Continental Climates
Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
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Printed: November 11, 2014
AUTHOR
Dana Desonie, Ph.D.
www.ck12.org
C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Continental Climates
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Continental Climates
• Define continental climate.
• Describe the two types of continental climate.
Where don’t you go to experience a continental climate?
There are no continental climates in the Southern Hemisphere. Can you guess why? Continental climates are
between 40° and 70°. The southern continents at this latitude are too narrow. All of their inland areas are close
enough to a coast to be affected by the ocean!
Continental Climates
Continental climates are found in inland areas. They are too far from oceans to experience the effects of ocean water.
Continental climates are common between 40° and 70° north latitude.
Humid Continental Climate
Humid continental climates are found between 40° and 60° north latitude. The northeastern U.S. has this type of
climate. Summers are warm to hot, and winters are cold. Precipitation is moderate, and it falls year round. Deciduous
trees grow in this climate ( Figure 1.1). They lose their leaves in the fall and grow new ones in the spring.
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FIGURE 1.1
The deciduous forests of Vermont begin to lose their leaves in the fall
Subarctic Climate
Subarctic climates are found between 60° and 70° north latitude. Much of Canada and Alaska have this type of
climate. Summers are cool and short. Winters are very cold and long. Little precipitation falls, and most of it falls
during the summer. Conifer forests grow in this climate ( Figure 1.2).
FIGURE 1.2
A conifer forest in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Summary
• Continental climates are far enough way from the ocean that there is no influence.
• Deciduous trees are common in humid continental climates. Conifer forests grow in the subarctic.
• Humid continental climates have warm winters and cold summers. Subarctic climates have cool short summers and very cold winters.
Explore More
Use the resource below to answer the questions that follow.
• Assignment Discovery: Taiga Biomes at http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28108-assignment-d
iscovery-taiga-biomes-video.htm (2:19)
MEDIA
Click image to the left for use the URL below.
URL: http://www.ck12.org/flx/render/embeddedobject/58904
1. What is the border between taiga and tundra? What are the conditions that create this border?
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Chapter 1. Continental Climates
What is the climate of the taiga?
How have trees adapted to life in the taiga?
What is the soil like in the taiga? What is the effect on plants?
What are animals adapted to life in the taiga?
Review
1. What is the main features of a continental climate?
2. What are the temperature and precipitation conditions of the two climates described here?
3. What is the difference in trees in the two climate types described here?
References
1. Bosc d’Anjou. The deciduous forests of Vermont begin to lose their leaves in the fall. CC BY 2.0
2. Frank Kovalchek. A conifer forest in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. CC BY 2.0
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