Geog Exam 4 Study Guide

Tropical rainforest

Af

Season: year round

Dynamic Properties: mT or E air masses and convergence associated with the ITCZ

Equatorial latitudes

Tropical Monsoon

Am

High sun season: MT or E air masses and ITCZ with strong offshore flow and occasional tropical cyclones

Low sun season: mT or E air masses, offshore flow of somewhat drier air produces short dry season

Tropical Savanna

Aw

High sun season: mT or E air masses and convergence associated with ITCZ

Low sun season: subsiding air, upper-level dynamic inversions, and cT air masses associated with subtropical highs

Poleward of tropical rainforest climates

Mediterranean (Csa)

Summer: cT air masses due to subsiding air and upper air inversions of subtropical highs Poleward

Winter: mT, cT, and mP air masses associated with midlatitude cyclones ad high-pressure systems along polar front

Mediterranean (Csb)

Summer: much cooler temps than Csa, low stratus clouds and fog, due to onshore flow of marine air chilled by cold ocean currents

Winter: mT, cT, and mP air masses associated with midlatitude cyclones

Humid Subtropical

Cfa

Summer: mT air masses carried onshore around western margins of subtropical highs over oceans, some midlatitude cyclones and weak frontal activity

Winter: mT and cP air masses alternate in association with passage of midlatitude cyclones and polar outbreaks along polar front

Monsoon Humid Subtropical

Cwa

Summer: onshore flow of mT air masses related to rainy summer monsoon

Winter: dominated by cP or cT air masses and dry-winter monsoon

Marine west coast

Cfb

Season: year-round

Mostly mP air masses swept onshore in association with midlatitude cyclones along polar front and westerly flow aloft

Humid Continental

Dfa, Dfb

Large annual temperature range: hot/warm summers, cold winters

No distinct dry season

Cold winters → less water vapor → less precipitation

Continental Monsoon

Dwa, Dwb

Large annual temperature ranges and cold winters

Strong seasonality: dry winters and wet summers

Subarctic

Dfc, Dfd

Source region near cP and A

Very large annual temperature ranges → short, cool summers and long, severe winters

Low annual precipitation but no dry season

Tundra

ET

Long, extremely cold winters and short/no summers

Very short growing season

Low annual precipitation → limited atmospheric moisture due to low temps

Urban climate

The alteration of local atmospheric conditions and earth

Atmospheric processes resulting from urbanization and associated human activities

Primary pollution

Emitted directly into the atmosphere, such as CO, NO2, SO2, and particulate matter

Secondary pollution

Forms through atmospheric chemical reactions such as ground level ozone

Hot Desert

BWh

Large DTR and extreme summer temps

Potential evaporation is more than twice precipation → low and irregular

Located below subtropical H

Cold Desert

BWk

Hot/warm summers, cold winters

Large diurnal and summer variations

Evaporation is more than twice precipitation → very low annual precipitation

Hot Steppe

BSh

Hot summers and mild winters Low annual

Large DTR

Annual precipitation is between half and estimate moisture requirement

Cold Steppe

BSk

Warm/hot summers, cool/cold winters

Large DTR and annual temp range

Annual precipitation between half and estimated moisture requirement

Urban heat island

City is hotter than its surroundings

Low albedo surfaces absorb more energy

Lack of trees and surface water decreases cooling from evaporation

Milankovitch cycles

Influence the timing of glacial and interglacial periods by altering the seasonal distribution of solar radiation

Change seasonal and latitudinal distribution of Insolation

Eccentricity

Orbit shape

100,000 year cycle

Caused by interaction with gravitational fields of Jupiter and Saturn

Low eccentricity

Earth-Sun distance changes little throughout the year, so distance related seasonal differences in Insolation are smaller

High eccentricity

Earth-Sun distance varies more, producing a larger contrast in solar radiation between aphelion and perihelion

Precession

Earth’s rotational axis wobbles like a spinning top, changing the direction it points in space

19-23,000 year cycle

Shifts the timing of aphelion and perihelion

Obliquity

Earth’s axial tit varies from 22.1-24.5 over a 41,000 year cycle

Controls the intensity of seasons, particularly at high latitudes

Lower tilt

Less extreme seasons, lower summer sun angle

Higher tilt

More extreme seasons