Climate Characteristics (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Bridgette Barrett
Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn
Equatorial Climate Characteristics
World climate distribution
Climates vary across the world. The reasons for these climate types include:
Latitude: with distance from the equator temperatures and sunshine hours decrease as the solar radiation is more dispersed at the poles and it has to pass through a greater amount of atmosphere
Altitude: Increases in altitude lead to decreases in temperature
Continentality: locations further inland heat up more quickly in the summer and cool more quickly in the winter
Ocean currents: warm and cold currents circulate in the oceans either warming or cooling the adjacent land
Aspect: in the northern hemisphere slopes facing south are warmer
Prevailing winds: winds coming from warmer areas bring warmer air, increasing temperatures
Pressure systems: areas usually affected by low pressure such as the equator have rising air, condensation and cloud formation leading to more precipitation, whereas areas affected by high pressure have dry conditions due to the sinking air
Equatorial climate distribution
Equatorial climate characteristics
Characteristics | Equatorial Climate |
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Location |
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Annual Precipitation |
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Temperature Range |
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Seasons |
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Humidity |
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Prevailing winds |
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Factors influencing the equatorial climate
There are a range of factors which influence the climate including:
The midday sun is almost directly overhead all year meaning there is maximum insolation
Low pressure all year which leads to rising air, condensation, cloud formation and high precipitation levels
Dense vegetation cover leads to high levels of evaporation and transpiration
The warm air stores large amounts of water vapour until the temperatures start to cool in late afternoon which then leads to heavy, daily convectional rainfall
Hot Desert Climate Characteristics
Hot desert climate distribution
Hot desert climate characteristics
Characteristics | Hot Desert |
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Location |
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Annual Precipitation |
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Temperature Range |
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Seasons |
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Humidity |
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Prevailing Winds |
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Factors influencing the hot desert climate
High pressure all year which means the air is descending and warming so precipitation does not occur because the air is not rising
Prevailing winds are often from over land masses which means they contain little moisture
Some deserts are in a rain shadow so there is little rainfall
Cold ocean currents on the west side of continents may reduce summer temperatures due to the cooling effect of the ocean
Influence of pressure systems
Hot deserts form between 15o- 30o north and south of the equator as a result of the atmospheric pressure systems
Air rises at the equator and when it reaches the upper atmosphere it moves north and south
The air cools and starts to sink
This creates a zone of high pressure at about 30o north and south of the equator
Due to the sinking air, warm air cannot rise, condense and form clouds. This results in high aridity
Worked Example
Explain how high atmospheric pressure influences the climate of hot deserts.
[3 Marks]
Answer
Air is descending [1]
It heats up/does not cool [1]
Condensation does not occur/clouds do not form [1]
Precipitation is low/does not occur/drier/only has e.g. 250 mm per annum etc [1]
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