Typical climate. Presentation on theme: "Climate. All existing types

Typical for a given region of the Earth, as if the average weather for many years. The term "climate" was introduced into scientific circulation 2200 years ago by the ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus and means in Greek "tilt" ("klimatos"). The scientist had in mind the inclination of the earth's surface to the sun's rays, the difference of which was already then considered the main reason for the differences in weather in. Later, the climate was called the average state in a certain area of ​​the Earth, which is characterized by features that are practically unchanged for one generation, that is, about 30-40 years. These features include the amplitude of temperature fluctuations, .

Distinguish macroclimate and microclimate:

macroclimate(Greek makros - large) - the climate of the largest territories, this is the climate of the Earth as a whole, as well as large regions of land and water areas of the oceans or seas. In the macroclimate, the level and patterns of atmospheric circulation are determined;

Microclimate(Greek mikros - small) - part of the local climate. The microclimate mainly depends on differences in soils, spring and autumn frosts, the timing of snow and ice melting on water bodies. Accounting for the microclimate is essential for the placement of crops, for the construction of cities, the laying of roads, for any economic activity of a person, as well as for his health.

The description of the climate is compiled from observations of the weather over many years. It includes the average long-term indicators and the number of months, the frequency of various types of weather. But the description of the climate will be incomplete if it does not give deviations from the average. Typically, the description includes information about the highest and lowest temperatures, the largest and least amount of precipitation for the entire time of observation.

It changes not only in space, but also in time. A huge number of facts on this issue are given by paleoclimatology - the science of ancient climates. Studies have shown that the geological past of the Earth is the alternation of the eras of the seas and the eras of the land. This alternation is associated with slow oscillations, during which the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ocean either decreased or increased. In the era of increasing area, the sun's rays are absorbed by water and heat the Earth, from which the atmosphere also heats up. General warming will inevitably cause the spread of heat-loving plants and animals. The spread of the warm climate of "eternal spring" in the era of the sea is also explained by an increase in the concentration of CO2, which causes the phenomenon. Thanks to him, the warming increases.

With the onset of the land era, the picture changes. This is due to the fact that land, unlike water, reflects the sun's rays more, which means it heats up less. This leads to less heating of the atmosphere, and inevitably the climate will become colder.

Many scientists consider space to be one of the important causes of the Earth. For example, fairly strong evidence of solar-terrestrial relationships is given. With an increase in the activity of the Sun, changes in solar radiation are associated, and the frequency increases. A decrease in solar activity can lead to droughts.

In the article brought to your attention, we want to talk about the types of climate in Russia. Weather conditions remain always the same, despite the fact that they can change and transform slightly. This constancy makes some regions attractive for recreation, while others - difficult to survive.

It is important to note that Russia's climate is unique and cannot be found in any other country. Of course, this can be explained by the vast expanses of our state and its length. And the uneven location of water resources and the diversity of the relief only contribute to this. On the territory of Russia, you can find both high mountain peaks and plains that lie below sea level.

Climate

Before we look at the types of climate in Russia, we suggest getting acquainted with this term itself.

Thousands of years ago in ancient Greece, people discovered a connection between the weather, which is regularly repeated, and the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on the Earth. At the same time, the word "climate" began to be used for the first time, meaning slope. What did the Greeks mean by this? It's very simple: climate is the inclination of the sun's rays relative to the earth's surface.

What is meant by climate today? This term is commonly used to call the long-term weather regime prevailing in a given area. It is determined by observations over many years. What are the characteristics of the climate? These include:

• temperature;
• the amount of precipitation;
• precipitation regime;
• Direction of the wind.

This is, so to speak, the average state of the atmosphere in a certain area, which depends on many factors. What exactly is at stake, you will learn in the next section of the article.

Factors influencing climate formation

Considering the climatic zones and types of climate in Russia, one cannot but pay attention to the factors that are fundamental for their formation.

Climate-forming factors in Russia:

• geographical position;
• relief;
• large reservoirs;
• solar radiation;
• wind.

What is the main climate-forming factor? Of course, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on the surface of the Earth. It is this slope that leads to the fact that different territories receive an unequal amount of heat. It depends on the geographic latitude. Therefore, it is said that the climate of any locality, to begin with, depends on the geographical latitude.

Imagine this situation: our Earth, or rather its surface, is homogeneous. Let's assume that this is a continuous land, which consists of plains. If this were the case, then our story could be completed on climate-forming factors. But the surface of the planet is far from homogeneous. We can find continents, mountains, oceans, plains and so on on it. They are the reason for the existence of other factors that affect the climate.

Particular attention can be paid to the oceans. What is it connected with? Of course, with the fact that water masses heat up very quickly, and cool down extremely slowly (compared to land). And the seas and oceans are a significant part of the surface of our planet.

Speaking about the types of climate on the territory of Russia, of course, I would like to pay special attention to the geographical position of the country, since this factor is fundamental. In addition, the distribution of solar radiation and air circulation depend on the HP.

We propose to highlight the main features of the geographical position of Russia:

• large extent from north to south;
• availability of access to three oceans;
• simultaneous presence in four climatic zones at once;
• the presence of territories that are far removed from the oceans.

Types

In this section of the article you can see the table "Types of climates in Russia". Before that, a little preface. Our country is so large that it stretches for four and a half thousand kilometers from north to south. Most of the area is located in the temperate climate zone (from the Kaliningrad region to Kamchatka). However, even in the temperate zone, the influence of the oceans is not uniform. Now let's move on to the table.

From the table on geography “Types of climates in Russia” presented in this section of the article, it becomes clear how diverse our country is. But the characteristics of the belts are given extremely concisely, we propose to consider each of them in more detail.

Arctic

The first in our table is the arctic type of weather conditions. Where can it be found? These are zones located near the pole. In total, two types of arctic climate are distinguished:

• in the Antarctic;
• in the Arctic.

As for the weather conditions, these territories6 stand out for their harsh nature, which does not imply comfortable living for people in this area. The temperature here is below zero all year round, and the polar summer comes for only a few weeks or is completely absent. The temperature at this moment does not exceed ten degrees Celsius. There is very little rainfall in these areas. Based on such weather conditions, there is very little vegetation in the Arctic belt.

Moderate

Considering the types of climate in Russia, one cannot lose sight of the temperate zone, since these are the most common weather conditions in our country.

What characterizes the temperate climate zone? First of all, this is the division of the year into four seasons. As you know, two of them are transitional - spring and autumn, in summer it is warm in these territories, and cold in winter.

Another feature is periodic cloudiness. Precipitation here is a fairly common occurrence, they are formed under the influence of cyclones and anticyclones. There is one interesting pattern: the closer the area is to the ocean, the more noticeable this effect.

It is also important to note that most of our country is located in a temperate climate. In addition, such weather conditions are characteristic of the United States and much of Europe.

Subpolar

Speaking about the characteristics of the types of climate in Russia, one cannot ignore the intermediate option. For example, anyone can determine the climate in the Arctic, but what about the tundra? Difficult to answer? It is important to note that this territory simultaneously combines a temperate and polar climate. For this reason, scientists have identified intermediate climatic zones.

Now we are talking about northern Russia. There is very poor evaporation, but an incredibly high level of precipitation. All this leads to the formation of swamps. Quite severe weather conditions: short summer with a maximum temperature of fifteen degrees above zero, long and cold winters (up to -45 degrees Celsius).

Nautical

Although this species is not included in the main types of Russian climate, I would like to pay a little attention to it. Here you can make small distinctions:

• moderate;
• tropical.

These varieties of maritime climate have similarities, despite the fact that there are a number of impressive differences. As the name implies, the maritime climate is typical for coastal areas. Here you can observe a very smooth transition of the seasons, minimal temperature fluctuations. Its characteristic features:

• strong wind;
• high cloudiness;
• constant humidity.

Continental

Among the types of climate in Russia, it is worth highlighting the continental. It can be divided into several types:

• moderate;
• cutting;
• normal.

The most striking example is the central part of Russia. Among the features of the climate are the following:

• sunny weather;
• anticyclones;
• strong temperature fluctuations (daily and annual);
• rapid change from winter to summer.

As can be seen from the table, these regions are rich in vegetation, and the temperature varies greatly depending on the season.

The terms "weather" and "climate" are often confused. Meanwhile, these are different concepts. If the weather represents the physical state of the atmosphere over a given territory and at a given time, then the climate is a long-term weather regime that has been maintained in a given area for centuries with slight fluctuations.

Climate - (Greek klima slope (of the earth's surface to the sun's rays)), a statistical long-term weather regime, one of the main geographical characteristics of a particular area. N.S. Ratobylsky, P.A. Lyarsky. General geography and local lore. - Minsk, 1976. - p.249. The main features of the climate are determined by:

• - incoming solar radiation;
• - processes of circulation of air masses;
• - the nature of the underlying surface.

Of the geographical factors affecting the climate of a particular region, the most significant are:

• - latitude and height of the area;
• - its proximity to the sea coast;
• - features of orography and vegetation cover;
• - the presence of snow and ice;
• - the degree of pollution of the atmosphere.

These factors complicate the latitudinal zonality of the climate and contribute to the formation of its local variations.

The concept of "climate" is much more complicated than the definition of weather. After all, the weather can be directly seen and felt all the time, it can be immediately described in words or figures of meteorological observations. To get even the most approximate idea of ​​the climate of the area, you need to live in it for at least a few years. Of course, it is not necessary to go there, you can take many years of observational data from the meteorological station of this area. However, such material is many, many thousands of different figures. How to understand this abundance of numbers, how to find among them those that reflect the properties of the climate of a given area?

The ancient Greeks thought that the climate depends only on the slope of the sun's rays falling on the Earth. In Greek, the word "climate" means slope. The Greeks knew that the higher the sun above the horizon, the steeper the sun's rays fall on the earth's surface, the warmer it should be.

By sailing north, the Greeks found themselves in places with a colder climate. They saw that the sun at noon was lower here than at the same time of the year in Greece. And in hot Egypt, on the contrary, it rises higher. We now know that the atmosphere transmits, on average, three-quarters of the heat of the sun's rays to the earth's surface and retains only one-quarter. Therefore, at first the earth's surface is heated by the sun's rays, and only then the air begins to heat up from it.

When the sun is high above the horizon (A1), the area of ​​the earth's surface receives six rays; when lower, then only four beams and six (A2). So the Greeks were right that heat and cold depend on the height of the sun above the horizon. This determines the difference in climate between the eternally hot tropical countries, where the sun rises high at noon all year round, and is directly overhead twice or once a year, and the icy deserts of the Arctic and Antarctic, where for several months the sun does not appear at all.

However, not in the same geographical latitude, even in one degree of heat, climates can differ very sharply from each other. For example, in Iceland in January, the average air temperature is almost

0 ° , and at the same latitude in Yakutia it is lower than -48 ° . In terms of other properties (precipitation, cloudiness, etc.), climates at the same latitude can differ from each other even more than the climates of equatorial and polar countries. These differences in climates depend on the properties of the earth's surface that receives the sun's rays. White snow reflects almost all the rays falling on it and absorbs only 0.1-0.2 parts of the heat brought in, while black wet arable land, on the contrary, reflects almost nothing. Even more important for the climate is the different heat capacity of water and land, i.e. their ability to store heat is different. During the day and summer, water heats up much more slowly than land, and it turns out to be colder than it. At night and in winter, the water cools much more slowly than the land, and thus turns out to be warmer than it.

In addition, a very large amount of solar heat is spent on the evaporation of water in the seas, lakes and on wet land. Due to the cooling effect of evaporation, the irrigated oasis is not as hot as the surrounding desert.

This means that two areas can receive exactly the same amount of solar heat, but use it differently. Because of this, the temperature of the earth's surface, even in two neighboring areas, can differ by many degrees. The surface of the sand in the desert heats up to 80 ° on a summer day, and the temperature of the soil and plants in the neighboring oasis turns out to be several tens of degrees colder.

The air in contact with the soil, vegetation cover or water surface either heats up or cools down, depending on what is warmer - the air or the earth's surface. Since it is the earth's surface that primarily receives solar heat, it mainly transfers it to the air. The heated lowest layer of air quickly mixes with the layer lying above it, and in this way the heat from the earth spreads higher and higher into the atmosphere.

However, this is not always the case. For example, at night, the earth's surface cools faster than air, and it gives up its heat to it: the heat flow is directed downward. And in winter, over the snow-covered expanses of the continents in our temperate latitudes and over the polar ice, such a process goes on continuously. The earth's surface here either does not receive solar heat at all, or receives too little of it and therefore continuously takes heat from the air.

If the air were motionless and there was no wind, then masses of air with different temperatures would accumulate over neighboring differently heated sections of the earth's surface. Their boundaries could be traced to the upper reaches of the atmosphere. But the air is constantly moving, and its currents tend to destroy these differences.

Imagine that air moves over a sea with a water temperature of 10° and on its way passes over a warm island with a surface temperature of 20°. Over the sea, the temperature of the air is the same as that of the water, but as soon as the flow crosses the coastline and begins to move inland, the temperature of its lowest thin layer begins to rise, and approaches the temperature of the land. Solid lines of equal temperatures - isotherms - show how heating spreads higher and higher in the atmosphere. But then the stream reaches the opposite coast of the island, enters the sea again and begins to cool - also from the bottom up. The solid lines outline the “cap” of warm air that is inclined and shifted relative to the island. This "cap" of warm air resembles the shape that smoke takes in strong winds. Budyko M.I. Climate in the past and future. - Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980.- p. 86.

There are three main types of climates - large, medium and small.

A large climate is formed under the influence of only geographical latitude and the largest areas of the earth's surface - continents, oceans. It is this climate that is depicted on world climate maps. A large climate changes smoothly and gradually over long distances, at least thousands or many hundreds of kilometers.

The climate features of individual sections with a length of several tens of kilometers (a large lake, a forest, a large city, etc.) are classified as average (local) climate, and smaller sections (hills, lowlands, swamps, groves, etc.) - to a small climate.

Without such a division, it would be impossible to figure out which differences in climate are major and which are minor.

It is sometimes said that the creation of the Moscow Sea on the Moscow Canal changed the climate of Moscow. This is not true. The area of ​​the Moscow Sea is too small for this.

Different influx of solar heat at different latitudes and unequal use of this heat from the earth's surface. They cannot fully explain to us all the features of climates, if we do not take into account the importance of the nature of the circulation of the atmosphere.

Air currents all the time carry heat and cold from different regions of the globe, moisture from the oceans to land, and this leads to the formation of cyclones and anticyclones.

Although the circulation of the atmosphere changes all the time, and we feel these changes in the changes of the weather, yet a comparison of different localities shows some constant local properties of the circulation. In some places, northerly winds blow more often, in others - southerly ones. Cyclones have their favorite paths of motion, anticyclones have their own, although, of course, any place has any winds, and cyclones are everywhere replaced by anticyclones. It rains in cyclones. Budyko M.I. Climate in the past and future. - Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980.- p. 90.

Climate is the long-term regime of the weather in a particular area. That is, climate and weather are correlated as general and particular. In our case, we will talk about the climate. What types of climate exist on planet Earth?

There are the following types of climate:

• equatorial;
• subequatorial;
• tropical;
• subtropical;
• moderate;
• subarctic and subantarctic;
• arctic and antarctic;
• mountain climate.

equatorial climate

This type of climate is typical for areas of the globe that are directly adjacent to the equator. The equatorial climate is characterized by year-round dominance of equatorial air masses (that is, air masses that form over the equator), light winds, and hot and humid weather all year round. In areas with an equatorial climate, heavy rainfall occurs every day, which causes unbearable stuffiness. The average monthly temperature ranges from 25 to 29 degrees Celsius. For areas with an equatorial climate, a natural zone of tropical rainforests is typical.

subequatorial climate

This type of climate is also typical for areas that are adjacent to the equator, or are located slightly north / south of the zero parallel.

In areas with a subequatorial climate, two seasons are distinguished:

• hot and humid (conditional summer);
• relatively cold and dry (conditional winter).

Equatorial air masses dominate in summer, and tropical air masses dominate in winter. Tropical cyclones form over the oceans. The average monthly temperature is generally between 25 and 29 degrees, but in some areas with a subequatorial climate, the average winter temperatures (for example, in India) are much lower than the average summer temperatures. The subequatorial climate is characterized by zones of variable humid forests and savannahs.

tropical climate

It is typical for latitudes that are adjacent to the Northern or Southern Tropic. Tropical air masses dominate throughout the year. Tropical cyclones form over the oceans. Significant differences in temperature and humidity are already noticeable, especially on the continents.

There are such subspecies of tropical climate:

• Humid tropical climate. Typical for regions that are adjacent to the ocean. Tropical maritime air masses dominate throughout the year. Average monthly air temperatures range from 20 to 28 degrees Celsius. Classical examples of such a climate are Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Miami (Florida, USA), Hawaiian Islands. Wet tropical forests.

• Tropical desert climate. It is mainly characteristic of inland regions, as well as coastal regions, which are washed by cold currents. Dry tropical air masses dominate. There are large diurnal temperature fluctuations. Frosts are very rare in winter. Summers tend to be very hot with average temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (although not always). Winter is much colder, usually not higher than 20 degrees. This type of climate is typical for the Sahara, Kalahari, Namib and Atacama deserts.

• Tropical trade wind climate. It is characterized by a seasonal change of winds (trade winds). Summers are hot, winters are much colder than summers. Average temperatures in winter months are 17-19 degrees Celsius, in summer 27-29 degrees. This type of climate is characteristic of Paraguay.

subtropical climate

Typical for areas that are between the tropical and temperate climatic zones. In summer, tropical air masses dominate, in winter - moderate air masses. Significant seasonal differences in air temperature and humidity, especially on the continents. As a rule, there is no climatic winter, but spring, summer and autumn are clearly distinguished. Snowfalls are possible. Tropical cyclones form over the oceans.

There are the following subspecies of the subtropical climate:

• Subtropical Mediterranean climate. It is characterized by warm, wet winters and dry, hot summers. The average temperature of the coldest month is about 4 to 12 degrees Celsius, the warmest month is about 22-25 degrees Celsius. This type of climate is typical for all Mediterranean countries, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in the Tuapse-Sochi region, the southern coast of Crimea, as well as cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sydney, Santiago, etc. Favorable climate for growing tea, citrus fruits and other subtropical crops.

• Marine subtropical climate. Tropical air masses dominate in summer, and moderate maritime air masses dominate in winter. Winters are warm and humid, and summers are not hot. New Zealand is an example of a maritime subtropical climate.

• Subtropical desert climate. Tropical air masses dominate in summer, and moderate continental air masses dominate in winter. There are very few rainfalls. Summer is very hot, the average temperature of the warmest month sometimes exceeds 30 degrees. Winter is quite warm, but frosts sometimes occur. This type of climate is typical for the southwest of the United States, the northern regions of Mexico, and some countries of Central Asia (for example, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan).

• Subtropical monsoon climate. It is characterized by seasonal change of winds. In winter, the wind blows from land to sea, and in summer, from sea to land. Summers are hot and humid, winters are dry and cool, sometimes the average temperature of the coldest month drops below zero. Examples of such a climate: Seoul, Beijing, Washington, Buenos Aires.

• Temperate climate. It is typical for temperate latitudes, from about 40 to 65 parallels. Moderate air masses dominate throughout the year. Intrusions of arctic as well as tropical air are not uncommon. On the continents, snow is formed in winter. As a rule, winter, spring, summer and autumn are clearly expressed.

There are such subspecies of temperate climate:

• Moderate maritime climate. Moderate maritime air masses reign throughout the year. Winters are mild and wet, summers are not hot. For example, in London, the average January temperature is 5 degrees Celsius, July - 18 degrees above zero. This type of climate is typical for the British Isles, most countries of Western Europe, the extreme south of South America, New Zealand, and the island of Tasmania. A zone of mixed forests is typical.

• Moderate continental climate. Both maritime and continental moderate air masses dominate. All seasons are clearly defined. Winter is quite cool and long, the average temperature of the coldest month is almost always below zero (it can drop to 16 degrees below zero). Summers are long and warm, even hot. The average temperature of the warmest month ranges from 17 to 24 degrees Celsius. Natural zones of mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppes and steppes are characteristic. This type of climate is typical mainly for the countries of Eastern Europe and most of the European territory of Russia.

• Sharply continental climate. It is typical for most of the territory of Siberia. In winter, the so-called Siberian anticyclone or the Asian maximum dominates over territories with a sharply continental climate. This is a stable field of high pressure, which prevents the penetration of cyclones and contributes to a strong cooling of the air. Therefore, the winter in the same Siberia is long (five to eight months) and very cold, in Yakutia the temperature can drop to 60 degrees below zero. Summer is short, but warm, even hot, showers and thunderstorms are frequent. Spring and autumn are short. The natural zone of the taiga is characteristic.

• Monsoon climate. It is typical for the Far East of Russia, North Korea and the northern part of Japan (Hokkaido), as well as China. It is characterized by the fact that in winter the wind blows from land to sea, and in summer - from sea to land. Due to the fact that the above-mentioned Asian maximum forms over the continent in winter, the winter is clear and rather cold. Summers are quite warm, but humid, with frequent typhoons. Moreover, summer begins quite late - only at the end of June and ends in September. Mud is typical for spring, and autumn pleases with clear and fine days.

Subarctic and subantarctic climate

This type of climate is typical for regions that are directly adjacent to the Arctic and Southern polar circles. Summer as such is absent, because the average monthly temperature of the warmest month does not reach the level of 15 degrees Celsius. In winter, arctic and antarctic air masses dominate, in summer they are moderate.

There are two subspecies of the subarctic and subantarctic climate:

• Subarctic (subantarctic) maritime climate. It is characterized by rather mild and wet winters and cold summers. Maritime air masses dominate throughout the year. For example, in Reykjavik (Iceland) the average January temperature is 0 degrees, July 11 degrees Celsius;

• Subarctic (subantarctic) continental climate. It is characterized by very cold winters and cool summers. There is little rainfall. Continental air masses dominate. For example, in Verkhoyansk (Yakutia) the average temperature in January is 38 degrees below zero, in July 13 degrees Celsius.

The subarctic and subantarctic climate is characterized by the natural zone of tundra and forest tundra. (dwarf willow, birch, moss - reindeer moss).

Arctic (Antarctic) climate

It is typical for areas that lie beyond the Arctic Circle. Arctic air masses dominate throughout the year. The weather is frosty all year round, especially in Antarctica. In the Arctic, periods with temperatures above zero are possible. The zone of arctic deserts is characteristic, Antarctica is almost completely ice-bound. There are Arctic (Antarctic) maritime and Arctic (Antarctic) continental climates. It is no coincidence that it is in Antarctica that the pole of cold on Earth is located - Vostok station, where the temperature was recorded as minus 89 (!) degrees of frost!

mountain climate

Characteristic for areas with altitudinal zonality (mountainous areas). With an increase in altitude, the air temperature drops, atmospheric pressure decreases, and natural zones alternately replace each other. In the highlands, alpine meadows predominate; mountain peaks are often covered with glaciers.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the main types of climate are equatorial, tropical, temperate and arctic (Antarctic). Transitional climate types include subequatorial, subtropical and subarctic (subantarctic) climate types.

What is changing the Earth's climate - video

Everyone knows the word climate”, but what is it and what impact does it have on our lives? Every place on earth has its own characteristics. They are expressed in differences in flora and fauna, terrain, the presence or absence of water bodies, weather. It is the nature of the weather observed in certain historical periods and remaining largely unchanged from year to year that is called climate. Just as all the diversity of animate and inanimate nature, which we spoke about above, depends on the climate, so the climate itself depends on the surrounding world. All sectors of the economy of a particular area arise and develop depending, first of all, on the climate there. After all, it is impossible to grow bananas in the north. And in the deserts or the tundra, construction timber does not grow.

What influences the formation of climate.

The climate is affected and form it, depending on geographical conditions, climate-forming factors. These include: the amount of solar radiation reaching a certain surface of the Earth; atmospheric circulation processes; biomass volumes. These climate-determining factors can vary considerably depending on the geographic latitude of the area. It is latitude that determines at what angle sunlight falls on the surface of the globe and, accordingly, how intensely the surface located at different distances from the equator will warm up.

The thermal regime of a certain area depends to a large extent on its proximity to the oceans, which act as heat accumulators. On the land surfaces bordering the oceans, there is more mild climate compared to the climate in the depths of the continents. Daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations near large volumes of water are more gradual than in continental climates closer to the center of the continents. There is more rainfall here and the sky is often covered with clouds. On the contrary, the continental climate is characterized by sharp temperature changes and less rainfall.

Ocean-related phenomena such as sea currents are also a major factor in determining the weather on Earth. Carrying warm masses of water around the continents, they warm the atmospheric air, bring cyclones with a large amount of precipitation. How dramatically the current can affect nature can be seen on the example of the North Atlantic Current. In those areas that fall into his zone of influence, dense forests grow. And in Greenland, located in the same latitudes, there is only a thick layer of ice.

It has no less effect on climate and relief. Everyone knows the footage of climbers climbing the mountains, who, starting from green meadows at the foot of the mountain, stand on snow-capped peaks a few days later. This is due to the fact that with every kilometer above sea level, the ambient temperature drops by 5-6 °C. In addition, mountain systems prevent the movement of both warm and cold air masses. Often the climate on one and the other side of the mountain range can differ significantly. A striking example of this is the difference in air temperature and humidity in Sochi and Stavropol, located on opposite sides of the Caucasus Mountains.

Climate dependence on wind can also be traced to the example of a certain territory. So, in the cities of the Far East, located approximately at the latitude of Sochi, it is very cold and windy in winter. This is due to the monsoon winds blowing from the center of the mainland. Due to the fact that the winds are dry, there is also very little precipitation. With the onset of summer, ocean winds begin to blow causing heavy rains. And only in the off-season is the beautiful calm weather. The mild warm climate of the East European Plain also depends on the wind. It blows most of the time from the Atlantic.

Characteristics of the climate.

People have spent thousands of years weather and climate monitoring generally. Based on the collected data characterizing time periods of 25-50 years, the climatic characteristics of different regions are added up. Depending on the climatic characteristics, climatic norms are determined for a particular area, which reflect the average weather indicators. You can select daily norms, monthly, seasonal, annual, and so on. Transferring climatic indicators in projection onto the globe, we obtain a climate map of the world. Subdivide maps of distribution of temperature, pressure, humidity, etc. Climatologists involved in the study of climate and the factors influencing its change study various climatic indicators. These are, for example: solar radiation, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, moisture evaporation, heat exchange between the earth and air, precipitation, soil and water temperature, atmospheric transparency, and so on.

The entire globe can be divided into 7 main climatic zones. Their separation is due to differences in temperature, strength and direction of winds, humidity. Depending on the distance from the equator, there are: an equatorial climatic zone, two tropical, two temperate, northern - arctic and southern - antarctic climatic poles. At the boundaries of the poles, a mixture of climatic characteristics is observed. Such belts are named after the main belt with the prefix "sub" (subtropical, subequatorial, etc.). In turn, each climatic zone is subdivided into climatic regions. And in the mountains there is a division according to high-altitude climatic zones.