outline further reading: chapter 09 of the text book - climate controls - temperature and...
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Outline
Further Reading: Chapter 09 of the text book
- climate controls
- temperature and precipitation influences
- climate classification methodology
Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(1 of 8)
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Where are we now?
Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(2 of 8)
• GG101, Part I (L02-L11)– General context/physical geography– Global radiation and energy system– Temperature regimes and temperature cycles
• Part II (L12-L22)– Focus on the dynamics/processes associated with weather and general circulation
• Global pressure and wind patterns, ocean circulation, etc.• Clouds, winds, fronts, air masses, etc…
• Part III (L23-L31)– Global climates and geographic distribution of climates (4 Lectures)– Climate Change (5 Lectures)
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Introduction
Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(3 of 8)
• Climate
– Long term average weather conditions at a given location
- averages and variations at different time scales
• Climate Controls
– The key variables we usually consider when talking about climate are temperature and precipitation
– These are generally controlled by the amount of radiation and general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans
– Other controls include
- Distribution of land, ocean
- Presence of mountain barriers
- Altitude
• Static Controls: Controls that don’t change with time
• Varying Controls: Controls that change with time
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Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(4 of 8)
Important Climate Variables• As mentioned there are two main variables to consider when defining climate
– Temperature• Main control on climate• Widely measured
– Precipitation• Much more complex than temperature• Whereas there are three main temperature regimes
(based on latitude) there are seven different precipitation regimes
– They are mentioned in the book– We will cover them as part of the climate regime
discussions– There are also different ways to “measure” these variables
• Annual mean • Seasonality
– Can be uniform– Winter peak, summer minimum– Winter minimum, summer peak
– Through the next set of lectures will be referring to climographs which depict the seasonal variations in both temperature and precipitation at a given location
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Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(5 of 8)
Temperature Influences
– Controlled by latitude, continental location, and altitude– Mean temperature increases with decreasing latitude, continental locations and lower
altitudes– Seasonality in temperature increases with increasing latitude, continental locations,
and high altitudes
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Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(6 of 8)
Precipitation Influences
– As mentioned, the influences on precipitation are much more complex– Must also account for the general circulation of the atmosphere and the influence of air
masses– For instance, Florida is considered a moist subtropical region because of the influence of
maritime air mases (mT) – However, Arizona is at the same latitude but there we find dry subtropical regions because
it is influenced by continental air masses (cT)
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Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(7 of 8)
Climate Classification Methodology-1
– Define regions with similar temperature and precipitation characteristics (both mean and seasonal variability)
– We will use one involving 3 latitude groups and 13 classes total
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Natural Environments: The AtmosphereGE 101 – Spring 2007
Boston University
Myneni L23: Climate Classification
Apr-21-07(8 of 8)
Climate Classification Methodology-2
– A traditional one discussed in the book is the Koeppen system of classification based purely on temperature/precipitation records
– The book uses a modification of this in order to highlight regions that have similar characteristics for similar reasons
– Hence, we will be focusing on the processes that control climate in various regions
– Overall this will entail looking at three latitude groups which are then subdivided into a total of 13 different climate regimes