Polar High Polar Front All seasons dry Cfb All seasons wet Csb Dry summer / wet
ID: 294718 • Letter: P
Question
Polar High Polar Front All seasons dry Cfb All seasons wet Csb Dry summer / wet winter Subtropical High 0" BWh All seasons dry Aw Wet summer dry winter ET & EF ITCZ All seasons wet Dfc & Dfd Dfb Aw Wet summer/ dry winter 30° Bs Bw Cfa BWh All seasons dry Subtropical High AW Am 0° Csb Dry summer / wet winter Af Cfb All seasons wet All seasons dry Polar Front 0 Polar High Figure 2: The presumed arrangement of Köppen climatic types on a hypothetical continent. (Adapted from McKnight, Physical Geography, 4th ed.) Figure 3: Idealized seasonal precipitation patterns and climates along the west coasts of continents Much of this pattern is due to thc seasonal shifts of the ITCZ and the subtropical highs. (From Hess, McKnight's Physical Geography, 12th ed.) 124Explanation / Answer
5. BS climate (steppe) is distributed within interior of continents and in the lee side of mountains. Both hot steppe (Bsh) and cold steppe (Bsk) are found. Winter and summer temperature varies greatly, moist air is blocked, thus very little precipitation, dry winds blow. These climate type is intermediate between desert and humid climate.
6. A classic Mediterranean climate is found in only few parts of the world. Mediterranean climates can be three types according to Koppen’s climatic classification –
Dry summer Cs = Csa Hot summer
Csb Warm summer
Csc Cold summer
This climate is characteristic of the narrow coastal band at about 35 degree north and south of the west coast. This can be explained by movement of subtropical high pressure system towards north. In this latitudes, in the summer, cold currents prevent rain to form and cause the weather to be dry and stable. In winter ocean currents shift and water warm, keeping weather mild.
7. Marine west climate is characterized by ample precipitation in all months. West coasts experience mid – latitude westerlies and and travelling frontal cyclones all year round. Frequent circulation of cyclone and storm system is responsible for this climate.
8. I am giving two reasons why eastern side of continents receive rain all year round, while western side remains dry.
Firstly, trade winds blow from east to west, causes abundant precipitation in east, but when it reaches west, the moisture gets consumed, air becomes dry, so no rainfall.
Secondly, cold boundary current makes western side of continents high pressure zones. So air sinks, cloud cannot form until air rises.
9,10. I cannot find proper reasons for these two questions.
11. D (Continental/microthermal climate) and E (Polar climate) cannot be found in southern hemisphere because these are characteristic of continental climates, but southern hemisphere is dominated by ocean, not continents.