Chapter 3 Weather and Climate Section 4 Climate of the World

Section 4 Climate of the World

Regional differences in climate: The level of temperature and the amount of precipitation, as well as the variation in temperature and precipitation, vary greatly around the world. Temperature and precipitation are the two main elements of climate. The climate is very different when the temperature and precipitation vary from region to region. Some regions of the world are hot and rainy all year round; some regions have long winters without summer and are cold all year round; some regions are dry and have little rain; some regions have cold winters with little precipitation and hot summers with concentrated rainfall. According to the differences in climate, people divide the climate into different types.

The distribution of climate types in the world: Although the climates around the world are complex and diverse, their distribution has certain patterns. From the equatorial to the polar regions, there are tropical, subtropical, temperate and cold climates. The different climate types present different natural landscapes. The tropical climates are located roughly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Cancer, the boreal climates are located roughly within the Arctic Circle and the Arctic Circle, and the subtropical and temperate climates are located roughly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer and the Antarctic Circle. In the mid-latitudes, the distribution of climate types is also regular from the east coast of the continent, the west coast of the continent to the interior of the continent.

The main factors affecting climate: The climate of a place is influenced by the latitudinal position of the place, the location of land and sea, and the topography. The latitudinal position of a place has a great influence on the temperature. Different latitudes receive different amounts of solar heat. Generally speaking, if the latitude is low, the temperature will be higher if it receives more solar heat; if the latitude is high, the temperature will be lower if it receives less solar heat.

The location of land and sea is also an important factor affecting climate. In general, close to the sea, more precipitation, a day or a year of temperature change is small; far from the sea, less precipitation, a day or a year of temperature change is large. In terms of topography, high terrain results in low temperature; low terrain results in high temperature; windward slopes in mountainous areas have more rain and leeward slopes have less rain.

Climate and human activities: Climate is closely related to people's daily life. People living in the tropics wear only single clothes all year round; people living in the cold zone need thick clothes all year round; people living in the temperate zone wear more or less clothes according to the seasons. Climate affects human production activities, the most significant impact on agricultural production. Crops need a certain amount of temperature and moisture to grow, and the temperature and precipitation conditions vary from region to region, so the same crop grows differently everywhere. Sometimes, abnormal changes in climate can cause hazards to human production and life, resulting in disasters. Human activities can also have an impact on climate. For example, afforestation can improve local climate; excessive deforestation can lead to local or even global climate degradation.

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