Chapter 7
Global Climate Systems
Elemental Geosystems 5e
Robert W. Christopherson
Charles E. Thomsen
Global Climate Systems
Earth’s Climate System and Its
Classification
Tropical Climates
Mesothermal Climates
Microthermal Climates
Polar Climates
Dry Arid and Semiarid Climates
Global Climate Change
Earth’s Climate System and
Its Classification
Climate Components:
Insolation
Temperature
Air pressure
Air masses
Precipitation
Classification of Climatic Regions
Classification categories
Global climate patterns
Climate classification systems
Greeks did it – heat zones
Temperate, torrid, frigid
Genetic system looks at causes of climate
Empirical system looks at results or
statistics
Köppen Climate
Classification System
Wladimir Köppen was a genius
Began work on climate classification
system in 1884 based on heat zones
In 1900 included plant communities into
scheme
1928 published his first wall map
44 years after he started!
Wladimir Köppen
Владимир Петрович Кёппен
Russian-born German
Earth’s Climate System
Figure 7.1
Worldwide Average Precipitation
Figure 7.2
Climatic Relationships
Figure 7.3
El Niño and
La Niña
Figure FS 7.1.2
Generalized Climate Regions
Figure 7.4
World Climate Classification
Figure 7.5
World Climate Classification
Figure 7.5
Figure 7.5
World Climate Classification
Figure 7.5
Tropical Climates
Tropical Rain Forest Climates
Tropical Monsoon Climates
Tropical Savanna Climates
Tropical Climates
Tropical Rain Forest
Figure 7.6
Tropical Monsoon
Figure 7.7
Tropical Savanna
Figure 7.8
Mesothermal Climates
Humid Subtropical Hot-Summer Climates
Marine West Coast Climates
Mediterranean Dry-Summer Climates
Mesothermal Climates
Humid Subtropical Hot-Summer
Figure 7.9
Humid Subtropical Winter-Dry
Figure 7.10
Marine West Coast
Figure 7.11
Marine West
Coast
Figure 7.12
Marine West
Coast
Figure 7.13
Mediterranean
Climates
Figure 7.14
Microthermal Climates
Humid Continental Hot-Summer Climates
Humid Continental Mild-Summer Climates
Subarctic Climates
Microthermal Climates
Humid
Continental
Hot-Summer
Climates
Figure 7.15
Humid Continental
Mild-Summer Climates
Figure 7.16
Subarctic Cool
Summer Climates
Figure 7.17
Extreme Subarctic Cold Winter
Figure 7.18
Polar and Highland Climates
Tundra Climate
Ice Cap and Ice Sheet Climates
Polar marine climate
Polar and Highland Climates
Dry, Arid, and Semiarid Climates
Desert Characteristics
Hot Low-Latitude Desert Climates
Cold Midlatitude Desert Climates
Hot Low-Latitude Steppe Climates
Cold Midlatitude Steppe Climates
Arid and Semiarid Climates
Desert Landscapes
Figure 7.21
Low-Latitude Hot Desert
Figure 7.22
Mid-Latitude Cold Desert
Figure 7.23
Low-Latitude
Hot Steppe
Figure 7.24
Mid-Latitude Cold Steppe
Figure 7.25
Global Climate Change
Global Warming
Climate Models and Future Temperatures
Consequences of Global Warming
Political Action to Slow Global Warming
Global Temperatures
Figure 7.26
Temperature Anomalies
Figure 7.26
Annual Mean Surface Air Temperature
Change, 1971–1990 to 2041–2060
Figure 7.29
Carbon Dioxide Sources
Figure 7.27
General Circulation
Model
Figure 7.28
Antarctic
Ice
Figure 7.30
End of Chapter 7
Elemental Geosystems 5e
Robert W. Christopherson
Charles E. Thomsen