He Continental weather Usually has a significant annual variation in temperature (hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north). It occurs mainly in the northern hemisphere, which has the large masses of land necessary for this type of climate to develop. It occurs mainly in most of the north and northeast of China, east and south-east of Europe, and the center and east of the United States.
Continentality is a measure of the extent to which the climate of a region typifies that of the interior of large masses of land. These regions experience hot summers and cold winters being away from the moderating influence of the ocean, which keeps the temperate climates in the winter and cool in the summer.
This is because the earth and the rocks have a smaller capacity to absorb the heat than the water, and therefore they gain and lose heat much faster. Inland climates are relatively dry. Most of the humidity is carried by air masses that originate on distant oceanic regions, but these are losing rain very early in its displacement (1).
Regions of land that have continental climates include Siberia and central Russia, and most of North America. Siberia, Canada and the northern United States in particular exhibit great differences between the average temperatures of summer and winter and that can reach up to 40 ° C. This compares to the UK's most marine climate, where the annual temperature range is only 10 ° C (2).
The continental climate can be divided into two major groups: the continental and sub-Arctic moist climates. These can only be found in the continents of the Northern Hemisphere (3).
Continental humid climate
The continental humid climate can be found in large areas of land in the temperate regions of the middle latitudes. The continental humid climate is characterized by its variable weather patterns related to cyclonic storms and a large temperature range due to its location in the interior of the mid-latitude continents.
Factors
The continental humid climate is known for its variable climate conditions due to its location in the middle latitudes and the influence of the polar front all year. This climate is located between the boundaries between different masses of air, mainly polar and tropical.
Polar masses of air collide with the masses of tropical air causing a rise of less dense and humid tropical air resulting in precipitation. Colliding along the polar front, these masses rotate in large extra-tropical cyclones that are agitated by the jet stream of the polar front that is high in the troposphere. These large systems generally work on climbing along the surface in an eastbound direction, and contained in the airflow of the west wind belt.
Continentality is an important controlling factor on the characteristics of this climate. The continental humid climate is located within most of the mid-latitude continents. Being removed from the moderating influence of the oceans, these climates show great changes in the temperature of each season. Annual temperature ranges may exceed 40 ° C.
Where the periphery of the continental boundaries meets the ocean, temperatures in the summer may be a little cooler and temperatures in the winter slightly warmer than in the interior. During the winter, the high polar area expands to influence the northern portion of the continental climate. Record cold temperatures occur and winter when the masses of continental arctic air move over the region. In any other way, it is the continental polar air masses that dominate most of the winter.
Precipitation in the continental climate is mainly due to invasions of tropical maritime air. In North America, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea serve as source regions for the masses of tropical marine air.
Most of the precipitation east of the Rocky Mountains is due to the humid nature of the tropical sea air either during the summer or winter season. A noticeable drop and a lot of seasonality of precipitations occur as the distance of the source regions increases (4).
Warm Summer Subtype
The warm summer subtype of the continental climate in North America lies on the eastern and middle eastern part of the United States from the Atlantic to the meridian 100.
This type of climate can also be found in the central region of eastern Europe, northern China and northeastern Korea. The subtype of warm summer climate is recognized for its hot and humid summers with occasional cold winter waves (5).
Cool Summer Subtype
The fresh summer subtype of continental climate in North America is found in New England, across most of the Great Lakes region and in Canada in the Midwest, extending southward. Most of Scandinavia, eastern Europe and Russia fall into the category of fresh summers as well (5).
Ecosystems
The continental humid climate supports a great diversity of ecosystems, the type of which depends on its geographical location within the limits of the climate. Broad-deciduous forests are common in the southern and eastern portions of the continental climate in the United States. To the west precipitations are smaller and the forests are giving rise to grasslands.
The temperate climates and fertile soils found in the continental climate have created the most productive region for agriculture. In the colder regions of the north this practice is replaced by that of raising cattle (6).
Sub-Arctic Climate
The sub-Arctic climate can be found deep within the continents of high latitudes. In the same way as continental humid climate, continentality plays an important role in determining the characteristics of the sub-Arctic climate. Very cold winters and mild summers result in the widest temperature range of any climate on earth.
Geographical distribution
The sub-Arctic climate is found only in the northern hemisphere because there are no large masses of land at the same latitude in the southern hemisphere.
Vast expanses of sub-Arctic climate land extend along northern North America from the Newfoundland peninsula to Alaska. The sub-Arctic climate can be found in northern Eurasia from Scandinavia through most of Siberia.
Factors
Located on large continental masses between 50 ° and 70 ° latitude, the sub-Arctic climate is isolated from any moderating influence of the ocean. This therefore experienced a wide range of annual temperatures.
During the summer it is dominated by the west winds and cyclonic activity; During the winter it is subject to the polar front and the easterly winds. The sub-Arctic climate is characterized by its long cold winters given its location in the source region of continental polar air masses. Other air masses of significance are the maritime polar and the Arctic continental (7).
Temperature
The sub-Arctic climate has short, cool summers along with very cold winters. This region has come to experience the lowest temperatures recorded outside the Antarctic and the highest temperature range of any other climate.
Although the summer is short, the length of the day is quite long, lasting up to 18.8 hours in June at a latitude of 60 ° N. Temperatures during the day can rise above 25 ° C and drop to 10 ° C at night. The period of frost is short being only three months in duration. However, frost can be recorded in any month (7).
Precipitation
The annual total precipitation in the sub-Arctic is quite small, rising to no more than 380 mm to 500 mm throughout the year. Most of the rainfall is cyclonic in origin and is concentrated in the warmer months (except the coasts) where the air masses are more humid.
Extremely cold temperatures, together with the assistance of the polar front, are responsible for the low precipitation that falls during the winter (5).
Regions with continental climate
North America
- Canada: Across most of southern Canada from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast.
- United States: Across most of the north, including parts of Alaska and south on elevations like Oregon, California and Arizona and throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
South America
- Argentina: Province of Mendoza in the area of the Puente del Inca.
- Chile: People of Balmaceda.
Europe
- Norway
- Sweden
- Estonia
- Lavita
- Lithuania
- Belarus
- Ukraine
- Russia: Across most of southern Russia except the Black Sea.
Asia
- Georgia
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Afghanistan
- Uzbekistan
- Pakistan
- Mongolia
- China
- North Korea
- South Korea
Oceania
- Australia: At elevations like the Victorian Alps between Victoria and New South Wales.
References
- Collins. Continental Climate. [Online] [Quote on: January 2, 2017.] Taken from collinsdictionary.com.
- Enviropedia. Continental Climate. [Online] [Quote on: January 2, 2017.] Taken from enviropedia.org.uk.
- Manchester Metropolitan University. Atmosphere, Climate & Environment. [Online] 2011. [Quoted on: January 2, 2017.] Taken from archive.is.
- Higginbotham, Thomas. Study.com. Humid Continental: Climate and Definition. [Online] [Quoted on: January 2, 2017.] Taken from study.com.
- Ritter, Michael E. The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography. [Online] 2006. [Quoted on: January 2, 2017.] Taken from earthonlinemedia.com.
- Geog100. Introduction to Geography, a free online textbook. 4: Global Climates and Ecosystems. [Online] October 29, 2014. [Quoted on: January 2, 2017.] Taken from geog100.org.
- Linde, Barbara M. Climates of the World. S.l. : Rosen Classroom, 2005.