Continentality & ClimateWorld Climate PatternsWorld Geo 3200/3202Unit 2, Chpt 4December 2010

Outcomes

•2.5.1 Define the term temperature range. (k)

•2.5.2 Analyze the relationship between range in temperature and distance from theocean. (a)

•2.5.5 Describe the relationship between seasonal level of precipitation and distance from the ocean. (k)

Temperature Range•The difference between the highest and

the lowest average monthly temperatures of a region.

•Regions with a large or high temperature range would experience extremes of temperature between hot summers & cold winters

•Regions with a small or low temperature range would have moderated temperatures with warm summers & cool winters

Continental vs. Maritime Climates•We usually find that as the distance from

the ocean increases the annual temperature range also increases.

•Continental climates experience greater extremes of temperature than coastal climates at the same latitude.

Continental vs. Maritime Climates•Continental Climate: climate that

develops away from the influence of the ocean accompanied by a large temperature range & low precipitation

•Maritime Climate: climate that is strongly influenced by the closeness to an ocean or other large water body accompanied by small temperature range & high precipitation

Continental vs. Maritime Climates

Continental Climates• The plains region of Saskatchewan, for example,

experience a continental climate.

• The winter temperatures are very cold. The summer temperatures are fairly hot.

• Large Temp Range..-40 to +40

• It is interesting to note that summer temperatures in Central Labrador are often higher than summer temperatures in the island portion of the province.

Maritime Climates

•Coastal Newfoundland would experience a Maritime climate.

•Mild winter temperatures

•Warm but not hot summers

•High precipitation / Low temp range

Moderating Effect of Water

•Bodies of water have a moderating effect on land temps

•Oceans & large lakes heat up & cool down more slowly than the surrounding land

• In summer, water remains cooler than land surrounding it. Winds from the water cool the surrounding land

Moderating Effect of Water• In winter, bodies of water retain their heat

& are warmer than the surrounding land

•Winds blowing off the water warm the surrounding countryside

•Therefore, maritime locations near a large body of water, have cool summers & milder winters than continental locations far from the water body

Climate Graphs

Climate Graphs

•You will need to understand climate graphs to analyze climate statistics.

•The left scale indicates the temperature and it is graphed as a line, blue is common.

•The right scale is for precipitation and is graphed as a bar graph, red is common.

Climate Graphs

•Used to help study the temperature & precipitation of a particular place

•Shows the cycle of temp & precip over a 12 month period

•Bar graph & line graph

Climate graph Features

•Precipitation•Temperature•Months•Title•Labels

Climate Graphs

•Bar Graph – On a climate graph, bars are used to show the total amount of precipitation over the course of any given month

•Precipitation is indicated by mm (millimetres)

Climate Graphs

•Line Graph – on a climate graph, a line is used to indicate the average monthly temperature

•Temperature is indicated by degrees Celsius

Developing Climate Graphs

•Text book page 138•Plot the data contained in both station A

and in station B using the blank climate graphs provided