Climates and landscapes1st ESO

Maira Gil Camarón

THE EARTH’S CLIMATES

HOT CLIMATES EquatorialTropical

TEMPERATE CLIMATES

OceanicMediterraneanContinental

COLD CLIMATES PolarAlpine or Mountain

DESERT CLIMATES Hot desert (hot zone)Cold desert (temperate zone)

Climate Biome Area Temperature

Precipitat ions Rivers VegetationAnimals

Inhabitants

Equatorial

Tropical

Oceanic

Mediterra-nean

Continental

Polar

Alpine or Mountain

Desert

Hot climatesEQUATORIAL

It covers the narrow strip to the north and south of the equator

Temperature: it’s constantly high (25ºC all year round)Annual precipitation levels exceed 2000 mm and the

amount of precipitations is distributed regularly over the year one hot and humid season

Rivers are regular and have a high volume of waterVegetation The biome is TROPICAL RAINFOREST

OR JUNGLE. It consists of dense woodland (green all year round): very different vegetation species which are distributed at different heights and therefore compete for light and space

Inhabitants:Rainforests in South America and Africa are sparsely

populated and inhabitants live from fruit, hunting animals and basic farming

Asian jungles are more densely populated with plantations of rice, sugar cane, tea and latex to make rubber

TROPICAL It extends from the equatorial zone to the edges of

the tropicsTemperatures don’t fall below 18ºPrecipitation levels are high but the amount of

precipitation is irregular: it is divided into a summer rainy season and a winter dry season

You can find two subtypes: humid tropical zone (which dry season lasts three months) and the dry tropical zone (which dry season lasts more than three months). As a result, the water levels in rivers vary greatly across the seasons

Vegetation depends on precipitation levels:Humid zones: The biome is TROPICAL WOODLAND

(similar to equatorial zones, but less dense and taller)Dry zones: The biome is SAVANNA tall grasses, scrub

plants and trees with a horizontally spreading crown (acacia, baobab)

Inhabitants of the savanna:People in some indigenous villages keep animals and raise

l ivestockOther villages depend on agriculture and practice crop

rotationThere are also foreign-owned plantations of cacao,

coffee, sugar and tea

Temperate climatesMEDITERRANEAN

It is located around the Mediterranean Sea and in areas of Western America, Africa and Australia

Temperature: there is little contrast, since it close to the sea winters are mild and summers are warm/hot (over 22ºC)

Precipitation levels are moderate, between 300-800 mm per year. They are also irregular and there is a summer dry season

Rivers: they have a low volume of water level in the summer

Vegetation: MEDITERRANEAN FOREST small, perennial trees with coarse bark and small leaves (oak, cork and pine). There are numerous shrubs (kermes oak, rock rose, thyme, rosemary...)

Humans and the environmentAreas with a steep relief, poor soil and little water have been

converted into dryland farming areas for cereals, grapes and olives

The construction of canals and dams has allowed for irrigated farming to grow fruits and vegetables

Vegetables like peppers, fruits like strawberries and flowers are grown in greenhouses

OCEANIC It is located along the western borders of the continentsTemperatures are fairly constant and moderate, given the

influence of the sea winters are not very cold (never falling below -3ºC) and summers are cool (not going above an average of 22ºC)

Precipitation levels are high, at over 800 mm per year. They are also regular and there is no dry season or month

Rivers: they have a constantly high volume of waterVegetation: the characteristic biome is DECIDUOUS

WOODLAND. It is made up of tall trees (oak, beech) with straight trunks and large leaves that fall in autumn. In colder areas where woodland has been destroyed, vegetation consists of scrubland and grass meadows: HEATHLAND

Humans and the environmentWestern Europe: forests have been cut down to make

pastures for livestock or fields for crops, such as corn and potatoes

North America, Southern Chile and Argentina , there are still many forests

Australia and New Zealand: there is a lot of grassland, allowing for extensive livestock

CONTINENTAL It is located in inland continental regionsTemperature: there is a contrast in the climatic temperatures

owing to the distance from the sea winters are very cold (below -3ºC) and summers are warm or hot

Precipitation levels are moderate (300-800 mm per year) and tend to fall in summer and appear as snow in winter

Rivers freeze in winter and their levels rise in spring, when the water melts . They have a high volume of water in summer

Vegetation varies according to latitude and precipitation levels . From north to south, this biome includes TAIGA (coniferous woodland with trees that have needle-shaped leaves as pine and fir trees), along with GRASSLAND, consisting of high grasses. This kind of vegetation diminishes when precipitation levels fall, creating STEPPES

Humans and the environmentThe trees of the taiga are used to make cellulose, which is

then made into paperThe steppes are used for raising livestock and growing

cereals

Cold climatesPOLAR CLIMATE

It is located between the Arctic and Antarctic Circles and their corresponding North and South PolesGLACIAL ENVIRONMENT covers the polar ice caps.PERIGLACIAL ENVIRONMENT, or edges of the polar

regions.Temperatures are very low all year round and the average

never reaches 10ºC. However, in the glacial environment temperatures are always below 0ºC and in the periglacial environment they reach above 0ºC.

Precipitation generally falls as snow, although it is scarce (below 250-300mm). There is almost no precipitation on the polar ice caps the intense cold favours the formation of anticyclones

Liquid water is only present in the periglacial environment when temperatures rive above 0ºC. Then, large areas of surface water form on the permanently frozen subsoil, also known as permafrost

Vegetation:Glacial environment there is no vegetation as all the

surface is permanently covered by icePeriglacial environment vegetation has to adapt to very

hash conditions: long periods with little light, very low winter temperatures, strong winds... These characteristics prevent tree growth. TUNDRA is the predominant vegetation and it’s composed of very low-lying plants (mosses and lichens) which take advantage of the short summer in order to germinate in the flooded soil and produce roots and leaves

Humans and the environmentEskimos live in the tundra of North America, where they form

villages dedicated to hunting and fishingThe Sami people raise herds of reindeer in Northern Scandinavia

MOUNTAIN / ALPINE The mountain biome can be

found at any latitude. Mountainous areas have a different climate to those that surround them (altitude modifies a number of climate elements)Temperature drops 0.6ºC each

100 meters above the sea levelPrecipitation increases

Vegetation has to adapt to harsh conditions. This results in altitudinal zones that change at intervals from the base of mountains to their peaks

Humans and the environmentThe inhabitants of this area raise livestock, log forests,

generate hydroelectric power and farm the landTourists also come to the mountains to go skiing, mountain

climbing and hiking

Desert climatesHOT DESERT

In the hot zone, it is located near the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The dry conditions found there result from permanent high pressure Sahara

Marked contrast in temperature: it is high al l year long and the sharpest contrasts are between daytime and night-time temperatures

Precipitation level are low and irregular in all deserts: less than 150 mm per year

There are no rivers in the desert but there are wadis, or dry riverbeds that contain water only at certain times of the year

Vegetation is scarce and has to adapt to aridity . In hot deserts, vegetation is low-lying and spread out (cacti and thorny scrubs). In oases we can find palm groves

Humans and the environmentDeserts are sparsely populated. Group of pastoral nomads

live there with herds of sheep and camelsSettlements can be found near oases, which receive water

from underground sources or from mountains

COLD DESERTSThey are located in temperate zones, in the inland areas

of the continents. This type of desert is arid, owing to continental conditions such as an excessive distance from the sea (Gobi Desert) and mountainous terrain, which prevent the movement of oceanic humidity

Temperatures vary throughout the year: summers are very hot and winters are very cold

Precipitation are low and irregular in all desertsVegetation on the STEPPES: low-lying grasses and isolated

shrubs predominate

Human impact on the environmentPROBLEMS WHICH AFFECT VEGETATION AND SOIL

Deforestation: removing plants and trees and burning or felling forest in order to gain land for agricultural and livestock farming, residential use... soil erosion increases since the fertile layer of the soil is lost and undergoes desertification

PROBLEMS AFFECTING WATER ON EARTH Overexploitation: the excessive consumption of fresh water as a result

of agrarian, urban and industrial use volume of water in rivers/aquifers drops

Pollution: chemical product on water

ATMOSPHERIC PROBLEMS Global warming: it is caused by the increasing greenhouse effect,

produce by excessive CO2 or other gasses emissions the average temperature of Earth is rising

Atmospheric pollution is the result of harmful emissions from power stations, central heating systems... acid rain and the hole in the ozone layer