V. Types of Climates

A. Shapers of Climate

•The main shapers of climate are temperature, precipitation, and wind.

• These factors form global patterns

• Temperatures are warmest in and around the tropics and coolest near the poles.

• Precipitation is greatest near the Equator.

B. Climate Regions• These patterns of temperature and precipitation create world climate regions.

•Climate regions- areas that share a similar climate

•Tropical Wet – climates combine hot temperatures and heavy rainfall year round and are clustered around the Equator.

• Tropical wet and dry – climates with wet season in summer and dry season in winter

• Humid subtropical – climates have year-round precipitation with mild winters and hot

•Mediterranean – climates that have hot, dry weather in the summer and a rainy season in the winter

• Maritime – climates are wet year-round, with mild winters and cool summers. They exist where moist winds blow onshore.

• Continental Warm Summer – have year-round precipitation, warm summers, and cold, snowy winters.

• Continental Cool Summer – similar, but have generally lower temperatures

Tundra – have cool summers and bitterly cold, dry winters. Close to the poles, ice caps, or permanent sheets of ice covering land or sea, have bitter cold and dry climates year round.

Semiarid, or dry, and Arid, or very dry – occur where there is steadily sinking air.

Subarctic – have limited precipitation, cool summers, and very cold winters.