Región defined by climate:Ireland

Climate

The climate of a place is the average weather experienced there over a period of time, usually around 30 years.

Around the world there are many different climate types influencing the type of flora, fauna, soil and human activities that take place there.

Different climatic zones around the world include hot, temperate and cold. In this essay I will discuss the cool temperate oceanic climate of Ireland.

Cool temperate oceanic climate

A cool temperate oceanic climate is experienced between a latitude of 40 degrees and 50 degrees north and south of the equator.

This is mainly found on the western edges of continents.

Temperatures in this climate range from 15-20 degrees Celsius in the Summer months and during the Winter the average temperature is 6-10 degrees Celsius.

This is known as a moderate climate and the temperature is highly influenced by Irelands latitude. Rainfall is lower on the east coast of Ireland in comparison to the West, this is because the West is mountainous and a lot of relief rainfall occurs there.

Relief rainfall occurs in areas where clouds are forced to rise above the higher land causing it to rain. On average in the West the average rainfall is 1000-1400mm but can exceed 2000mm at times if there are longer periods of heavy rain.

In the East the average rainfall is between 750mm and 1000mm, relatively lower than the West because of the rain shadow effect.

Frontal depressions

Frontal depressions bring changeable weather to Ireland as they cross over the island. Frontal depressions occur when a tropical air mass meets a polar air mass at a latitude of 60 degrees north (closer to the poles).

As the depression moves east it will bring a variety of weather with it. In the Summer, the Azores high pressure belt influences the country and anti-cyclonic conditions are common.

The Azores High is an area of semi-permanent high pressure, found south of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. This results in warmer temperatures, clear skies and relatively dry weather conditions.

The Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean has a major influence on Irelands climate. The North Atlantic Drift keeps Winter temperatures warmer than expected as well as cooler Summer temperatures.

This current also stops Irelands coastline freezing when Winter temperatures drop allowing for a better success of fishing ports.

The prevailing winds in Ireland come from the South West and are another influential factor to Irelands climate. These are warm winds coming from the equator, bringing warmth and moisture from the Atlantic Ocean as they cross to Ireland.

This brings warm winds and light showers to Ireland.

Fertile soils and animals

Irelands climate results in a lot of Brown Earth Soils in the East of the country, these are fertile soils due to the moderate level of rainfall.

The West have less fertile soils as the rainfall causes leaching and soils become infertile over time. The fertile soils of the East produce deciduous forests containing trees such as Oak and Beech.

Podzol soils in the West are acidic and are favoured by coniferous forests.

The climate in Ireland also impacts the types of animals that live here. Because of the climate Ireland is home to many farm animals e.g. cows, sheep, goats and poultry.

Deer, mountain sheep, hedgehog and shrews are also common here. The fauna of Ireland is influenced by and influences the soils and flora that grow here but are also factors of the climate type.

From this essay it is clear that the cool temperate oceanic climate of Ireland is a defining factor of the region.