Humid subtropical)

St. Louis is near the northern border of Cfa

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Climagraph – Cs (Mediterranean)

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Climagraph – Cfb (Marine West Coast)

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D Family – Humid Continental

• The continental influence results in seasonal temperature extremes

• Four seasons, but the summer gets shorter and cooler as one progresses from Dfa to Dfd.

• Found in the higher latitudes; therefore, there are none in the southern hemisphere. There are no huge continental landmasses in those latitudes in the southern hemisphere.

• Sufficient precipitation to support some type of forest vegetation.

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D Family of Climates

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Climagraph – Dfa (Humid Continental – hot summer)

St. Louis is near the southern border of Dfa

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Climograph – Dfb (Humid Continental – cold winter)

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Dfc or Dfd -- Siberia

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Moving north into Canada colder D climates

• Dfc• Dfd – coldest of the D family• D climates found in Asia, particularly Siberia

(w stands for dry winter)– Dwa

– Dwb

– Dwc

– Dwd

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E Family – Polar climates

• Here the temperatures do not get warm enough to provide a reasonable growing season. Available precipitation is insufficient to support any type of forest.

• The ET climate (tundra) does support grasses, herbaceous plants, mosses, and lichens in the few months that might avearge above freezing.

• The EF climates never have average temperatures above freezing, so there is no vegetation.

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Climagraph – ET (Subarctic)

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Tundra Locations

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Permafrost

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EF - Permanent Ice and Snow

• Glacial areas such as mountain glaciers or continental glaciers (Antarctica & Greenland)

• No vegetation or permanent human habitation.

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EF climate