{"id":5021,"date":"2021-06-14T20:46:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T20:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/science\/the-17-types-of-climates-on-earth-and-their-characteristics\/"},"modified":"2021-06-14T20:46:25","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T20:46:25","slug":"the-17-types-of-climates-on-earth-and-their-characteristics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/science\/the-17-types-of-climates-on-earth-and-their-characteristics\/","title":{"rendered":"The 17 types of climates on Earth (and their characteristics)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

From polar regions in Greenland to the Amazon rainforests, the variety of climates on planet Earth is immense.<\/strong>. In fact, it is precisely this climatic diversity that makes this our planet a perfectly balanced home for the millions of species of living beings that inhabit it.<\/p>\n

And as far as geology is concerned, one of the most important concepts is that of \"climate\", the set of meteorological conditions, especially temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and pressure, that characterize a specific region of the earth's surface.<\/p>\n

From the particularities and combination of these meteorological factors are born the different types of climate that characterize each of the areas of planet Earth, determined by climate modifiers. Namely: latitude, altitude, orientation of the land relief, distance to the sea and sea currents. All this shapes the characteristics of terrestrial climates.<\/p>\n

But what types of climates are there? How are they classified? What meteorological peculiarities does each of them have? In today's article we will answer these and many other questions, since We will embark on a journey through planet Earth to discover the different types of climates that exist<\/strong>. Let's go there.<\/p>\n

How are climates classified and what types are there?<\/h2>\n

The most widely accepted classification of climates is that based on the work \"The Earth's Climate\", published in 1923 and written by Wladimir Petr\u00f3vich K\u00f6ppen, Russian geographer, meteorologist, climatologist and botanist, who describes the different climates based mainly on temperatures and rainfall<\/strong>, the two meteorological factors that most determine climatic properties.<\/p>\n

In this context, climates are divided into five large groups: tropical, dry, temperate, continental and polar. Let's see the characteristics of all of them and the subtypes within each one. Let us begin.<\/p>\n

\n<\/picture>
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Tropical climate<\/h3>\n

The tropical climate is the one present in the region that surrounds the Earth's equator from 29\u00ba south latitude to 23\u00ba north latitude. It is a type of non-arid climate in which the twelve months of the year we have average temperatures above 18 \u00baC<\/strong> with abundant rainfall and humidity, with rains greater than evaporation. There are three types of tropical climates: savanna, monsoon, and jungle.<\/p>\n

1.1. Savannah climate<\/h4>\n

The savanna climate is a type of tropical climate characterized by having two very marked seasons: one rainy and one dry<\/strong>. The low rainfall season means that they cannot maintain the herbaceous formations of, for example, a meadow. Its vegetation is limited to plants adapted to dryness, shrubs and scattered trees.<\/p>\n

1.2. Monsoon climate<\/h4>\n

The monsoon or subequatorial climate is a type of tropical climate dominated by the monsoon, the warm, humid maritime air mass that originates from subtropical anticyclones. This makes summers very rainy<\/strong>, with at least 2,000 mm per year of rainfall, but with a very low thermal oscillation typical of tropical climates. A clear example is the tropical forests of India.<\/p>\n

1.3. Jungle climate<\/h4>\n

The jungle climate is a type of tropical climate that arises from the union of very rainy and hot ecosystems<\/strong> which are generally also crossed by high-flow rivers. These meteorological and geographical conditions make jungle climates the areas of the planet with the highest density of plant and animal species.<\/p>\n

\n<\/picture>
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Dry climate<\/h3>\n

We completely changed the third and we started talking about the dry climate, one characterized by evaporation that exceeds the humidity from the rain. They are climates in which rainfall is highly dependent on seasonality and does not exceed 800 mm per year<\/strong>. Winters are cool (but not cold) and summers are quite hot. They develop between 15\u00ba and 55\u00ba latitude and are divided into two groups: desert and semi-arid.<\/p>\n

2.1. Desert climate<\/h4>\n

The desert climate is the driest type of climate, with annual rainfall below 225 mm<\/strong>, very high temperatures (which can exceed 40 \u00baC), very pronounced thermal variations between night and day, a very eroded terrain due to the lack of humidity and a low abundance and diversity of plants and animals. They are hot deserts.<\/p>\n

2.2. Semi-arid climate<\/h4>\n

The semi-arid or steppe climate is the least dry climate within this group. Rainfall is between 500 and 800 mm per year<\/strong>, so it rains more than in desert climates. Therefore, although evaporation continues to exceed precipitation, they are not so arid. Temperatures are high in summer but low in winter and have a soil rich in minerals but poor in organic matter, so the vegetation consists of shrubs and low grasses that spread over flat territories.<\/p>\n

\n<\/picture>
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Temperate climate<\/h3>\n

We pass to the third great climatic type: the temperate climate. Typical of the areas located between latitudes 40\u00ba and 60\u00ba, temperate climate is halfway between hot and cold<\/strong>. It is a climate characterized by temperatures ranging between 12 \u00baC and 18 \u00baC and rainfall between 600 mm and 2,000 mm per year. It is divided into three groups: Mediterranean, oceanic and subhumid.<\/p>\n

3.1. Mediterranean climate<\/h4>\n

The Mediterranean climate is a type of temperate climate, which receives this name because it is very representative of the Mediterranean Sea area (but it is not the only one in the world with this climate), with rains that are not usually very abundant (and less in summer ) and temperatures that are usually always above 20 \u00baC, with the exception of winter, which are relatively low. The Mediterranean climate is therefore characterized by mild and rainy winters and hot and dry summers.<\/p>\n

3.2. Oceanic climate<\/h4>\n

The ocean climate is a type of temperate climate where rainfall is constant throughout the year and with seasonal variations much more marked than in the Mediterranean. And is that although the hot months reach 22 \u00baC (summers are cool and cloudy), cold temperatures are close to 0 \u00baC<\/strong>. They develop between latitudes of 45\u00ba and 55\u00ba, generally next to the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

3.3. Subhumid climate<\/h4>\n

The sub-humid climate is a type of temperate climate characterized by long, humid and hot summers. Winters, on the other hand, are dry. It is the only temperate climate whose rainiest season is summer. They are located in middle latitudes and, as we see, feature cool, dry winters and hot, rainy summers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n<\/picture>
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Continental climate<\/h3>\n

We move on to the fourth group: the continental climate. Characterized by great thermal differences between winter and summer, the continental climate, also known as cold, is one that has hot summers (with an average temperature above 30 \u00baC) but some very cold winters<\/strong>, with temperatures that, unlike the previous ones, always get to be below zero.<\/p>\n

It develops at mid-latitude levels, between the tropics and the polar areas, in the interior of the continents (the absence of the sea largely determines its meteorological conditions) and is divided into two types: temperate continental and subpolar.<\/p>\n

4.1. Temperate continental climate<\/h4>\n

The temperate continental climate is a type of continental climate that develops in temperate areas of mid-latitudes but where there is a \u201cconflict\u201d zone between the polar and tropical air masses. The remoteness of the ocean means that it cannot exert the moderating influence of the oceanic climate, which is why seasonal variations are pronounced.<\/p>\n

Summers are mild and humid (storms are frequent) and winters are very cold, with frequent snowfalls and generally with a persistent cover of snow. They have, at least, four months above 10 \u00baC and one month below -3 \u00baC<\/strong>. It is typical of the northern hemisphere, since in the south it is only found in the form of microclimates.<\/p>\n

4.2. Subpolar climate<\/h4>\n

The subpolar climate is a type of continental climate that develops between 50\u00ba and 70\u00ba north latitude (in the south we do not find this climate, only in very specific mountainous regions) and that, being also known as sub-arctic or boreal climate, has the following characteristics: most extreme seasonal thermal variations on Earth: summers over 30 \u00baC and winters below -40 \u00baC<\/strong>. The taiga is the most representative ecosystem of this type of climate, present in Alaska, Canada and mountainous areas of northern Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n

\n<\/picture>
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Polar climate<\/h3>\n

We come to the last type of climate: the polar climate. It is an extreme climate and one of the most uninhabited in the world, in glacial areas or close to the polar circle. The polar climate is characterized by very low rainfall and almost permanent cold<\/strong>: no month of the year has an average temperature higher than 10 \u00baC. Solar radiation is minimal and is divided into two types: icy and tundra.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • We recommend you read: \"The 10 coldest places in the Universe\"<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    5.1. Tundra climate<\/h4>\n

    The tundra climate is a type of polar climate with precipitation almost as low as that of a desert but temperatures almost never exceed 5 \u00baC<\/strong>, although they are not as low as those of the freezing climate. Even so, the terrain is almost always frozen, so the \"vegetation\" is limited to mosses and lichens.<\/p>\n

    5.2. Icy weather<\/h4>\n

    The icy or glacial climate is a type of polar climate characterized by permanently having temperatures below 0 \u00baC, non-existent humidity in the air, generally intense wind, little rainfall and very weak solar radiation. It develops at the two poles of the Earth<\/strong>, with especially extreme conditions in Antarctica (South Pole), that is, between 66\u00ba and 90\u00ba north and south latitude.<\/p>\n

    \n<\/picture>
    \n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
    \n \n
    \n \n
    \n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
    \n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
    \n \n\n
    <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\n
    \n Rate this post<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    From polar regions in Greenland to the Amazon rainforests, the variety of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enorcerna.com\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}