HOW DO WE

DESCRIBE CLIMATE?
To describe climate, geographers start by gathering data about weather.
Meteorologists, the scientists who study weather, supply the data by
measuring weather conditions like those in the table below:

Temperature Precipitation Wind Conditions

• maximum (highest) daily temperature • amount of moisture in the air (relative humidity) • wind speed
• minimum (lowest) daily temperature • amount of precipitation • wind direction
• type of precipitation
• cloud cover (amount and type of clouds)

The climate on Earth works as a system. The global climate system, climate regions areas
shown in Figure 2.8, is made up of five parts: Earth’s surface, the of Earth identified as
having similar climate
atmosphere, all the water on Earth, all the ice on Earth, and all life on Earth. characteristics
With energy from the Sun, these parts interact in several ways to produce
the climates of different places. Geographers group together places with FIGURE 2.8 This diagram shows
similar climates into climate regions. the global climate system.
The Sun’s energy powers the
climate on Earth.

energy arriving from the Sun

gases and ash from clouds

energy leaving Earth
erupting volcanoes

interactions precipitation
between
land and air wind
snow and ice interactions
between
water
human interactions and air
activities between
water runoff air and ice
water
ocean currents ice
interactions
between
water and ice

54 UNIT 1: Physical Patterns in a Changing World NEL

READING
CLIMATE GRAPHS
Climate graphs combine bar and line graphs
to show both average monthly temperatures Brisbane, Australia
and average monthly precipitation amounts 30 400
for a place. Geographers use climate graphs 20 350

Precipitation (mm)
Temperature (°C)
to show and analyze climate data. When you 10 300
read a climate graph, you analyze the data. 0 250
Look at the climate graph in Figure 2.9. The –10 200
average monthly temperature is shown by the –20 150
line graph. The average monthly precipitation –30 100
is shown by the bar graph.
–40 50
–50 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
FIGURE 2.9 Climate graph for
Month
Brisbane, Australia
temperature precipitation

Climate Data for Brisbane, Australia

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Average monthly temperature (°C) 25.1 25.0 23.9 21.7 18.8 16.1 15.0 16.0 18.3 20.7 22.7 24.3
White box in bottom layer.
Average monthly precipitation (mm) 169 148 140 104 97 74 68 46 33 105 110 132

FIGURE 2.10 Climate data for Brisbane, Australia

HOW TO READ A CLIMATE GRAPH

Determine the average annual temperature.

STEP 1
Using the data in Figure 2.10, add up the monthly
Geography 7 SB
temperatures. Divide by 12.
0-17-659048-X
Determine the temperature range. This is the
FN C02-F21-G07SB number of degrees from the highest monthly
CO STEP 2
Crowle Art Group temperature to the lowest. Subtract the
lowest monthly temperature from the highest
Determine the precipitation pattern by looking monthly temperature.
Pass 3rd pass
at when most of the city’s precipitation occurs.
Approved
Most places in the world match one of these Determine the total annual precipitation.
three patterns: Not Approved STEP 3 This is calculated by adding up the monthly
• winter maximum—most precipitation occurs in precipitation totals.
the coldest months of the year
• summer maximum—most precipitation occurs in STEP 4
the warmest months of the year
• evenly distributed—each month has about the
same amount of precipitation
As you can see, you need to look at both
temperature and precipitation to figure out the
precipitation pattern.

NEL CHAPTER 2: Changing Patterns of Climate 55

 (hot with dry season)
steppe
(warm and dry)
desert
GLOBAL CLIMATE PATTERNS
(hot and very dry)
mild Iqaluit, Canada
30 400
Climate
(warm andregions
wet) are found in different parts of the world.
20 350
Geographers
continental group them into nine overall climate regions

Precipitation (mm)
Temperature (°C)
(dry with cold winter) 10 300
seen here in Figure 2.11.
assubarctic 0 250
(very cold winter) –10 200
polar 2.11 This map
FIGURE shows climate regions around –20 150
(very cold and dry)
the world and climate graphs for each region. Which –30 100
mountainous
climate region is the least like the climate from where –40 50
(altitude affects climate)
you live? Why do you think it is so different? –50 0
J
F M A M J J A S O N D
ARCTIC OCEAN Month

Iqaluit (63.75°N, 68.52°W)

Climate Graphs White box in bottom layer.

temperature Winnipeg (49.90°N, 97.14°W)
precipitation PACIFIC

OCEAN
Winnipeg, Canada
30 400
20 350
Precipitation (mm)
Temperature (°C)

10 300
Tropic of Cancer
ATLANTIC
0 250
–10 200 OCEAN
–20 150
–30 100
–40 Geography
50 7 SB
World Climate Regions
tropical
–50 0-17-659048-X
0 (hot with rain all year)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Equator
Month FN C02-F04I-G07SB
savannah
(hot with dry season) Belém (1.45°S, 48.50°W)
CO Crowle Art Group
steppe
Belém, Brazil (warm and dry)
40 450
d) 30 Pass 400 4th passdesert
(hot and very dry)
20 Approved350
Precipitation (mm)
Temperature (°C)

mild
10 White box in bottom Not
layer.Approved
300 (warm and wet) Tropic of Capricorn
0 250 continental
–10 200 (dry with cold winter)
–20 150 subarctic
–30 100 (very cold winter)
polar PACIFIC
–40 50
(very cold and dry)
–50 0 OCEAN
J F M A M J J A S O N D mountainous
Month (altitude affects climate)

Lusaka, Zambia Dubai, United Arab Emirates

30 400 40 400
20 350 30 350
Precipitation (mm)

Precipitation (mm)

Antarctic Circle
Temperature (°C)

Temperature (°C)

10 300 20 300
0 250 10 250
G07SB –10 200 0 200
Climate Graphs
t Group –20 150 –10
temperature
150
–30 100 –20 100
precipitation
–40 50 –30 50
–50 0 –40 0
J F Geography
M A M J 7J SBA S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month
0-17-659048-X Month

56 1: Physical Patterns C02-F04A-G07SB

UNITFN in a Changing World NEL

CO Crowle Art Group

 Münster, Germany Yakutsk, Russia
30 400 30 400
20 350 20 350

Precipitation (mm)

Precipitation (mm)
Temperature (°C)

Temperature (°C)
10 300 10 300
0 250 0 250
–10 200 –10 200
–20 150 –20 150
–30 100 –30 100
–40 50 –40 50
–50 0 –50 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month Month

Arctic Circle

Yakutsk (62.03°N, 129.73°E)

Münster (51.96°N, 7.63°E)

White box in bottom layer.
White box in bottom layer.

Mashhad (36.30°N, 59.60°E)

Lhasa (29.65°N, 91.10°E)

Dubai (25.20°N, 55.30°E) PACIFIC

OCEAN

Geography 7 SB
0-17-659048-X
04F-G07SB FN C02-F04H-G07SB
e Art Group N
CO Crowle Art GroupI N D I A N
OCEAN
ss Pass 3rd pass
Lusaka (15.41°S, 28.28°E)
Approved
Not Approved
ATLANTIC

OCEAN
0 1000 km

Mashhad, Iran Lhasa, China

30 400 30 400
20 350 20 350
Precipitation (mm)

Precipitation (mm)
Temperature (°C)

Temperature (°C)

10 300 10 300
0 250 0 250
–10 200 –10 200
–20 150 –20 150
–30 100 –30 100
–40 50 –40 50
–50 0 –50 0
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
Month Month

NEL CHAPTER 2: Changing Patterns of Climate 57

MAKING
CLIMATE GRAPHS
You already know how to read a climate graph. In this activity, you will
learn how to make one.

Climate Data for Beijing, China

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Average monthly temperature (°C) –4.3 –1.9 5.1 13.6 20.0 24.2 25.9 24.6 19.6 12.7 4.3 –2.2

Average monthly precipitation (mm) 3 5 8 21 34 78 185 160 45 22 7 3

FIGURE 2.12 Climate data for Beijing, China. How might you draw a graph using
two sets of numbers and keep them separate on the graph?

HOW TO MAKE A CLIMATE GRAPH

Draw the x axis for the climate graph on graph

STEP 1
paper. Label 12 spaces along the x axis (horizontal)
with the initials of the months of the year.

Your graph needs two y axes (vertical). Draw the

left axis for temperature first.
• Label the lines from –50 °C to 30 °C. The
temperature labels can be adjusted depending
STEP 2 on the highest and lowest temperatures of
the place you are graphing. For example, you
might start at –20 °C if there are no very low
temperatures for the place.
• Label this axis “Temperature.”

Now draw the right y axis for precipitation.

• Label the lines with 0 mm on the bottom line
and intervals of 50 mm to the top. Precipitation
labels can also be adjusted, but 0 mm must STEP 3
always be on the bottom line.
• Label this axis “Precipitation.”

Make a line graph to show temperature.

• Find the temperature for each month from the
data table for Beijing (Figure 2.12). Put a red dot
in the middle of each column for each month
STEP 4 using the left y axis.
• Once you have plotted all 12 points, join the dots
with a red line.

Make a bar graph to show precipitation.

• Find the precipitation amount for each month
from the data table for Beijing. Draw a bar for
STEP 5
each month using the right y axis.
• Colour the bars blue.

Add a title above your climate graph, giving the

STEP 6
name of the place.

58 UNIT 1: Physical Patterns in a Changing World NEL

HOW CLIMATE DATA TELLS US CLIMATE
IS CHANGING
Climate graphs can help us identify how climate is changing. Comparisons
can be made among climate graphs of the same locations over periods of
10, 20, or more years. In many parts of the world, detailed climate statistics
have been kept for over 100 years (Figure 2.13). Changes in temperature and
precipitation trends are good indicators of climate change.
These are some aspects to compare:
• Monthly temperatures: Changes to the hottest and coldest monthly
temperatures tell us whether there is a warming or cooling trend.
• Temperature ranges: Changes to the temperature range tell us whether
the range is becoming larger, with hotter summers and colder winters,
or whether the range is becoming smaller, with cooler summers and
warmer winters. What can precipitation
patterns tell us about
• Precipitation totals: Changes to precipitation totals tell us whether there
the climate of a
is more or less precipitation. particular place?
• Precipitation patterns: Changes to precipitation patterns tell us whether
there are drier summers or wetter winters.
Comparing climate graphs for just one location will not give us a very good
understanding of the ways that the climate is changing around the world.
Geographers will compare climate graphs over a wide area and over long
periods of time to create a detailed understanding of the changing climate.

FIGURE 2.13 This graph shows

Global Temperature Changes, 1850–2012 changes in temperature from 1850
to 2012.
0.6
Temperature change
from average (°C)

0.4
0.2
0
–0.2
–0.4
–0.6
1850 1900 1950 2000
Years

CHECK-IN
1. INTERRELATIONSHIPS Review Figure 2.8 on 3. PATTERNS AND TRENDS Figure 2.11 shows the
page 54 and explain the global climate system climate regions around the world. Study the map
to a partner in your own words. and think about what you know about the natural
2. GATHER AND ORGANIZE Choose one of the climate environment. Using your prior knowledge, predict
regions from Figure 2.11 on pages 56 and 57. Find three factors or forces that might create the
more information about that climate type and patterns shown on the map.
places in the world with that climate type. Decide
on an appropriate way to share your information.

NEL CHAPTER 2: Changing Patterns of Climate 59