Climate Pictures

Below are pictures representative of the various major climate regions of the world. Climate regions have their own unique weather patterns that produce unique plant and animal life. One can frequently identify with pictures the climate of a region.

The first picture, the VERTICAL CLIMATE, is found in mountainous areas and associated with major mountain ranges such as the HIMALAYA RANGE IN ASIA, ANDES OF SOUTH AMERICER, ALPS OF EUROPE, AND THE ROCKIES OF THE USA.

VERTICAL Climate (Switzerland)

The Vertical Climate features drastic changes in weather as the altitude increases or decreases. Vertical Climate is unique in that in mountain areas, various climate regions exist within close proximity of each other. Low on the mountain may be a desert climate. As the altitude increases, a forested region, seen above in the foreground, is often seen marking a Taiga like climate. Still higher, above the tree line, is an area of Tundra. At the top, where there is almost always ice and snow, is the Ice Cap.

STEPPE Climate (Mongolia, South Dakota

The Steppe Climate is generally found at altitudes above 6,000 feet and are marked by a mixture of low and high growing grasses. Rain is sparse in a Steppe Climate—enough for grasses but not enough for trees.

HUMID CONTINENTAL Climate (Ohio/Wisconsin)

Humid Continental Climate is very similar to our climate in Jackson—Humid Subtropical. The main difference is that winters are longer and temperatures colder than in Humid Subtropical areas.

MEDITERRANEAN Climate, California

The Mediterranean Climate is found in the Temperate Zones and is marked by a rainy season and a dry season. Normally, summers are very dry but winters produce a moderate amount of precipitation. Summer days get hot, but summer nights are usually cool. Winter temperatures are cool but rarely cold.

TAIGA Climate Alaska

The Taiga Climate is found in sub-polar regions in both hemispheres. Taiga Climate is marked by long, snowy, cold winters and by the evergreen trees that help identify the Taiga Climate. The Taiga is found just south of the Tundra regions that encircle the Arctic.

TUNDRA Climate (Alaska)

The Tundra is the coldest climate region inhabited by humans. Lapps in Europe and Native American Indians (sometimes called Eskimos) are the primary inhabitants of this region. Here, summers are short and cool. Winters are bitterly cold and feature little sunlight.

DESERT Climate (N. Africa, West Texas)

The RED portion of the map below clearly shows the prevalence of the hot desert climate in North Africa, the Middle East and Australia. You will likewise the presence of desert climate in the Southwestern United States.

The lighter shade of red depicts ‘cold deserts’. The most notable ‘cold’ desert is a high and dry plateau located in Central Asia and is called the Gobi Desert. The Gobi is cold because it is located at a high altitude. It is dry because the high mountains cast a RAIN SHADOW over the Gobi, where the mountains steal most of the humidity and moisture as it blows north from the Indian Ocean.

Technically, desert conditions exist where Evaporation exceeds Condensation. Therefore, all deserts are very dry.

As you can see from the map, desert climate has claimed a huge portion of Australia and much of North Africa. But check out Europe—you don’t see any arid, dry desert climate on that continent.

HUMID SUBTROPICAL Climate Map marked with green or yellow-green colors.

Humid Subtropical Climate (Florida, Tennessee)