climate zones essay

Climate Zones of the United States Essay

The types of climate zones, atmospheric currents.

The U.S. is a vast country and is home to almost every type of climate zones. The four types of climate zones generally are polar, temperate, tropical climates, and deserts (Rohli and Vega 180). All of their subtypes can be spotted in the U.S.: from arctic and subarctic in Alaska to tropical in the Hawaiian Islands, California, and Florida. In general, the majority of the territory belongs to a temperate (continental) climate, humid in the east and dry in the west, with hot summers and cold winters.

The tropical climate can be seen in Florida and Hawaii, the warmest regions of the U.S., winters here are warm, and summers are scorching. The desert climate is in Arizona and eastern California where the Death Valley and the Grand Canyon can be found as examples. The polar climate zone with freezing winters and cool summers is influencing the nature of the Northern Interior, Great Lakes, and New England. There are other climate subtypes such as Mediterranean (South Florida), temperate oceanic (Pacific Northwest).

One of the fundamental factors determining the climate in the United States is the presence of atmospheric currents, which carry air masses and moisture from the North Pacific Ocean on the continent. The moist Pacific cyclones abundantly irrigate the northwestern coast of the country with rain or snow (Rohli and Vega 185). As for the southern regions of the U.S., in California, precipitation mainly falls in the fall and winter, so summer is dry and hot there. A barrier arises in the form of the Pacific mountains and the Rocky Mountains on the way the air masses move inland. Because of this, the region of the Intermontane Plateau and the western part of the Great Plains is almost always dry. Also, the climate of the United States of America is greatly influenced by the warm tropical air currents coming here from the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

Rohli, Robert V., and Anthony J. Vega. Climatology . Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2017.

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Bibliography

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What Are the Major Climate Zones?

Climate zones dictate the weather and plant life native to a region.

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The Discovery of Earth’s Climate Zones

The main climate zones, regional climate zones.

• Do Earth's Climate Zones Shift?

Earth's climate zones—the horizontal belts of different climates that encircle the planet—consist of tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar zones.  

These major climate zones exist thanks to Earth’s diverse landscapes. Each country is located at a specific latitude and elevation, next to either a particular landmass, body of water, or both. As a result, they are impacted differently by certain ocean currents or winds. Likewise, a location’s temperatures and precipitation patterns are influenced in a unique way. And it’s this unique mix of influences that yields different climate types.

As abstract as climate zones may seem, they remain a key tool for understanding earth’s many biomes , tracking the extent of climate change, determining plant hardiness , and more.

The concept of climate zones dates back to ancient Greece. In the 6th century B.C., a pupil of Pythagoras was the first to suggest the idea.

A few centuries later, the famous Greek scholar Aristotle hypothesized that the earth’s five circles of latitude (the Arctic Circle, Tropic of Capricorn, Tropic of Cancer, Equator, and Antarctic Circle) divided the Northern and Southern hemispheres into a torrid, temperate, and frigid zone. However, it was Russian-German scientist Wladimir Köppen who, in the early 1900s, created the climate classification scheme we use today.

Because little climate data existed at that time, Köppen, who also studied botany, began observing the relationship between plants and climate. If a species of plant needed special temperatures and rainfall to grow, he thought, then a location’s climate could be inferred simply by observing the plant life native to that area.

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Using his botanical hypothesis, Köppen determined that five major climates exist worldwide: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar.

Tropical (A)

Tropical climate zones lie near the Equator and have continually high temperatures and high precipitation. All months have average temperatures above 64 degrees F (18 degrees C), and 59 plus inches (1,499 mm) of annual rainfall is normal.

Dry or arid climate zones experience high temperatures year-round, but little annual precipitation. 

Temperate (C)

Temperate climates exist in Earth’s middle latitudes and are influenced by both the land and water that surrounds them. In these zones, wider temperature ranges are experienced throughout the year, and seasonal variations are more distinct.

Continental (D)

Continental climates also exist in the mid-latitudes, but as the name implies, they’re generally found at the interiors of large landmasses. These zones are characterized by temperatures that swing from cold in winter to warm in summer, and moderate precipitation that occurs mostly in the warmer months or as snowstorms in the colder months.

Polar climate zones are too harsh to support vegetation. Both winters and summers are very cold, and the warmest month has an average temperature below 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).

In later years, scientists added a sixth major climate zone—the highland climate. It includes the variable climates found in the world’s high mountain regions and plateaus.

What's With All the Letters?

As seen on Köppen-Geiger climate maps, each climate zone is abbreviated by a string of two or three letters. The first letter (always capitalized) describes the main climate group. The second letter indicates precipitation patterns (wet or dry). And if there’s a third letter present, it describes the climate’s temperatures (hot or cold).

Köppen’s five climate groups do a good job of telling us where the world’s hottest, coldest, and in-between climates are, but they don’t capture how local geographical features, such as mountains or lakes, influence seasonal precipitation and temperatures. Realizing this, Köppen split his main categories into subcategories called regional climates .

Some of the above climate subzones can be further classified by temperature. For example, deserts can be either "hot" or "cold" depending on whether their average annual temperature is above 64 degrees F (18 degrees C) or below it. When you consider the five major climate zones, plus this cornucopia of subzones, a total of more than 30 unique regional climate zones exist.

Do Earth's Climate Zones Shift?

As temperature and precipitation patterns across a region change, the region’s climate zone, which is based on those parameters, will also change. Between 1950 and 2010, human-caused climate change shifted nearly six percent of the global land area toward warmer and drier climate types, according to a 2015 study in Scientific Reports .  

Mahmud, Khandakar Hasan, et al. " Development of Climate Classification Map for Bangladesh Based on Koppen's Climate Classification ." The Jahangirnagar Review , vol. 39, 2015, pp. 23-36.

" Climate Zones ." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .

Chen, Hans W. " Koppen Climate Classification ."

Chan, Duo and Qigang Wu. " Significant Anthropogenic-Induced Changes of Climate Classes Since 1950 ." Scientific Reports , vol. 5, 2015, 13487, doi:10.1038/srep13487

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Climate Systems and Change

Climate zones and biomes.

A climate zone results from the climate conditions of an area: its temperature, humidity, amount and type of precipitation, and the season. A climate zone is reflected in a region’s natural vegetation. Perceptive travelers can figure out which climate zone they are in by looking at the vegetation, even if the weather is unusual for the climate on that day.

The major factors that influence climate determine the different climate zones. In general, the same type of climate zone will be found at similar latitudes and in similar positions on nearly all continents, both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The one exception to this pattern is the climate zones called the continental climates, which are not found at higher latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the Southern Hemisphere land masses are not wide enough to produce a continental climate.

The most common system used to classify climatic zones is the Köppen classification system . This system is based on the temperature , the amount of precipitation , and the times of year when precipitation occurs. Since climate determines the type of vegetation that grows in an area, vegetation is used as an indicator of climate type.

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A climate type and its plants and animals make up a biome . The organisms of a biome share certain characteristics around the world, because their environment has similar advantages and challenges. The organisms have adapted to that environment in similar ways over time. For example, different species of cactus live on different continents, but they have adapted to the harsh desert in similar ways.

The Köppen classification system recognizes five major climate groups, each with a distinct capital letter A through E. Each lettered group is divided into subcategories. Some of these subcategories are forest (f), monsoon (m), and wet/dry (w) types, based on the amount of precipitation and season when that precipitation occurs .

• Dynamic Earth: Introduction to Physical Geography. Authored by : R. Adam Dastrup. Located at : http://www.opengeography.org/physical-geography.html . Project : Open Geography Education. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• World Koppen Classification (with authors). Authored by : Peel, M. C., Finlayson, B. L., and McMahon, T. A. (University of Melbourne). Enhanced, modified, and vectorized by Ali Zifan. Located at : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_Koppen_Classification_(with_authors).svg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
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The Climate Zones Of The World

Climate can be defined as the average weather conditions in a region over a prolonged period, i.e., about 30 years or more. Specifically, climate refers to the mean variability of different meteorological variables, like temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, humidity, and wind, over a long time. The Earth’s tilt greatly influences the climate of a region along with its geographical location, topography, land use, elevation, and currents from adjacent water bodies. It is believed that the enormous diversity of life on Earth is primarily due to the different varieties of climates that exist and a result of the climate change events that have taken place in the past.

The distinct horizontal belt-shaped areas of the Earth that are characterized by unique weather patterns and characteristics are referred to as climate zones. The concept of climate zones was first introduced in 1884 by the well-known German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen in his Köppen climate classification , which is currently one of the most widely used climate classification systems. As the climate of a particular region affects the presence of plant and animal life in that region, the climate zones can also be used to correlate the climate associated with the different biomes . Therefore, it is essential to categorize the world’s climate into different climate zones, which can further help various climatologists understand the climatic conditions in different regions and track any changes in them.

Climate Zones

As per the Köppen Climate Classification, the climate of a region can be categorized into five broad climate groups, each based on the seasonal characteristics of temperature and precipitation. Each of these broad groups is further subdivided into different subgroups. The broad groups are denoted by capital letters A, B, C, D, and E, while the subgroups are represented by small letters f,m,w, and s.

These Are the Five Broad Climate Groups:

• A – Tropical Climate
• B – Dry Climate
• C – Temperate Climate
• D – Continental Climate
• E – Polar Climate

Group A – Tropical Climate

Denoted by the letter A, Tropical Climate is the foremost among the five major climate groups in the Köppen Climate Classification. Tropical climates can be defined as having a monthly mean temperature of 64.4°F or more during cooler months while having hot temperatures with slight variation throughout the year. The regions experiencing tropical climates receive intense sunlight besides abundant annual precipitation.

This type of climate is mainly experienced in tropical regions located below the 23.5° latitude in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the Earth. Tropical regions include the areas around the Equator , Central Africa , the southern parts of Asia , Central America , the Pacific Ocean Islands , parts of North Australia , and the north-central parts of South America . The tropical climate group is further subdivided into three subgroups: Tropical rainforest climate (Af), Tropical monsoon climate (Am), and Tropical wet and dry climate (Aw or As).

Tropical rainforest climate (Af)

Also referred to as Equatorial climate, this tropical climate subtype, denoted by Af, is witnessed in regions within 10 to 15° north and south latitudinal ranges from the Equator. The areas experiencing this type of climate have high mean yearly temperatures (70°F to 85°F), small temperature ranges, and no distinct dry or wet seasons, as there is high rainfall throughout the year.  Some regions that experience this type of climate include the islands of the East Indies, the Northern Congo Basin of Africa, and the upper Amazon Basin of South America. Due to high precipitation all through the year, this region has several kinds of trees. The natural vegetation unique to the tropical rainforest climate regions includes bananas, bougainvillea, Bengal bamboo, coconut tree, curare, and durian.

Tropical Monsoon Climate (Am)

Also referred to as sub-equatorial climate, this tropical climate subtype, denoted by Am, is witnessed in South and Southeast Asia; West and Central Africa; Central America; the central portion of South America; and parts of Northern Australia, North America , and the Caribbean . The regions experiencing this type of climate have mean monthly temperatures of more than 64°F, small yearly temperature ranges, uneven precipitation throughout the year (with heavy rainfall during summer), and a short dry season during winter. The natural vegetation unique to the tropical monsoon climate regions includes bamboo, deodar, rosewood, sandalwood, and teak.

Tropical Wet And Dry Climate (Aw or As)

Also referred to as tropical savanna climate, this tropical climate subtype is represented by Aw for dry winter and As for dry summer. Tropical savanna climate is commonly witnessed in Asia, Central Africa, and parts of Northern and Eastern Australia, Central America, North America, South America, the Pacific Islands, and some Caribbean Islands. The average yearly temperature ranges between 68°F and 86°F, while the annual precipitation varies between 700 to 1000 mm. Winter is usually the driest, with less than 60 mm of rainfall. The regions experiencing a savanna climate are covered by flat grassland vegetation, including lemongrass, red oats grass, Rhodes grass, star grass, elephant grass, etc.

Group B – Dry Climate

Also referred to as desert climate or arid climate, this type of climate is seen in regions where there is an excess of evaporation compared to the amount of precipitation received. It is to be noted that if an area’s yearly precipitation is less than 50% of the total precipitation, then it is categorized as desert climate or BW; whereas if the yearly precipitation is between 50 to 100% of the total precipitation, it is categorized as semi-arid or steppe climate. After polar climate, hot desert climates are the Earth’s second-most common climate type covering over 14.2% of the planet’s land area. The Dry Climate group is further divided into two subgroups: hot desert climate (BWh) and cold desert climate (BWk).

Hot Desert Climate (BWh)

This subtype of dry climate is mostly experienced in subtropical regions between 20° and 30° north and south latitudes across vast areas of North Africa, northwestern portions of the Indian subcontinent , Western Asia, interiors of Australia, northern Mexico , coastal areas of Peru , Chile , and Southwestern United States . During summers, the average temperature ranges between 84°F to 95°F, with midday temperatures varying between 109°F to 115°F. In contrast, during colder months, the night temperatures can drop below freezing under clear skies.

Cold desert climate (BWk)

This subtype is experienced in temperate regions that are located in the rain shadow area of high mountains. Cold desert climates are found at higher altitudes compared to hot desert climates and have hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters. Some of the regions experiencing this type of climate include the Gobi Desert , Patagonian Desert , Taklamakan Desert , parts of the Great Basin Desert , the Ladakh region, etc.

Group C – Temperate climate

The climate type is seen in the mid-latitude areas, which are placed between tropical and polar regions . Compared to tropical climates, the regions with a temperate climate have wide temperature ranges throughout the year as well as distinct seasonal variations. Temperate climates are not only influenced by latitudinal positions but also by the direction of prevailing winds, sea currents, size of landmass, and elevation. Based on monthly temperature, rainfall, and the coldest month, the temperate climate group can be further subdivided into several smaller climate zones. These are:

Humid subtropical climate (Cfa)

Marked by long, hot, humid summers and cool, mild winters, this climate zone is usually experienced on the southeastern portion of all continents except Antarctica , between 25° and 40° latitudes. The average temperature during the coldest month varies between 27° F and 64°F, whereas the average temperature during the warmest month is about 72°F or more. Rainfall is mostly experienced during the summer months and is accompanied by intense thunderstorms and often tropical cyclones . Winter rainfall is frequently associated with large storms steered by the westerlies .  

Temperate oceanic climate (Cfb)

This humid temperate climate subtype is characterized by warm summers and cool winters with fewer temperature extremes. Oceanic climates are experienced in regions placed between 45 and 63° latitude in both hemispheres, particularly in parts of New Zealand , Tasmanian Central Highlands, southern Chile, the northwestern part of America, and northwestern Europe . During the coldest month, the mean temperature is about 32°F or more, whereas, during the warmest month, the mean temperature is less than 72°F. Therefore, in comparison to regions with a continental climate, summers are quite cooler for regions experiencing an oceanic climate.

Subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc)

The areas with this type of climate are placed close to the polar regions and experience long, mild winters and short, cool summers. These areas also receive comparatively more snowfall than other places with a temperate oceanic climate. The average monthly temperature in this climate zone does not fall below 26.6°F, and during the warmest month, the daytime maximum temperature remains below 63°F. Subpolar oceanic climate is experienced in parts of coastal Iceland , Scotland , northwestern Norway , the Faroe Islands , Aleutian Islands , Argentina , Chile, and the Southern Alps.

Monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Cwa)

The areas with this type of climate experience hot summers and dry winters. During the coldest month, the average temperature remains above 32°F. The average temperature for at least one month is about 71.6°F, while for four months, the mean temperature is more than 50°F.

Subtropical highland climate (Cwb)

Also referred to as monsoon-influenced temperate oceanic climate, this type of climate is experienced in high-elevation areas placed either within tropical or subtropical regions. The areas having this type of climate receive less precipitation during winter months compared to other low-elevation regions at similar latitudes. Places in the tropical regions that experience this type of climate have spring-like weather all through the year. Subtropical highland climate dominates the high-elevation areas of south and southeastern Africa; the western part of Africa as far as the southwestern Angola highlands; the eastern part of Africa upto Mozambique , parts of Sri Lanka , Grand Atlas Mountains, the mountainous regions of North, Central, and South America, and parts of southern Europe.

Cold subtropical highland climate (Cwc)

Places with this type of climate experience short summers and less than four months having average temperatures of more than 50°F. The cold subtropical highland climate is seen in places like El Alto in Bolivia and parts of Sichuan and Yunnan in China .

Hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa)

Also known as the typical Mediterranean climate, this subtype of Mediterranean climate is experienced in areas around the Mediterranean Sea , parts of Central Asia, southern Australia, northern parts of Iran and Iraq , and interior parts of California , southern Oregon , and along the Wasatch Front in Utah . Places with this type of climate have extremely hot and dry summers and mild, wet winters. The average monthly temperature is around 71.6°F during the warmest month and between 64°F and 27°F during the coldest month.

Warm summer Mediterranean climate (Csb)

Often referred to as the cool summer Mediterranean climate, this subtype of Mediterranean climate is experienced in the Pacific Northwest , northwestern Iberian Peninsula , parts of South Africa , South Australia, and central Chile. Places with this type of climate have warm, dry summers and chilly, rainy winters. The factors that are responsible for the warm summer Mediterranean climate include high latitudes, cool ocean currents, and upwelling.

Cold summer Mediterranean climate (Csc)

This subtype of Mediterranean climate is quite rare and is mainly found in the high-altitude areas along the western coasts of North and South America. Places with this type of climate experience cool, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

Group D – Continental Climate

Continental climates are mostly experienced in the mid-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, within expansive landmasses where the prevailing winds blow overhead, and temperatures are not moderated by adjacent water bodies. These regions have hot summers and cold winters, with variable weather patterns and significant temperature variations. Precipitation in these regions is received mostly during the warmer months from conventional showers and frontal cyclones.

Hot summer humid continental climate (Dfa)

In this subtype of continental climate, the average temperature during the warmest month (July or August) is around 71.6°F. Hot summer humid continental climate is experienced in various parts of North America, including central and southeastern Canada and the central and eastern United States. In addition, this type of climate is also experienced in East-Central Asia, interior parts of Eurasia , and parts of India .

Warm summer humid continental climate (Dfb)

In this subtype of continental climate, the average temperature during the warmest month remains less than 72°F. Also referred to as hemiboreal climate, the warm summer humid continental climate is experienced in large portions of North America, Central, and Eastern Europe, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Andes Mountains of South America, and the Snowy Mountains of Australia.

In addition to the above-mentioned subtypes, a humid continental climate is also represented by a Monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Dwa), Monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate (Dwb), Mediterranean-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Dsa), and Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate (Dsb).

Subarctic climate (Dfc)

Also known as subpolar climate, this type of continental climate is experienced in regions located at 50° to 70°N latitudes, in large landmasses far away from the oceans. In the Köppen Climate Classification, this climate type is also represented by Monsoon-influenced subarctic climate (Dwc), Mediterranean-influenced subarctic climate (Dsc), Extremely cold subarctic climate (Dfd), Monsoon-influenced extremely cold subarctic climate (Dwd), and Mediterranean-influenced extremely cold subarctic climate (Dsd). Parts of Northern Eurasia and North America that experience subarctic climates have long, extremely cold winters and short, mild summers. The average temperatures can drop below -58°F during winters and remain around 79°F during summers.

Monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Dwa)

This subtype of humid continental climate is characterized by hot, wet summers and cool, dry winters. During the coldest month, the average temperature remains below 32°F, while all months have average temperatures below 71.6°F and at least four months averaging more than 50°F. About ten times rainfall is received during the wet months of the summer season in areas experiencing this type of climate.

Group E – Polar Climate

Polar climate is mainly experienced by the polar regions, which are located far away from the Equator and close to the poles. This climate group is characterized by cool summers and extremely cold winters, with an average monthly temperature of less than 50°F. Polar climate is further categorized into two types: tundra climate (ET) and ice cap climate (EF).

Tundra Climate (ET)

This polar climate subtype is experienced in high mountainous and high latitude areas (like parts of Iceland, Aleutian Islands), where there is at least one-month having an average temperature of more than 32°F, but no month where average temperatures are over 50°F.

Ice Cap Climate (EF)

This polar climate subtype is experienced in areas close to high latitudes to polar regions such as Antarctica, Russia , and the northernmost islands of Canada . In these areas, which are covered by a permanent ice layer and devoid of any vegetation, there is not a single month where the average temperature exceeds 32°F.  

The above discussion explains in detail the various climate zones of the Earth. Knowledge of climate zones is extremely essential to understand the earth’s biomes, identifying species under threat due to changing climate, and determining which crops can grow best in certain climatic regions. Moreover, climate zone maps can help researchers to track how climate change and global warming can impact ecosystems. At present times, the climate zones are expected to change with shifting precipitation patterns across regions and a rise in global temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. A study published in Scientific Reports has revealed that between 1950 and 2010, anthropogenic climate change shifted about 6% of the global land area towards warmer and drier climate types. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to design necessary measures to tackle climate variability and changing environmental conditions all across the globe.

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What Are the Different Climate Types?

• Continental

Climate is the average weather conditions in a place over a long period of time—30 years or more. And as you probably already know, there are lots of different types of climates on Earth.

For example, hot regions are normally closest to the equator. The climate is hotter there because the Sun’s light is most directly overhead at the equator. And the North and South Poles are cold because the Sun’s light and heat are least direct there.

The snow-covered peaks of the Chigmit Range during winter. Credit: NPS/M. Cahill 2015

Using this information, in the late 1800s and early 1900s a German climate scientist named Wladimir Koppen divided the world's climates into categories. His categories were based on the temperature, the amount of precipitation, and the times of year when precipitation occurs. The categories were also influenced by a region’s latitude—the imaginary lines used to measure our Earth from north to south from the equator.

Today, climate scientists split the Earth into approximately five main types of climates. They are:

A: Tropical. In this hot and humid zone, the average temperatures are greater than 64°F (18°C) year-round and there is more than 59 inches of precipitation each year.

B: Dry. These climate zones are so dry because moisture is rapidly evaporated from the air and there is very little precipitation.

C: Temperate. In this zone, there are typically warm and humid summers with thunderstorms and mild winters.

D. Continental. These regions have warm to cool summers and very cold winters. In the winter, this zone can experience snowstorms, strong winds, and very cold temperatures—sometimes falling below -22°F (-30°C)!

E: Polar. In the polar climate zones, it’s extremely cold. Even in summer, the temperatures here never go higher than 50°F (10°C)!

This is roughly where those climate zones appear on a globe:

What does a map of climate zones really look like?

Distance to the equator is only one part of an area’s climate. Things like the movement of the oceans and Earth’s tilt and rotation also affect how weather patterns move around the globe.

If you classify the United States into climate zones using all of this information, it actually looks something like this:

This is an illustration of the climate zones within the United States. The extra climate zone, labeled "H" on this map, is a special zone called the highlands. The highlands climate zone is characterized by weather that differs from the surrounding area because of mountains. Credit: NOAA (modified)

How can information about climate zones be used?

Climate zones can be useful for gardening and farming. Plants grow best in the climate conditions that are found in their native ecosystem. For example, if you want to plant an apple orchard in your backyard, you should first check to see which varieties of apples are a good match for your region’s climate.

This is called a Plant Hardiness Zone map. It’s a specific type of climate zone map that can help you figure out what kinds of plants will survive in your back yard. Image credit: USDA/Agricultural Research Service/Oregon State University

How do weather satellites play a role?

Weather satellites mostly help with tracking conditions that are happening right now and forecasting weather in the near future. However, they also collect information that helps us monitor a region’s climate over time.

For example, satellites in the GOES-R series —short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R—can monitor the sea surface temperature and the Gulf Stream, a powerful current in the Atlantic Ocean. Both of these things can influence a region’s climate.

In addition, the temperature of the land becomes cooler at night, and there are changes in the amount of clouds. The GOES-R series satellites monitor cloudiness and land surface temperature—information that helps scientists to understand how the differences between day and night can affect a region’s climate.

Satellites in the Joint Polar Satellite System ( JPSS ) can also provide information on differences between day and night. For example, JPSS orbits Earth twice a day in what’s called an afternoon orbit. As the satellite orbits from North Pole to South Pole, it captures observations in the afternoon on one side of Earth and observations of the early morning on the other side of the planet.

While JPSS orbits, the satellites provide global observations of many other variables that influence climate such as atmospheric temperature and water vapor, snow and ice cover, vegetation, sea and land surface temperature, precipitation and more. These add important information to our records of regional differences in Earth’s climate.

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A young boy herds his goats in the Ghat District of Libya, which has been converted largely to desert in the last 100 years. TAHA JAWASHI/AFP/Getty Images

Redrawing the Map: How the World’s Climate Zones Are Shifting

Rising global temperatures are altering climatic zones around the planet, with consequences for food and water security, local economies, and public health. Here’s a stark look at some of the distinct features that are already on the move.

By Nicola Jones • October 23, 2018

As human-caused emissions change the planet’s atmosphere, and people reshape the landscape, things are changing fast. The receding line of Arctic ice has made headlines for years, as the white patch at the top of our planet shrinks dramatically. The ocean is rising, gobbling up coastlines. Plants, animals, and diseases are on the move as their patches of suitable climate move too.

Sometimes, the lines on the map can literally be redrawn: the line of where wheat will grow, or where tornadoes tend to form, where deserts end, where the frozen ground thaws, and even where the boundaries of the tropics lie.

Here we summarize some of the littler-known features that have shifted in the face of climate change and pulled the map out from under the people living on the edges. Everything about global warming is changing how people grow their food, access their drinking water, and live in places that are increasingly being flooded, dried out, or blasted with heat waves. Seeing these changes literally drawn on a map helps to hammer these impacts home.

The tropics are getting bigger at 30 miles per decade

The tropics are expanding by half a degree per decade. Source: Staten et al., Nature Climate Change, 2018. Graphic by Katie Peek.

On an atlas, the boundary of the tropics is marked out by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at about 23 degrees north and south. These lines are determined by where the sun lies directly overhead on the December and June solstices. But from a climate perspective, most scientists draw the edges of the tropics instead at the nearby boundary of the Hadley cell — a large-scale circulation pattern where hot air rises at the equator, and falls back to earth, cooler and drier, somewhere around 30 degrees latitude north (the top of the Sahara desert and Mexico) and 30 degrees south (the bottom of the Kalahari Desert).

The word “tropical” often brings to mind rainforests, colorful birds, and lush, dripping foliage, but the vast majority of our planet’s middle region is actually quite dry. “The ratio is something like 100 to 1,” says Jian Lu, a climate scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. About a decade ago, scientists first noticed that this dry belt seemed to be getting bigger. The dry edges of the tropics are expanding as the subtropics push both north and south, bringing ever-drier weather to places including the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the smaller equatorial region with heavy rains is actually contracting, Lu says: “People call it the tropic squeeze .”

In a paper published in August, Lu and colleagues tracked how and why the Hadley cell is expanding. They found that since satellite records started in the late 1970s, the edges of the tropics have been moving at about 0.2-0.3 degrees of latitude per decade (in both the north and the south) .The change is already dramatic in some areas, Lu says — the average over 30 years is about a degree of latitude, or approximately 70 miles, but in some spots the dry expansion is larger. The result is that the boundary between where it’s getting wetter and where it’s getting drier is pushing farther north , making even countries as far north as Germany and Britain drier. Meanwhile, already dry Mediterranean countries are really feeling the change: In 2016, for example, the eastern Mediterranean region had its worst drought in 900 years . The last time the tropics expanded northward (from 1568 to 1634 , due to natural climate fluctuations), droughts helped to trigger the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

There are several reasons for the shift in the Hadley cell, Lu’s team reports, including the ozone hole in the Southern Hemisphere and warming black soot in air pollution from Asia, along with rising air temperatures from greenhouse gases. Changes in sea surface temperatures, Lu says, seems to be causing at least half of the shift. That means predicting future tropical expansion is difficult, says Lu. “We can’t put a number on it, but we have a rough idea it will keep increasing.”

The Sahara desert has gotten 10 percent bigger since 1920

Since 1902, the Sahara Desert has grown 10 percent, advancing as much as 500 miles northward over the winter months in some spots. Source: Thomas & Nigam, Journal of Climate, 2018. Graphic by Katie Peek.

The world’s largest warm-weather desert is getting bigger. The Sahara already covers a vast 3.6 million square miles — an area nearly as large as the United States. The desert’s edges are defined by rainfall; the line is usually drawn where the ground sees just 4 inches per year. When Natalie Thomas and Sumant Nigam, ocean and atmospheric scientists at the University of Maryland, looked at records stretching from 2013 back to 1920, they found that these boundaries for the Sahara had crept both northward and southward, making the entire region about 10 percent larger.

The change, which is expected to reduce some countries’ ability to grow food, hardly seems fair. “Morally, how do we deal with the fact that developing countries are paying the price?” says Thomas. One study in the 1990s showed that the limit of where plants could grow in the dry southern edge of the Sahara had moved nearly 81 miles south in the 10 years between 1980 and 1990.

Across most of the Sahara the change is on the order of tens of miles over the study period, but in other spots it’s far more dramatic: Libya has gone from being mostly not desert in 1920, to mostly desert in 2013, as the line there has advanced a shocking 500 miles or so in winter months. Lake Chad, which sits on the southern edge of the Sahara, shrank dramatically from 9,600 square miles in the 1970s to less than 770 square miles in the 1990s, in part due to reduced rainfall in the Sahel, the dry region just to the south of the Sahara.

Nigam and his colleague calculate that about two-thirds of the change might be accounted for by natural climate cycles, such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, which help to determine rainfall. But the remaining third, they reckon, is down to climate change — the northern edge of the desert, for example, seems to be moving because of the climate-driven poleward creep of the tropics.

The 100th Meridian has shifted 140 miles east

The arid Western plains of North America meet the wetter, eastern region near the 100th Meridian. This climatic boundary has shifted about 140 miles east since 1980. Source: Seager et al., Earth Interactions, 2018. Graphic by Katie Peek.

Back in the 1870s, scientist and explorer John Wesley Powell noticed a stark transition between the arid Western plains of North America and the wetter, eastern region. As he wrote, “passing from east to west across this belt a wonderful transformation is observed”: a “luxuriant growth of grass” gives way to “naked” ground with the occasional cacti. The line between the two regions goes from Mexico to Manitoba, cutting right through the continent’s breadbasket. To the east, farmers grow mainly rain-loving corn; to the west, mainly drought-resistant wheat.

This climatic transition has long been called the 100th Meridian, after the longitudinal line that it roughly matches up with. But in March, climate scientist Richard Seager of the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and colleagues published papers showing the transition is on the move .

The reasons for the existence of the line are many: the Rocky Mountains force the wet air blowing in from the Pacific to rain out before the winds reach the plains; Atlantic storms and winds from the Gulf of Mexico bring moisture to the east. Now things are changing. Rainfall hasn’t changed much in the northern plains, but rising temperatures are increasing evaporation from the soil and drying things out. Meanwhile, rainfall is diminishing further south due to shifts in wind patterns. In total, that seems to have moved the line about 140 miles eastward since 1980, Seager calculated. The shift seen so far might be due to natural variability, he says, but it’s in line with what we expect to keep happening because of climate change. And it will keep moving east as the planet keeps warming.

U.S. farmers don’t seem to report problems or changes yet, Seager says, but he predicts that the country’s agriculture will eventually have to adapt, by adding more irrigation, for example, using different seeds, or shifting their crop entirely from one plant to another.

Tornado Alley has shifted 500 miles east in 30 years

Hotspots for tornado formation in the U.S. have shifted east 500 miles since the mid-1980s, along with shifts in temperatures. Source: Agee et al, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 2016. Graphic by Katie Peek.

The author of the Wizard of Oz likely chose Kansas for the book’s setting for a reason: it was smack dab in the middle of “Tornado Alley,” the stretch from South Dakota to Texas that’s infamous for destructive storms. But things are changing; research shows that tornados are now more likely to hit homes some 500 miles to the east in Southern states, including Tennessee and Alabama.

Earth scientist Ernest Agee of Purdue University in Indiana and colleagues looked at tornado activity going back to the 1950s when modern tornado records began, and compared the first 30 years of records to the next 30. This showed a clear shift in where tornadoes were hitting hardest, both in terms of the total number of tornadoes and the number of tornado days. In the first half of the study period, from 1954 to 1983, an area in Oklahoma was king, with a total of 477 tornadoes. But that area’s tornado count decreased dramatically, by 45 percent, in the second half of the study period, from 1984 to 2013. Meanwhile, an equivalently sized area in northern Alabama bumped up 48 percent to 477 large tornadoes. Tennessee’s number of days of violent tornadoes doubled, from 14 to 28 days, making the state arguably the new heart of tornado activity, the authors argue.

The researchers don’t know exactly why the shift happened. Part of the reason might be attributed to who is reporting tornados, notes co-author Sam Childs, an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University. “The storm prediction center is based out of Oklahoma City. There were a lot of reports there at first, and that’s broadening out with time,” Childs says. “But there’s definitely a meteorological effect too.” The shift in tornadoes matches up with a change in the weather, he notes. The eastern half of the U.S. was about 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer during the second half of the study, making it likely that climate had something to do with the move.

The general link between weather and tornadoes is fairly well established. Tornadoes need several things to form, including warm, wet, buoyant air and high wind shear. As the 100 th Meridian moves eastward, it is pushing drier conditions further east (Oklahoma lies right on that line). But it’s hard to say why Tennessee is seeing more of them, and the future for tornado activity is hard to predict.

Plant Hardiness Zones are moving north in the U.S. at 13 miles per decade

Hardiness zones in the U.S., which track average low temperatures in winter, have all shifted northward by half a zone warmer since 1990. Source: United States Department of Agriculture. Graphic by Katie Peek.

As any gardener knows, the easiest way to keep track of which plants will fare well where you live, or when to plant your tomatoes to avoid a spring frost, is by taking note of your “ hardiness zone .” In the frozen depths of Alaska and Siberia’s zone 1, you might want to plant something like Yarrow to survive overwinter; in zone 5, which cuts through the Corn Belt in the U.S. Midwest, you can plant asparagus in March or April.

Hardiness maps are published around the world, but it’s easiest to see change where the idea was first developed, in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s hardiness map, first published in 1960, is based on the average annual minimum temperature of any given spot — a metric that plays a big part in determining if perennial crops like orange trees will make it through the coldest months. Each zone marks out a 10 degrees F band, from -60 to -50 degrees F in zone 1 to 60 to 70 degrees F in zone 13. When that map was last updated , in 2012, nearly half the country was upgraded to half a zone warmer than it had been in 1990; in other words, all the lines shifted on average a little to the north. That was partly thanks to more detailed mapping techniques, the authors of the map reported, but also because temperatures were warmer in the more recent data set.

The researchers who produced the 2012 revision stopped short of saying the change was due to climate change, especially since the method of how they produced the map changed so much from one version to the next. But others have followed up on the same idea to show how climate change, specifically, is shifting U.S. hardiness zones.

Lauren Parker and John Abatzoglou of the University of Idaho tracked what would happen to hardiness zones from 2041 to 2070 under future global warming scenarios, and found the lines will continue to march northward at a “climate velocity” of 13.3 miles per decade. That means big changes in store for three major cash crops, they note. Almonds will see their suitable growing range expand from 73 percent of the continental U.S. from 1971-2000 to 93 percent from 2041–2070. Kiwifruit will bump up from 23 percent to 32 percent during the same period, and oranges from 5 percent to 8 percent.

So the shift in hardiness zones is good news for perennial cash crops in the U.S., but not necessarily good news overall for food security in North America, or globally. “On the plus side, if we can expand the range over which we grow crops, that’s a good thing,” says Parker. But, she adds, “On the flip side, you also allow for the expansion of weeds and pests.”

The permafrost line has moved 80 miles north in 50 years in parts of Canada

As global air temperatures rise, permafrost is retreating north, moving as far as 80 miles poleward over a half-century in parts of Canada. Source: Berkeley Earth. Graphic by Katie Peek.

As the planet warms, the Arctic is feeling it the most: Temperatures in northern regions are rising at about twice the global average. That’s having a huge impact on the region’s permafrost, ground that typically stays frozen all year round. As the line delineating an average temperature of 0 degrees Celsius moves north, so too does the permafrost line. “They roughly track together,” says Kevin Schafer, a permafrost expert at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Permafrost isn’t particularly well documented: It’s underground, so out of sight of satellites, and the Arctic is only sparsely covered with meteorological stations. “There aren’t a lot of measurements that far north,” says Schafer. That means much of the evidence of permafrost thaw so far is either anecdotal or limited to specific well-monitored regions. One study in northern Canada found that the permafrost around James Bay had retreated 80 miles north over 50 years. Studies of ground temperatures in boreholes have also revealed frightening rates of change, says Schafer. “What we’re seeing is 20 meters down, it’s increasing as high as 1-2 degrees C per decade,” he says. “In the permafrost world that’s a really rapid change. Extremely rapid.”

The future looks similarly dire. One study predicts that by 2100, the area covered by permafrost might shrink from nearly 4 million square miles to less than 0.4 million ; most of Alaska and the southern tip of Greenland would be permafrost-free.

The impacts are expected to be huge on both a local and global level. Right now, permafrost acts like cement, keeping the ground firm and impermeable to water. As it thaws, buildings and infrastructure collapse. In the northern Russian city of Norilsk , buildings are already tilting, cracking, and becoming condemned. In Bethel , Alaska, roads are buckling and homes collapsing. Many of the Arctic’s uncountable small lakes will also drain away. “That’s going to have a massive impact on the [region’s] ecology,” says Schafer. Meanwhile, the thaw will also release vast amounts of climate-warming methane into the atmosphere.

The Wheat Belt is pushing poleward at up to 160 miles per decade

Between 1990 and 2015, production dropped in much of Australia's Wheat Belt due to drier than average conditions. The areas that disappear from this map are those where output dropped 50 percent or more. Source: Hochman, Gobbett, & Horan, Global Change Biology, 2017. Graphic by Katie Peek.

Australia, renowned for its interior deserts and coastal beaches, is also one of the planet’s largest wheat exporters — just after Canada, Russia, and the U.S. But the arable land at the nation’s southern edge is shrinking, and its potential for growing wheat declining.

In the 1860s, surveyor George Goyder drew a line to show where the edge of Australia’s arable land ended. More than a century later, Goyder’s line is still considered an important feature in determining the country’s “cropping belt.” But climate change is making that land drier, effectively pushing the line further south .

Any given patch of land has a “theoretical potential” for the amount of wheat it can support, given its soil, the climate, and other factors. Reductions in rainfall and warmer temperatures have already reduced the theoretical potential of southern Australia by 27 percent since 1990 . So far, farmers have managed to adapt to the changing conditions and squeeze the same amount of wheat out of their lands. By tweaking things such as their seeds and harvesting practices, they have gone from harvesting 38 percent of their theoretical maximum in 1990 to 55 percent in 2015. But that can only go on so long — farmers can typically only reach about 80 percent of any given parcel of land’s maximum potential. Once they hit that limit, Australian farmers probably won’t be able to counteract the effects of the changing climate any longer. Zvi Hochman, of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), says he expects to see actual yields start to drop around 2040. Places like the farming community of Orroroo, currently right on top of Goyder’s line, will be “ significantly impacted ,” writes Julia Piantadosi of the University of South Australia in Adelaide — they won’t be able to keep farming the way they are doing today.

North America is seeing the opposite phenomenon: Its arable land is romping northward, expanding the wheat belt into higher and higher latitudes. Scientists project it could go from about 55 degrees north today to as much as 65 degrees North — the latitude of Fairbanks, Alaska — by 2050. That’s about 160 miles per decade. That’s not all good news, as the southern edge gets drier, hotter, and less agriculturally productive. One study showed that U.S. farmers will likely have to change the strains of wheat they grow, while France and Turkey will have to invest heavily in irrigation systems. In Asia, half of the Indo-Gangetic Plains, which account for 15 percent of global wheat production, are predicted to become heat-stressed by 2050 , significantly cutting yields.

Correction, October 23, 2018: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that one degree of latitude equals 100 miles. It is actually nearly 70 miles on average.

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Climate Zones and Biomes

• May 6, 2023
• Weather Safety and Education

Published on: May 6, 2023 Written by Shaown Khan / Fact-checked by Kader Khan

Our planet is a vibrant mosaic of diverse climates and ecosystems, each contributing to the delicate balance that sustains life on Earth. From the icy expanses of polar regions to the lush greenery of tropical rainforests, Earth’s climate zones and biomes form a complex tapestry that is crucial to our understanding of our planet’s natural processes and resources.

The intricate relationship between geography, climate, and ecosystems forms the basis for the study of climate zones and biomes. By understanding the patterns that govern the distribution of temperature and precipitation, we can identify unique ecosystems and predict the effects of climate change on the planet’s biodiversity.

Climate Zones: Earth’s Temperature and Precipitation Patterns

Climate zones, definition and importance.

Climate zones are regions with specific patterns of temperature, precipitation, and humidity. They provide a framework for understanding the distribution of life on Earth, influencing agriculture, wildlife, and human settlements.

Factors Influencing Climate Zones

Several factors determine a region’s climate zone, including latitude, altitude, distance from the ocean, and the presence of large-scale wind patterns.

The Köppen Climate Classification

Major categories.

The Köppen Climate Classification system, developed by German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884 , remains one of the most widely used methods for classifying Earth’s climate zones. It divides the world into five primary categories: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar.

Subcategories and Variations

Each major category is further divided into subcategories, taking into account precipitation patterns and seasonal temperature variations. This comprehensive classification system allows scientists to analyze climate data and predict shifts due to climate change.

Polar and Alpine Climates

The tundra climate zone is characterized by cold temperatures , short growing seasons, and permafrost. Found at high latitudes and altitudes, this region supports limited plant life and hardy animal species, such as caribou and Arctic foxes.

Ice cap climates are the coldest on Earth, with temperatures rarely rising above freezing. These regions, found primarily in Antarctica and Greenland, support minimal plant and animal life.

Temperate Climates

Oceanic climates, found along coastlines, experience moderate temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. This climate zone supports diverse ecosystems, including temperate rainforests and coastal wetlands.

Mediterranean

Mediterranean climates, found around the Mediterranean Sea and in parts of California, are characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. These regions are home to unique plant communities, such as olive groves and vineyards.

Humid Subtropical

Humid subtropical climates, found in the southeastern United States, eastern Asia, and parts of Australia, have hot, humid summers and mild winters. These regions support a diverse array of plant and animal life, including hardwood forests and wetlands.

Humid Continental

Humid continental climates, found in the northeastern United States, Europe, and Asia, experience cold winters and warm summers. This climate zone supports a variety of ecosystems, such as deciduous forests and grasslands.

Tropical Climates

Tropical rainforest.

Tropical rainforest climates, found near the equator, are characterized by high temperatures, humidity, and heavy rainfall. These regions support the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, including a vast array of plant and animal species.

Tropical Monsoon

Tropical monsoon climates, found in parts of Asia, Africa, and Central America, are characterized by a distinct dry season followed by a monsoon season with heavy rainfall. These regions support a variety of ecosystems, including tropical forests and mangrove swamps.

Tropical Savanna

Tropical savanna climates, found in parts of Africa, South America, and Australia, have a wet season and a dry season. These regions are characterized by grasslands with scattered trees, and are home to a diverse array of wildlife, such as lions, elephants, and giraffes.

Biomes: Nature’s Diverse Ecosystems

Defining biomes, the role of climate and geography.

Biomes are large-scale ecosystems characterized by distinct plant and animal communities, shaped by climate and geography. Biomes help us understand the distribution of life on Earth and how ecosystems are interconnected.

Human Impact on Biomes

Human activities , such as agriculture, urbanization, and deforestation, have altered Earth’s biomes, affecting biodiversity and ecological processes.

Forest Biomes

Tropical rainforests.

Tropical rainforests, found in regions with a tropical rainforest climate, are the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, supporting a vast array of plant and animal species. These dense forests play a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate and maintaining the global carbon cycle.

Temperate Forests

Temperate forests, found in regions with oceanic or humid continental climates, are characterized by deciduous trees that shed their leaves in the fall. These forests support a diverse array of plant and animal species and provide essential ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and habitat provision.

Boreal Forests (Taiga)

Boreal forests, also known as taiga, are found in regions with a subarctic climate. These vast forests, dominated by coniferous trees, support a range of wildlife, such as moose, wolves, and bears. Boreal forests play a significant role in the global carbon cycle, storing large amounts of carbon in their trees and soils.

Grassland Biomes

Savannas, found in regions with a tropical savanna climate, are characterized by grasslands with scattered trees. These ecosystems support diverse wildlife, including large herbivores and their predators. Savannas play a vital role in the global carbon cycle and provide essential habitat for many species.

Temperate Grasslands (Prairies, Steppes, and Pampas)

Temperate grasslands, including prairies, steppes, and pampas, are found in regions with a temperate continental climate. These vast, open landscapes support diverse plant and animal communities and play a crucial role in agriculture and carbon sequestration.

Desert Biomes

Hot deserts.

Hot deserts, found in regions with a hot desert climate, are characterized by high temperatures, low precipitation, and sparse vegetation. These arid landscapes support unique plant and animal species adapted to the harsh conditions, such as cacti and camels.

Cold Deserts

Cold deserts, found in regions with a cold desert climate, have low temperatures and minimal precipitation. These stark landscapes support hardy plant and animal species adapted to the challenging conditions, such as sagebrush and pronghorn antelope.

Aquatic Biomes

Freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes, and wetlands).

Freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, and wetlands, are essential to life on Earth, providing water resources and habitats for countless plant and animal species. These ecosystems also play a vital role in nutrient cycling and water purification.

Marine Ecosystems (Oceans, Coral Reefs, and Estuaries)

Marine ecosystems, including oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries, cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface and support an immense variety of plant and animal life. These ecosystems play critical roles in regulating the planet’s climate, maintaining the global carbon cycle, and providing essential resources for human societies.

Tundra Biomes

Arctic tundra.

Arctic tundra, found at high latitudes in the polar regions, is characterized by cold temperatures, permafrost, and limited plant life. This harsh environment supports unique plant and animal species, such as Arctic foxes, polar bears, and lichens.

Alpine Tundra

Alpine tundra, found at high altitudes in mountain ranges, shares many characteristics with Arctic tundra, including cold temperatures, limited plant life, and unique flora and fauna. Alpine tundra is home to species such as mountain goats, pikas, and alpine wildflowers.

Climate Change and its Impact on Climate Zones and Biomes

Shifting climate zones.

As global temperatures continue to rise due to human activities, climate zones are shifting, causing significant changes in temperature and precipitation patterns. These shifts can alter ecosystems, threaten biodiversity, and have wide-ranging effects on agriculture, water resources, and human settlements.

Effects on Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Climate change impacts ecosystems and biodiversity by altering the distribution and functioning of biomes. These changes can lead to species migration, population decline, and even extinction, as well as disruptions in ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling and pollination.

Human Implications and Adaptation Strategies

Understanding and responding to the impacts of climate change on climate zones and biomes is crucial for developing effective adaptation strategies. These may include habitat restoration, ecosystem-based management approaches, and the implementation of policies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable land use practices.

Earth’s diverse climate zones and biomes form a complex tapestry that supports a vast array of plant and animal life. Understanding the interplay of geography, climate, and ecosystems is essential for predicting the effects of climate change on biodiversity and developing effective adaptation strategies. As we strive to protect and preserve our planet’s natural wonders, we must recognize the critical role that climate zones and biomes play in maintaining the delicate balance of life on Earth.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Relationship Between Climate Zones and the Presence of Lakes and Oceans?

Climate dynamics and water bodies are closely interconnected. The presence of lakes and oceans is largely influenced by climate zones. In regions with temperate climates, lakes are abundant due to moderate temperatures and rainfall. In contrast, arid climates have limited water bodies, as precipitation is scarce. Coastal areas often experience the influence of oceanic currents and higher precipitation rates, leading to the presence of vast oceans. Understanding these relationships is crucial for studying climate patterns and their impact on water resources.

How do climate zones influence biomes?

Climate zones influence biomes by determining temperature, precipitation, and humidity patterns, which in turn shape the distribution and composition of ecosystems and their plant and animal communities.

What is the difference between a climate zone and a biome?

A climate zone is a region defined by specific temperature, precipitation, and humidity patterns, while a biome is a large-scale ecosystem characterized by distinct plant and animal communities shaped by climate and geography.

How does climate change affect climate zones and biomes?

Climate change affects climate zones and biomes by altering temperature and precipitation patterns, which can lead to shifts in ecosystems, species migration, population decline, and disruptions in ecological processes.

Can human activities create new biomes?

Human activities, such as agriculture, urbanization, and deforestation, can significantly alter ecosystems and create novel biomes, often with negative consequences for biodiversity and ecological functioning.

What role do climate zones and biomes play in global biodiversity?

Climate zones and biomes play a crucial role in global biodiversity by providing diverse habitats and conditions that support a vast array of plant and animal species. These ecosystems also maintain essential ecological processes that sustain life on Earth.

Relevant Resources:

• Climate Adaptation and Mitigation for a Resilient Future
• The Earth’s Climate Past: A Journey into Paleoclimatology
• The Warming World: Unraveling the Complexities of Global Climate Change

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Climate change.

Climate change is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. Often climate change refers specifically to the rise in global temperatures from the mid-20th century to present.

Earth Science, Climatology

Fracking tower

Fracking is a controversial form of drilling that uses high-pressure liquid to create cracks in underground shale to extract natural gas and petroleum. Carbon emissions from fossils fuels like these have been linked to global warming and climate change.

Photograph by Mark Thiessen / National Geographic

Climate is sometimes mistaken for weather. But climate is different from weather because it is measured over a long period of time, whereas weather can change from day to day, or from year to year. The climate of an area includes seasonal temperature and rainfall averages, and wind patterns. Different places have different climates. A desert, for example, is referred to as an arid climate because little water falls, as rain or snow, during the year. Other types of climate include tropical climates, which are hot and humid , and temperate climates, which have warm summers and cooler winters.

Climate change is the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place. Climate change could refer to a particular location or the planet as a whole. Climate change may cause weather patterns to be less predictable. These unexpected weather patterns can make it difficult to maintain and grow crops in regions that rely on farming because expected temperature and rainfall levels can no longer be relied on. Climate change has also been connected with other damaging weather events such as more frequent and more intense hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter storms.

In polar regions, the warming global temperatures associated with climate change have meant ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate from season to season. This contributes to sea levels rising in different regions of the planet. Together with expanding ocean waters due to rising temperatures, the resulting rise in sea level has begun to damage coastlines as a result of increased flooding and erosion.

The cause of current climate change is largely human activity, like burning fossil fuels , like natural gas, oil, and coal. Burning these materials releases what are called greenhouse gases into Earth’s atmosphere . There, these gases trap heat from the sun’s rays inside the atmosphere causing Earth’s average temperature to rise. This rise in the planet's temperature is called global warming. The warming of the planet impacts local and regional climates. Throughout Earth's history, climate has continually changed. When occuring naturally, this is a slow process that has taken place over hundreds and thousands of years. The human influenced climate change that is happening now is occuring at a much faster rate.

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October 19, 2023

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What factors affect climate?

Five factors affect climate. These are summarised below.

Temperature range increases with distance from the equator. Also, temperatures decrease as you move away from the equator because the sun’s rays are dispersed over a larger land area as you move away from the equator due to the Earth’s curved surface.

The difference in the concentration of solar energy at the equator and the poles

Temperatures decrease with height as the air is less dense and cannot hold heat as well. As a result, the temperature usually drops by 1°C for every 100 metres in altitude.

If winds have been blown from a hot area, they will raise temperatures. If winds have originated from cold regions, they will lower temperatures. In the UK, winds originating from the south tend to be warm, whereas those from the north bring cold air. Air masses have a significant influence on the climate of the UK.

Air masses affecting the UK – source: Met Office

Distance from the sea (continentality)

Land heats and cools faster than the sea. Therefore coastal areas have a lower temperature range than those areas inland. On the coast, winters are mild, and summers are cool. In inland areas, temperatures are high in the summer and cold in the winter. Despite London and Moscow being on similar lines of latitude, London experiences much milder winters and cooler summers than Moscow due to its proximity to the sea.

Aspect 

Slopes facing the sun are warmer than those that are not. Therefore, south-facing slopes in the northern hemisphere are usually warm. However, slopes facing north in the southern hemisphere are warmest.

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Why is climate important?

Scenes of flooding and storms show us just how much weather and climate can affect our lives.

Climate affects nearly every aspect of our lives, from our food sources to our transport infrastructure, from what clothes we wear, to where we go on holiday. It has a huge effect on our livelihoods, our health, and our future.

Climate is the long-term pattern of weather conditions in any particular place. 

We know that our climate is changing due to humans, and these changes are already having a big impact on our lives .

It’s important that we understand how the climate is changing, so that we can prepare for the future. 

Studying the climate helps us predict how much rain the next winter might bring, or how far sea levels will rise due to warmer sea temperatures. 

We can also see which regions are most likely to be affected by extreme weather, or which wildlife species are threatened by climate change. 

What is the climate?

Climate is the long-term pattern of weather experienced in a place. 

Weather , on the other hand, describes day-to-day changes in our atmosphere. 

You can check the weather by simply looking out the window. But you need a longer term set of observations to understand the climate.

We describe the climate by looking at temperature, rainfall, snow and wind data. This is usually averaged over seasons, years, decades, centuries or more.

If you looked at the average rainfall records for Manchester over the last thirty years, it would help to describe the climate for the area.

Climate is influenced by things like location, whether there are mountains nearby, whether there is water nearby, and how high up it is. 

For example, one of the reasons Carlisle has a colder, wetter climate than London because it is further away from the equator. Another reason is that it is closer to mountains, and mountains often encourage rainfall.

Climate is also affected by our atmosphere, a layer of gases that surrounds the earth.  

These gases act like a blanket wrapped around the earth, trapping the sun’s heat within our atmosphere.

Some gases trap more heat than others. The gases that trap the most heat are called greenhouse gases because they allow heat to reach the earth, but do not let it escape – similar to how a greenhouse works. 

The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, water vapour, nitrous oxides and fluorinated gases.

The more greenhouse gases there are, the warmer the earth’s climate becomes. 

This means that human activities which release greenhouse gases, like burning fossil fuels, lead to climate change .

Explore historical and projected climate data, climate data by sector, impacts, key vulnerabilities and what adaptation measures are being taken. Explore the overview for a general context of how climate change is affecting Sri Lanka.

• Climate Change Overview

Country Summary

• Climatology
• Trends & Variability
• Mean Projections (CMIP6)
• Extreme Events
• Historical Natural Hazards
• Sea Level Rise

This page presents high-level information for Sri Lanka's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the  Köppen-Geiger climate classification system , which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are  A  (tropical),  B  (dry),  C  (temperate),  D  (continental), and  E  (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter).  Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Sri Lanka's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.

Sri Lanka is a small island nation lying between 6°N and 10°N latitude and 80°E and 82°E longitude in the Indian Ocean, with a land area of approximately 65,000 square kilometers (km 2 ). The island consists of a mountainous area in the south-central region and a surrounding coastal plain. The climate of Sri Lanka is wet and warm, ideal for forest growth; almost all of the nation’s land area was at one time covered with forests. Over the last century, more than two-thirds of this forest cover, rich in biodiversity, has been removed to accommodate human use. Nonetheless, rich natural resources remain and, alongside its vibrant cultures, contribute to the nation’s successful tourism industry. Approximately a quarter of Sri Lanka’s population are believed to live within the metropolitan area of its commercial capital, Colombo. However, official statistics suggest Sri Lanka’s urban population is relatively low, reportedly 18.6% in 2019. Sri Lanka’s high temperatures, unique and complex hydrological regime, and exposure to extreme climate events make it highly vulnerable to climate change.

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