Moderate and sharp continental climates. Temperate continental climate Diversity of Earth's climates

Tropical climate is a type of climate characteristic of the tropical climate zone located approximately between 20° and 30° north and south latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, to the north of the tropical zone there is a subtropical zone, to the south - a subequatorial zone, in the Southern Hemisphere, on the contrary - to the north there is a subequatorial belt, and in the south the tropics are replaced by subtropics.

The mainland tropical climate has very little rainfall. In winter, the temperature very rarely rises above fifteen degrees and drops below ten. But summer is quite hot. In summer, temperatures average between thirty-five and forty degrees Celsius. Temperature fluctuations occur several times during the day. Due to the lack of clouds, nights are often cool and clear. Sudden temperature changes contribute to the destruction of rocks, which in turn leads to the formation of large masses of dust, sand and frequent sandstorms.

Tropical continental climate located in North America on the territory of Mexico. In the southern part of Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and Argentina and southern Paraguay and Brazil. In Africa, in the continental tropical zone there are Mauritania, Morocco, Libya, Algeria, Chad, Mali, Niger, Egypt, Sudan. And also in the southern part of Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe. And Saudi Arabia and other countries Persian Gulf and central Australia (Great Victoria Desert)

Basically, these areas make up tropical desert belts, so the climate inherent in these areas is sometimes even called the climate of tropical deserts. Cloudiness and precipitation here are very small, the radiation balance earth's surface due to the dryness of the air and the large albedo of the earth's surface, it is less than in the equatorial belt. However, the air temperature is very high, since the heat consumption for evaporation is low. Summer is exceptionally hot, the average temperature of the warmest month is not lower than +26 and in some places almost 40. It is in the zone of tropical deserts that the highest temperature maximums are observed. globe(about 57) Winters are also warm with temperatures in the coldest month between 10 and 22 degrees Celsius.

Precipitation is rare, but heavy downpours are also possible (up to 80 mm per day). Annual precipitation amounts in most cases are less than 250 mm and in some places less than 100. There have been cases when rain did not fall for several years in a row.

With generally weak winds, tropical deserts are characterized by dust devils and even sandstorms (samums) carrying huge amounts of sand. They are associated with extreme overheating of the lower layer of sand.

The slide shows the Sahara and Kalahari deserts, a region of South America with the semi-desert landscape of the Gran Chaco, the capital of Peru - Lima

The Sierra Madre Oriental mountain system in the northeast of Mexico, the Sierra de Juarez mountain system in the south of Mexico, the vicinity of the Hermannsberg village in the center of Australia.

Alice Springs: Temperatures fluctuate around 20°C each day. In summer, during the daytime, temperatures often reach 40 °C, the absolute maximum is 48 °C. In winter, temperatures are significantly lower, sometimes frosts down to −7 °C, and the absolute minimum is −10 °C, despite the fact that the city is located at the latitude of the Southern Tropics. The climate is very dry, there is very little or no rain, and the amount of precipitation varies from year to year.

Sahara: The climate of most of the Sahara is strongly influenced by the northeast trade wind throughout the year. Relative humidity is 30-50%, a huge moisture deficit and high evaporation (potential evaporation 2500-6000 mm) are typical throughout the desert, with the exception of narrow coastal strips. There are two main climate regimes: dry subtropical in the north and dry tropical in the south. The northern regions are characterized by unusually large annual and daily temperature fluctuations, with cool and even cold winters and hot summers. The amount of precipitation has two annual maximums. IN southern regions Summers are hot and winters are mild and dry. After the hot and dry season come summer rains. The cooler climate of the narrow coastal strip in the west is due to the influence of the cold Canary Current.

Windhoek: The city is located in a semi-desert climate region. During the summer months, the days are dry and hot and the nights are cool. The maximum daily temperature in summer is 31 °C. During winter (the months of June, July and August) there is usually little rain. The minimum temperature ranges from 5 °C to 18 °C. The nights are cold, but the temperature rarely drops below zero and it almost never snows. The maximum temperature during the day is about 20 °C. The average annual temperature, 19.47 °C, is relatively high for a city located at such an altitude on the edge of the tropical zone. This is due to the dominance of the warm northern air current and the mountains located south of the city, which reliably protect Windhoek from the cold southern winds.

The average annual precipitation, about 330 mm, does not allow the development of gardens and green spaces in the city without intensive artificial irrigation. The area around the city is dominated by steppe vegetation with numerous shrubs. Droughts occur frequently.

CONTINENTAL CLIMATE, a type of climate formed under conditions of the prevailing influence on the atmosphere during the year of large land masses, i.e. in those parts of continents and in coastal areas of the oceans where air masses of continental origin dominate throughout the year. Particularly characteristic of Asia and North America. The continental climate is determined by large daily and annual (hot summers and Cold winter) values ​​of air temperature amplitude that significantly exceed those observed over the oceans at the same geographic latitude. Continental climate is also characterized by great variability of anomalies of meteorological values ​​over different time intervals, lower values relative humidity, cloudiness during the day and summer months, unevenness in precipitation in all seasons, as well as a general increase in the annual amplitude of air temperature, a decrease in precipitation and average speed winds inland.

To assess the continentality of the climate of a geographic region, continentality indices (K) developed by a number of scientists are used. According to L. Gorchinsky, KGR = (1.7A/sin f) - 20.4 (where A is the annual amplitude of air temperature in °C, f - geographic latitude in degrees); according to S.P. Khromov, K XP = A-5.4sin f/A. Continentality indices are usually expressed as percentages; for example, for the extreme west of Europe, K HR varies from 50 to 75%, for Central and North-East Asia, inland regions of North America, K HR is over 90%, for small areas inside Central Australia, northern parts of Africa and South America it also reaches 90% .

The continental climate in Russia varies from moderate continental in the European part to sharply continental in Eastern Siberia. The most extreme continental climate in Russia is typical for Yakutia; in Yakutsk the average monthly temperature air temperature in July is 19°C, in January -43°C, annual precipitation is 190 mm. In temperate and high latitudes, the continental climate depends to a greater extent on a decrease in winter air temperatures, and in tropical latitudes - on an increase in summer temperatures. A special type of continental climate is the climate of mountainous regions in temperate latitudes ah, where temperature regime and quantity atmospheric precipitation very diverse, depending on the altitude above sea level, slope exposure and other relief features.

Lit.: Vitvitsky G. N. Climates foreign Asia. M., 1960; Myachkova N. A. Climate of the USSR. M., 1983; Climatology / Edited by O. A. Drozdov, N. V. Kobysheva. L., 1989; Khromov S.P., Petrosyants M.A. Meteorology and climatology. 7th ed. M., 2006; Sorokina V. N., Gushchina D. Yu. Climatology. Geography of climates. M., 2006.

A temperate continental climate is formed only in the Northern Hemisphere. this climate is typical both for the east and for the eastern mountain ranges of Yakutia and Magadan region. It is most clearly expressed and. Mountain ranges separate the narrow western coast with a maritime climate from the inland regions with a continental climate. Unlike North America, Europe is open to free entry sea ​​air With . This is facilitated not only by the transport prevailing in temperate latitudes air masses from the west, but also the relief, the highly rugged coasts and the bays that protrude deeply into the land. As Atlantic air moves inland, it turns into continental air, and the climate becomes harsher. In January the temperature is: 0°, in Warsaw -3°, in Moscow -1 G, -19°C.

IN winter months cooling of the earth's surface and air occurs, which is the reason for the formation of the Asian (Siberian) anticyclone, when the air cools to an average of -30, -40°C. The Asian one covers all of Eastern and Western Siberia, and at times extends to southeastern Europe, so even in January it is -3°C, i.e., as in Warsaw, which is located 1000 km to the north.

Due to the smaller size of North America and its frequent passage, the winter Canadian anticyclone is less stable compared to the Asian one. Winters here are less severe, and the severity of winters does not increase towards the center of the continent, as in Asia, but even decreases somewhat due to the frequent intrusions of tropical air from the Gulf. Frequent winter cyclones lead to sharp temperature fluctuations, especially in northern Europe, and. For example, in Moscow in January it can change by more than 10° over several days. Thaws can be replaced by severe frosts (down to -30° and below). In winter, precipitation falls in the form of snow and sets in, which protects against deep freezing and creates a supply of moisture in the spring. The stable one is formed to the east of, and its maximum height reaches 90 cm in the eastern regions of Europe and Western Siberia.

In summer, as in winter, temperate sea air penetrates, but at this time of year it is colder than the air that was previously on the mainland. In addition, in the summer quite often arctic air comes from the north. However, a large number solar heat In summer, it quickly warms up the cold air entering the Eurasian continent, which turns into warm continental water. Summer is usually warm, the average monthly temperature in July in Berlin is +18.3°; in Warsaw +19°; in Moscow + 18.1°; in Novosibirsk +18.7°; over all of Eurasia - from + 16 to + 22°С. The annual value varies from 300 to 800 mm, on windward slopes - more than 2000 mm. Most of them fall in the summer. In Eurasia, the amount of precipitation decreases from west to east, in North America - vice versa. In the south-east of Europe and in the southern regions of the Asian belt, where precipitation is less than 400 mm, possible evaporation exceeds precipitation and natural moisture is insufficient. Droughts often occur here.

Continental climate is a subtype of several climate zones, which is characteristic of the continental part of the earth, remote from the sea and ocean coasts. The continental climate occupies the largest area of ​​the Eurasian continent and the interior regions of North America. The main natural zones of the continental climate are deserts and steppes. Here the area has insufficient humidity. In this zone, summers are long and very hot, and winters are cold and harsh. There is relatively little precipitation.

Temperate continental belt

In temperate climates, the continental subtype occurs. There is a huge difference between the summer maximum and the winter minimum. There is also a significant amplitude of temperature fluctuations during the day, especially during the off-season. Because it's here low humidity, there is a lot of dust, and due to strong gusts of wind, dust storms occur. The main amount of precipitation falls in summer.

Continental climate in the tropics

In the tropical zone, temperature differences are not significant, as in temperate zone. Average summer temperature reaches a level of +40 degrees Celsius, but it can also be higher. There is no winter here, but in the coolest period the temperature drops to +15 degrees. There is very little precipitation here. All this leads to the formation of semi-deserts in the tropics, and then deserts in a continental climate.

Continental climate of the polar zone

The polar zone also has a continental climate. There is a large amplitude of temperature fluctuations here. Winter in highest degree severe and long-lasting, frosts can be –40 degrees and below. The absolute minimum was recorded at -65 degrees Celsius. There is summer in the polar latitudes on the continental part of the earth, but it is very short-lived.

Relationships between different types of climate

Continental climates develop inland and interact with several climatic zones. The influence of this climate on parts of the waters that are located near the mainland was noticed. The continental climate exhibits some interaction with the monsoon climate. In winter, continental air masses dominate, and in summer, sea air masses dominate. All this clearly shows that there are practically no pure types of climate on the planet. In general, the continental climate has a significant influence on the formation of the climate of neighboring zones.

Climate- This is a long-term weather regime characteristic of a particular area. It manifests itself in the regular change of all types of weather observed in this area.

Climate influences living and inanimate nature. Are closely dependent on climate water bodies, soil, vegetation, animals. Certain sectors of the economy, primarily Agriculture, are also very dependent on climate.

Climate is formed as a result of the interaction of many factors: quantity solar radiation, arriving at the earth's surface; atmospheric circulation; the nature of the underlying surface. At the same time, climate-forming factors themselves depend on geographical conditions of this area, primarily from geographical latitude.

The geographic latitude of the area determines the angle of incidence of the sun's rays, obtaining a certain amount of heat. However, receiving heat from the Sun also depends on proximity to the ocean. In places far from the oceans, there is little precipitation, and the precipitation regime is uneven (more in the warm period than in the cold), cloudiness is low, winters are cold, summers are warm, and the annual temperature range is large. This climate is called continental, as it is typical for places located in the interior of continents. A maritime climate is formed over the water surface, which is characterized by: a smooth variation in air temperature, with small daily and annual temperature amplitudes, large clouds, and a uniform and fairly large amount of precipitation.

The climate is also greatly influenced by sea ​​currents. Warm currents warm the atmosphere in the areas where they flow. For example, the warm North Atlantic Current creates favorable conditions for the growth of forests in the southern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, while most of the island of Greenland, which lies at approximately the same latitudes as the Scandinavian Peninsula, but is outside the zone of influence of the warm current, is available all year round covered with a thick layer of ice.

A major role in climate formation belongs to relief. You already know that with every kilometer the terrain rises, the air temperature drops by 5-6 °C. Therefore, on the high mountain slopes of the Pamirs the average annual temperature- 1 °C, although it is located just north of the tropics.

The location of mountain ranges greatly influences the climate. For example, the Caucasus Mountains trap moist sea winds, and their windward slopes facing the Black Sea receive significantly more precipitation than their leeward slopes. At the same time, the mountains serve as an obstacle to cold northern winds.

There is a dependence of climate on prevailing winds . On the territory of the East European Plain, for almost the entire year, they are dominated by westerly winds coming from Atlantic Ocean Therefore, winters in this area are relatively mild.

Regions of the Far East are under the influence of monsoons. In winter, winds from the interior of the mainland constantly blow here. They are cold and very dry, so there is little precipitation. In summer, on the contrary, winds bring a lot of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. In autumn, when the wind from the ocean subsides, the weather is usually sunny and calm. This is the best time of year in the area.

Climatic characteristics are statistical inferences from long-term weather observation series (25-50 year series are used in temperate latitudes; in the tropics their duration may be shorter), primarily on the following basic meteorological elements: atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, temperature and air humidity, cloudiness and precipitation. They also take into account the duration of solar radiation, visibility range, temperature of the upper layers of soil and water bodies, evaporation of water from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere, height and condition of snow cover, various atmospheric phenomena and ground hydrometeors (dew, ice, fog, thunderstorms, snowstorms, etc.). In the 20th century in number climate indicators included the characteristics of the elements of the heat balance of the earth's surface, such as total solar radiation, radiation balance, the amount of heat exchange between the earth's surface and the atmosphere, and heat consumption for evaporation. Complex indicators are also used, i.e. functions of several elements: various coefficients, factors, indices (for example, continentality, aridity, moisture), etc.

Climate zones

Long-term average values ​​of meteorological elements (annual, seasonal, monthly, daily, etc.), their sums, frequency, etc. are called climate standards: corresponding values ​​for individual days, months, years, etc. are considered as a deviation from these norms.

Maps with climate indicators are called climatic(temperature distribution map, pressure distribution map, etc.).

Depending on temperature conditions, prevailing air masses and winds, climatic zones .

The main climatic zones are:

• equatorial;
• two tropical;
• two moderate;
• Arctic and Antarctic.

Between the main zones there are transitional climatic zones: subequatorial, subtropical, subarctic, subantarctic. In transitional zones, air masses change seasonally. They come here from neighboring zones, so the climate sub equatorial belt in summer it is similar to the climate of the equatorial zone, and in winter - to the tropical climate; The climate of the subtropical zones in summer is similar to the climate of the tropical zones, and in winter - to the climate of the temperate zones. This is due to the seasonal movement of atmospheric pressure belts over the globe following the Sun: in summer - to the north, in winter - to the south.

Climatic zones are divided into climatic regions . For example, in the tropical zone of Africa, areas of tropical dry and tropical humid climates are distinguished, and in Eurasia, the subtropical zone is divided into areas of Mediterranean, continental and monsoon climates. In mountainous areas it is formed altitudinal zone due to the fact that the air temperature decreases with altitude.

Diversity of Earth's climates

The climate classification provides an orderly system for characterizing climate types, their zoning and mapping. Let us give examples of climate types that prevail over vast territories (Table 1).

Arctic and Antarctic climate zones

Antarctic and Arctic climate dominates in Greenland and Antarctica, where average monthly temperatures are below O °C. Into the dark winter time During the year, these regions receive absolutely no solar radiation, although there are twilights and auroras. Even in summer, the sun's rays hit the earth's surface at a slight angle, which reduces the efficiency of heating. Most of the incoming solar radiation is reflected by the ice. In both summer and winter, the higher elevations of the Antarctic Ice Sheet experience low temperatures. The climate of the interior of Antarctica is much colder than the climate of the Arctic, because southern mainland is different large sizes and altitudes, and the Arctic Ocean moderates the climate, despite the widespread distribution of pack ice. During short periods of warming in summer, drifting ice sometimes melts. Precipitation on ice sheets falls in the form of snow or small particles of freezing fog. Inland areas receive only 50-125 mm of precipitation annually, but the coast can receive more than 500 mm. Sometimes cyclones bring clouds and snow to these areas. Snowfalls are often accompanied strong winds, which carry significant masses of snow, blowing it off the slope. Strong katabatic winds with snowstorms blow from the cold glacial sheet, carrying snow to the coast.

Subarctic continental climate is formed in the north of the continents (see. climate map atlas). In winter, arctic air prevails here, which forms in the regions high pressure. Arctic air spreads to the eastern regions of Canada from the Arctic.

Continental subarctic climate in Asia is characterized by the largest annual amplitude of air temperature on the globe (60-65 °C). The continental climate here reaches its maximum value.

The average temperature in January varies across the territory from -28 to -50 °C, and in the lowlands and basins due to stagnation of air, its temperature is even lower. In Oymyakon (Yakutia), a record negative air temperature for the Northern Hemisphere was recorded (-71 °C). The air is very dry.

Summer in subarctic belt although short, it is quite warm. The average monthly temperature in July ranges from 12 to 18 °C (daytime maximum is 20-25 °C). During the summer, more than half of the annual precipitation falls, amounting to 200-300 mm on the flat territory, and up to 500 mm per year on the windward slopes of the hills.

The climate of the subarctic zone of North America is less continental compared to the corresponding climate of Asia. There are less cold winters and colder summers.

Temperate climate zone

Temperate climate western coasts of continents has pronounced features of a marine climate and is characterized by the predominance of marine air masses throughout the year. It is observed on Atlantic coast Europe and the Pacific coast of North America. The Cordillera is a natural boundary separating the coast with a maritime climate from inland areas. The European coast, except Scandinavia, is open to free access of temperate sea air.

The constant transport of sea air is accompanied by large clouds and causes long springs, in contrast to the interior of the continental regions of Eurasia.

Winter in temperate zone It's warm on the western coasts. The warming influence of the oceans is enhanced by warm sea currents washing the western shores of the continents. The average temperature in January is positive and varies across the territory from north to south from 0 to 6 °C. When arctic air invades, it can drop (on the Scandinavian coast to -25 °C, and on the French coast - to -17 °C). As tropical air spreads northward, the temperature rises sharply (for example, it often reaches 10 °C). In winter, on the western coast of Scandinavia, large positive temperature deviations from the average latitude (by 20 °C) are observed. The temperature anomaly on the Pacific coast of North America is smaller and amounts to no more than 12 °C.

Summer is rarely hot. The average temperature in July is 15-16 °C.

Even during the day, the air temperature rarely exceeds 30 °C. Due to frequent cyclones, all seasons are characterized by cloudy and rainy weather. Especially a lot cloudy days happens on the west coast of North America, where before mountain systems Cordillera cyclones are forced to slow down. In connection with this, great uniformity characterizes the weather regime in southern Alaska, where there are no seasons in our understanding. Eternal autumn reigns there, and only plants remind of the onset of winter or summer. Annual precipitation ranges from 600 to 1000 mm, and on the slopes of mountain ranges - from 2000 to 6000 mm.

In conditions of sufficient moisture, broad-leaved forests develop on the coasts, and in conditions of excess moisture, coniferous forests develop. Lack of summer heat reduces upper limit forests in the mountains up to 500-700 m above sea level.

Temperate climate of the eastern coasts of the continents has monsoon features and is accompanied by a seasonal change in winds: in winter, northwestern currents predominate, in summer - southeastern ones. It is well expressed on the eastern coast of Eurasia.

In winter, with the north-west wind, cold continental temperate air spreads to the coast of the mainland, which is the reason for the low average temperature of the winter months (from -20 to -25 ° C). Clear, dry, windy weather prevails. There is little precipitation in the southern coastal areas. The north of the Amur region, Sakhalin and Kamchatka often fall under the influence of cyclones moving over Pacific Ocean. Therefore, in winter there is a heavy snow cover, especially in Kamchatka, where it maximum height reaches 2 m.

In summer, temperate sea air spreads along the Eurasian coast with a southeast wind. Summers are warm, with an average July temperature of 14 to 18 °C. Frequent precipitation is caused by cyclonic activity. Their annual quantity is 600-1000 mm, with most of them falling in summer. Fogs are common at this time of year.

Unlike Eurasia, the east coast of North America is characterized by monkfish climate, which are expressed in the predominance of winter precipitation and marine type annual variation of air temperature: the minimum occurs in February, and the maximum in August, when the ocean is warmest.

The Canadian anticyclone, unlike the Asian one, is unstable. It forms far from the coast and is often interrupted by cyclones. Winter here is mild, snowy, wet and windy. In snowy winters, the height of the snowdrifts reaches 2.5 m. With a southerly wind, there is often black ice. Therefore, some streets in some cities in eastern Canada have iron railings for pedestrians. Summer is cool and rainy. Annual precipitation is 1000 mm.

Temperate continental climate most clearly expressed on the Eurasian continent, especially in the regions of Siberia, Transbaikalia, northern Mongolia, as well as in the Great Plains in North America.

A feature of the temperate continental climate is the large annual amplitude of air temperature, which can reach 50-60 °C. During the winter months, with a negative radiation balance, the earth's surface cools. The cooling effect of the land surface on the surface layers of air is especially great in Asia, where in winter a powerful Asian anticyclone forms and partly cloudy, windless weather prevails. Moderate continental air forming in the area of ​​the anticyclone has low temperature(-0°...-40 °С). In valleys and basins, due to radiation cooling, the air temperature can drop to -60 °C.

In the middle of winter the continental air lower layers It's getting even colder than the Arctic. This very cold air of the Asian anticyclone extends to Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, and the southeastern regions of Europe.

The winter Canadian anticyclone is less stable than the Asian anticyclone due to the smaller size of the North American continent. Winters here are less severe, and their severity does not increase towards the center of the continent, as in Asia, but, on the contrary, decreases somewhat due to the frequent passage of cyclones. Continental temperate air in North America has a higher temperature than continental temperate air in Asia.

The formation of a continental temperate climate is significantly influenced by geographical features continental territories. In North America, the Cordillera mountain ranges are a natural boundary separating the maritime coastline from the continental inland areas. In Eurasia, a temperate continental climate is formed over a vast expanse of land, from approximately 20 to 120° E. d. Unlike North America, Europe is open to the free penetration of sea air from the Atlantic deep into its interior. This is facilitated not only by the westerly transport of air masses, which dominates in temperate latitudes, but also by the flat nature of the relief, highly rugged coastlines and deep penetration of the Baltic and North Seas into the land. Therefore, a temperate climate is forming over Europe to a lesser extent continentality compared to Asia.

In winter, sea Atlantic air moving over the cold land surface of temperate latitudes of Europe retains its properties for a long time. physical properties, and its influence extends throughout Europe. In winter, as the Atlantic influence weakens, the air temperature decreases from west to east. In Berlin it is 0 °C in January, in Warsaw -3 °C, in Moscow -11 °C. In this case, the isotherms over Europe have a meridional orientation.

The fact that Eurasia and North America face the Arctic basin as a broad front contributes to the deep penetration of cold air masses onto the continents throughout the year. Intense meridional transport of air masses is especially characteristic of North America, where arctic and tropical air often replace each other.

Tropical air entering the plains of North America with southern cyclones is also slowly transformed due to the high speed of its movement, high moisture content and continuous low clouds.

In winter, the consequence of intense meridional circulation of air masses is the so-called “jumps” of temperatures, their large inter-day amplitude, especially in areas where cyclones are frequent: in northern Europe and Western Siberia, the Great Plains of North America.

IN cold period fall in the form of snow, a snow cover is formed, which protects the soil from deep freezing and creates a supply of moisture in the spring. The depth of the snow cover depends on the duration of its occurrence and the amount of precipitation. In Europe, stable snow cover on flat areas forms east of Warsaw, its maximum height reaches 90 cm in the northeastern regions of Europe and Western Siberia. In the center of the Russian Plain, the height of snow cover is 30-35 cm, and in Transbaikalia - less than 20 cm. On the plains of Mongolia, in the center of the anticyclonic region, snow cover forms only in some years. Lack of snow along with low winter temperature air causes the presence of permafrost, which is not observed anywhere else on the globe at these latitudes.

In North America, snow cover is negligible on the Great Plains. To the east of the plains, tropical air increasingly begins to take part in frontal processes; it aggravates frontal processes, which causes heavy snowfalls. In the Montreal area, snow cover lasts up to four months, and its height reaches 90 cm.

Summer in the continental regions of Eurasia is warm. The average July temperature is 18-22 °C. In the arid regions of southeastern Europe and Central Asia, the average air temperature in July reaches 24-28 °C.

In North America, continental air in summer is somewhat colder than in Asia and Europe. This is due to the smaller latitudinal extent of the continent, the large ruggedness of its northern part with bays and fjords, the abundance of large lakes, and the more intense development of cyclonic activity compared to the interior regions of Eurasia.

In the temperate zone, the annual precipitation on the flat continental areas varies from 300 to 800 mm; on the windward slopes of the Alps more than 2000 mm falls. Most of the precipitation falls in summer, which is primarily due to an increase in the moisture content of the air. In Eurasia, there is a decrease in precipitation across the territory from west to east. In addition, the amount of precipitation decreases from north to south due to a decrease in the frequency of cyclones and an increase in dry air in this direction. In North America, a decrease in precipitation across the territory is observed, on the contrary, towards the west. Why do you think?

Most of the land in the continental temperate climate zone is occupied by mountain systems. These are the Alps, Carpathians, Altai, Sayans, Cordillera, Rocky Mountains etc. In mountainous areas climatic conditions differ significantly from the climate of the plains. In summer, the air temperature in the mountains drops quickly with altitude. In winter, when cold air masses invade, the air temperature on the plains is often lower than in the mountains.

The influence of mountains on precipitation is great. Precipitation increases on windward slopes and at some distance in front of them, and decreases on leeward slopes. For example, differences in annual precipitation between western and eastern slopes Ural mountains in some places they reach 300 mm. In mountains, precipitation increases with altitude to a certain critical level. In the Alps the level the largest number precipitation occurs at altitudes of about 2000 m, in the Caucasus - 2500 m.

Subtropical climate zone

Continental subtropical climate determined by the seasonal change of temperate and tropical air. The average temperature of the coldest month in Central Asia is below zero in some places, in the northeast of China -5...-10°C. The average temperature of the warmest month ranges from 25-30 °C, with daily maximums exceeding 40-45 °C.

The most strongly continental climate in the air temperature regime is manifested in the southern regions of Mongolia and northern China, where the center of the Asian anticyclone is located in the winter season. Here the annual air temperature range is 35-40 °C.

Sharply continental climate in the subtropical zone for the high mountain regions of the Pamirs and Tibet, the altitude of which is 3.5-4 km. The climate of the Pamirs and Tibet is characterized by cold winters, cool summers and low rainfall.

In North America, the continental arid subtropical climate is formed in closed plateaus and in intermountain basins located between the Coast and Rocky Ranges. Summers are hot and dry, especially in the south, where the average July temperature is above 30 °C. The absolute maximum temperature can reach 50 °C and above. A temperature of +56.7 °C was recorded in Death Valley!

Humid subtropical climate characteristic of the eastern coasts of continents north and south of the tropics. The main areas of distribution are the southeastern United States, some southeastern parts of Europe, northern India and Myanmar, eastern China and southern Japan, northeastern Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, the coast of Natal in South Africa and the eastern coast of Australia. Summer in the humid subtropics is long and hot, with temperatures similar to those in the tropics. The average temperature of the warmest month exceeds +27 °C, and the maximum is +38 °C. Winters are mild, with average monthly temperatures above 0 °C, but occasional frosts have a detrimental effect on vegetable and citrus plantations. In the humid subtropics, average annual precipitation amounts range from 750 to 2000 mm, and the distribution of precipitation across seasons is quite uniform. In winter, rain and rare snowfalls are brought mainly by cyclones. In summer, precipitation falls mainly in the form of thunderstorms associated with powerful inflows of warm and humid oceanic air, characteristic of the monsoon circulation of East Asia. Hurricanes (or typhoons) occur in late summer and fall, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.

Subtropical climate with dry summers, typical for the western coasts of continents north and south of the tropics. In Southern Europe and North Africa Such climatic conditions are typical for the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, which is the reason for calling this climate also Mediterranean. Similar climate in southern California, central regions Chile, southernmost Africa and parts of southern Australia. All these areas have hot summers and mild winters. As in the humid subtropics, there are occasional frosts in winter. In inland areas, summer temperatures are significantly higher than on the coasts, and often the same as in tropical deserts. In general, clear weather prevails. In summer, there are often fogs on the coasts near which ocean currents pass. For example, in San Francisco, summers are cool and foggy, and the warmest month is September. The maximum precipitation is associated with the passage of cyclones in winter, when the prevailing air currents mix towards the equator. The influence of anticyclones and downdrafts of air over the oceans cause the dry summer season. The average annual precipitation in a subtropical climate ranges from 380 to 900 mm and reaches maximum values ​​on the coasts and mountain slopes. In summer there is usually not enough rainfall for normal tree growth, and therefore a specific type of evergreen shrubby vegetation develops there, known as maquis, chaparral, mali, macchia and fynbos.

Equatorial climate zone

Equatorial climate type distributed in equatorial latitudes in the Amazon basins South America and Congo in Africa, on the Malacca Peninsula and on the islands South-East Asia. Usually the average annual temperature is about +26 °C. Due to the high midday position of the Sun above the horizon and the same length of day throughout the year, seasonal temperature fluctuations are small. Wet air, cloud cover and dense vegetation cover prevent night cooling and keep maximum daytime temperatures below 37 °C, lower than at higher latitudes. The average annual precipitation in the humid tropics ranges from 1500 to 3000 mm and is usually evenly distributed over the seasons. Precipitation is mainly associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which is located slightly north of the equator. Seasonal shifts of this zone to the north and south in some areas lead to the formation of two maximum precipitation during the year, separated by drier periods. Every day thousands of thunderstorms roll over humid tropics. In between, the sun shines in full force.