climates and biomes Flashcards
where is the equitorial climate found
5 degrees north and south from the equator
Characteristics of an equatorial climate
- Hot conditions ( usually above 26%)
- High levels of rainfall ( often over 2000mm per year)
- Rainfall mainly convectional and can fall on 250 days of year (Occurs frequently on days that are hot, in the afternoon at the same time of day)
- Lack of seasons
- Cloud cover varying ( being none in the morning and reaching cumulonimbus by afternoon)
- Very high humidities ( relative humidities of 100% being reached daily during the afternoon )
- Wind speeds are not very high because of the large amount of trees
- Low annual range of temperature ( 2 to 5 degrees)
- Diurnal range temperatures low ( 5 degrees)
- Annual distribution of rainfall, rains all year round
overall, the equitorial climate is
hot, humid, rainy, wet all year round
does the equitorial climate have seasons
no
FACTORS THAT AFFECT A PLACES CLIMATE (5)
latitude
proximity to sea
ocean currents
altitude
prevailing winds
how does proximity to sea affect climate
Distance from the sea is important as water takes up heat from the sea and emits it more slowly than land does. Coastal areas are cooler and wetter than inland areas. ( doesn’t affect equatorial)
does proximity to sea affect equitorial climate
NO
how does latitude affect climate
Locations with higher or lower latitude receive more or less sunlight and so can be hotter or colder( between 5d north and 5d south) ( affects equatorial)
does latitude affect equitorial climate
yes
how does ocean currents affect climate
If the ocean currents are warm than it is warmer and more humid and if the currents are cold the weather is cooler (doesn’t affect equatorial)
do ocean currents affect equatorial climate
NO
how does altitude affect climate
High-altitude areas usually experience cooler temperatures, more precipitation, strong winds, and
low air pressure and oxygen levels. In general air temperatures decreases with increasing altitudes.because air under the greater pressure of lower altitudes is denser and therefore warmer. As altitude increases so the pressure on the air is reduced and the air becomes cooler.
does altitude affect equatorial
NO
how do prevailing winds affect climate
The effect of wind on temperature depends on the characteristics of the wind.prevailing winds coming from the land lower the winter temperatures, but raise them in summer. This is because continental areas are very hot in summer but very cold in winter. Prevailing winds from the sea do the opposite; they lower the summer temperatures and raise them in winter.
If the winds come from the poles then they are cooler, if they come from the tropics they are warmer
WHY IS THE EQUATORIAL CLIMATE HOT
(2)
- The elevation of the sun is high because it is on the equator
- The sunrays are direct and more focused on the equator meaning these regions are hotter.
WHY IS IT RARELY VERY HOT IN THE EQUATORIAL CLIMATE
(3)
- Because there is so much cloud cover, a lot of the insolation is reflected and goes back into outer space
- Insolation- incoming solar rays
- Also because of day length, 12h of daylight and 12h of darkness
WHY IS IT HOT ALL YEAR ROUND IN EQUATORIAL CLIMATE
Because there are no seasons and the heat the land receives by the sun is almost the same throughout the year leading to no significant change in the climatic conditions of the region
The sun’s elevation is high all year round
Why is there a small diurnal range of temperature in the equatorial climate?
Because there are a lot of clouds that trap heat, less heat is lost at night meaning the diurnal range is low
TYPE OF RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH EQUATORIAL CLIMATE
convectional rainfall
how is convectional rainfall formed
The sun heats the Earth’s surface, especially during the day.
The ground warms the air above it, making it hot and moist.
The warm air rises because it is less dense (convection).
As it rises, the air cools.
When the air cools to its dew point, condensation occurs.
Cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds form from the condensed water vapor.
Water droplets in the clouds join together and grow larger.
When they become too heavy, they fall as heavy rain.
Rainfall is often short but intense, and may include thunderstorms.
Once the currents stop ( when the sun starts to set, all the waterfalls ( once the sun sets it stops heating and the convection then stops so it starts to rain)
Heavy rainfall that doesn’t last long as it gets dumped and then the clouds go away during the evening
what is convectional rainfall
Heavy rainfall that doesn’t last long as it gets dumped and then the clouds go away during the evening
WHY DOES IT RAIN SO HEAVILY AND ALWAYS AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY ( USUALLY AFTERNOON) IN EQUATORIAL CLIMATE
Because the warmer air rises up and then expands, reaching a cooler layer and saturates them they then condense into clouds and the precipitation falls, this happens because the temperatures don’t vary a lot from day to day so this happens at the same time with the same temperatures every day.
Because the sun reaches its highest and hottest point at the same time every day and also sets so stops heating at the same time so the rain falls at that time
Once the sun sets, all the rain that was accumulated inside the clouds gets dropped in one go which is why it rains so heavily
what is the ITCZ
low pressure system that affects the equatorial climate
ITCZ stands for
ITCZ INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE
