WORLD CLIMATES

WHAT AFFECTS CLIMATE?

Hawaii is one of the

sunniest places on

Earth with very warm

temperatures.

So why is it that there is

snow on Mauna Kea?

Mauna Kea is higher than 13,000 feet.

Snow falls at altitudes higher than 9,000

in Hawaii.

Factors affecting climate:

Direct sunlight

Wind

Water/Ocean Currents

Elevation

5 MAJOR WORLD CLIMATES

There are 5 different categories of climate,

most with subcategories:

TROPICAL

DRY

TEMPERATE

POLAR

HIGHLAND

TROPICAL CLIMATES

HUMID TROPICAL

Located near the Equator

Temperatures greater than 80 degrees

Damp air—daily rain showers

MONSOONS

Seasonal winds that bring rainy weather for part of the

year

India

Rainforests

50,000 + plant and animal species

Brazil

TROPICAL CLIMATES (continued)

Tropical Savanna

Located further away from the Equator

Temperatures greater than 90 degrees

Long dry seasons, followed by short rain

seasons

Savanna – areas of tall grasses and scattered

trees and shrubs

DRY CLIMATES

Very little rainfall

Desert Climate

Less than10 inches of rain annually

High daytime temps., low temps at night

Very few plants and animals

Steppe Climate

Semidry grasslands

A little more rain than deserts

Grasses, some shrubs and trees

TEMPERATE CLIMATES

Temperate means “moderate” or “mild”

Temperate climates experience seasonal

change

“Middle Latitudes” between 30 and 60 degrees

Warm summers

Cold winters

Most of the United States is in a temperate

climate

Mediterranean Climate

Found near the Mediterranean Sea

Hot, dry, sunny summers

Mild winters

Found in coastal areas

Humid Subtropical Climate

Eastern Coastal areas

Close to the tropics (Florida is an example)

Hot and muggy summers

Mild winters with little to no snow

Storms such as Hurricanes

TEMPERATE CLIMATES (continued)

TEMPERATE CLIMATES (continued)

Marine West Coast Climate

West coasts of North America and Europe

Moist air

Summers are warm and sunny

Winters are foggy, cloudy and rainy

Humid Continental Climate

Upper-middle latitudes

Experience all 4 seasons

MICHIGAN!!!!

Short and hot summers

Mild Spring and Fall

Wet, snowy winters

POLAR CLIMATES

Higher Latitudes (near to the poles)

Subarctic

Extreme cold winters

Short cool summers

Tundra

Cold all year

Little rain

Permafrost

Ice Cap

Freezing cold snow and ice

No rain

No vegetation

HIGHLAND CLIMATE

Includes polar and other climates

High elevations

The higher you go, the lower the temperature

This is why there is snow in Hawaii