- Climate types are generally classified based on temperature, precipitation, and seasonal patterns.
- Earth’s climates can be grouped into three major patterns - tropical, temperate, and polar.
1. Tropical Climate Types
- Found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (23.5° N/S).
- Receive the most direct sunlight, leading to consistently high temperatures (average annual temperature > 20°C).
- Experience high precipitation, often exceeding 1500–3000 mm annually.
- Little variation in daylight hours throughout the year.
- Controlled by the Hadley cell and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a band of low pressure bringing heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.
Equatorial Tropical Climate
- High temperature and humidity year-round.
- Monthly rainfall typically above 60 mm, no true dry season.
- Supports tropical rainforest biomes, the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.
The Amazon Rainforest (Brazil) receives 2,500 mm of rainfall annually and is home to ~10% of global species diversity.
Seasonal Tropical Climate
- Found in regions with alternating wet and dry seasons (e.g., East Africa, India, Northern Australia).
- Total rainfall remains high (>1000 mm/year) but concentrated in a few months.
- Long dry season leads to fire-adapted vegetation.
Tropical Savanna:
- Found in regions like the African Serengeti and parts of Australia.
- Characterized by grasslands with scattered trees, and large herbivores like zebras and elephants.
- Seasonal variation in rainfall, not temperature, drives the vegetation cycle.
- Plant growth peaks during the wet season, and dormancy during the dry.
2. Temperate Climate Types
- Found between the tropics and polar regions.
- Experience distinct seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter).
- Average temperatures:
- Warmest month >10°C
- Coldest month >−3°C
- Annual precipitation varies between 500-2,000 mm.
- Strongly influenced by latitude, ocean proximity, and prevailing winds.
Maritime Climate
- Found on the western coasts of continents where westerly winds bring moist air inland.
- Mild, wet winters and cool, dry summers due to oceanic heat storage.
- Supports temperate forests, often dominated by deciduous trees (oak, beech, maple).
Western Europe’s mild winters are sustained by the North Atlantic Drift, a warm ocean current.
Continental Climate
- Found in the interior of continents, far from oceanic influence.
- Hot summers and cold winters due to the lack of moderating effects of water.
- Greater annual temperature range.
- Rainfall often occurs in the summer months.
- Temperate Grassland:
- Found in the Great Plains of North America and the Steppes of Russia.
- Prairies dominated by grasses, with few trees due to seasonal droughts.
- Boreal Forest (Taiga):
- Found in Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia.
- Dominated by coniferous trees (e.g., pines, spruces) adapted to cold, snowy winters.
3. Polar Climate Types
- Located near the poles - the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
- Extremely cold year-round: average monthly temperature below 10°C.
- Low precipitation (<250 mm/year), mostly as snow.
- Long, dark winters and short summers; often windy.
