Lab 9: Climate Patterns

Learning Objectives
●​ Interpret climographs.
●​ Explain the main controls on climate.
●​ Compare climates using the Köppen–Geiger classification system.
●​ Apply an understanding of climate types to California and your local area.
●​ Analyze temporal and spatial climate shifts.

Introduction
Climate patterns are long-term atmospheric conditions that influence life on Earth. Typically,
scientists use thirty years of weather data, such as average monthly temperatures and
precipitation, to classify a location’s climate. Our climate influences our day-to-day actions and
impacts our resource consumption in terms of energy usage for the heating and cooling of our
homes and workplaces. Our behaviors are influenced by climate, as well:
➢​ Do you own a raincoat and carry an umbrella most of the year?
➢​ Do you work outdoors in the early morning to avoid the extreme heat of the afternoon
sun during the summer months?
➢​ Do you carry snow chains for your car tires in the winter months?
In this lab, you will learn the major variables that determine a location’s climate, how climates
are classified, and how these climate classifications change over time.

Part A. Controls on Climate

Why is New York City hot and humid in the summer? Why is Seattle known for rain? Why does
San Diego experience so many days of sunshine? To answer these questions, you must
understand the major variables that influence a location’s climate—the long-term weather
conditions. What you have learned so far in this physical geography laboratory course will help
you to understand these variables.

Climograph Interpretation
Before we introduce these variables, let’s learn how to interpret a climograph. A climograph is a
helpful chart that graphs average monthly precipitation and temperature. A blank climograph is
shown in Figure 9.1. The months are shown along the x-axis, starting with January (J) on the
far-left and going through to December (D) on the far-right. Average monthly precipitation is on
the left y-axis, shown in centimeters. For reference, one inch is 2.54 centimeters. So, a location
that receives 10 inches of rain on average in January receives 25.4 centimeters of rain. Average
monthly temperature is shown on the right y-axis, shown in degrees Celsius. For reference, 32°F
(freezing/melting point of water) is 0°C, 70°F is 21.1°C, and 100°F is 37.8°C.

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 Pin It! Metric Conversions
The scientific community uses the metric system, so the climographs and climate classification
data in this lab are shown in metric units. Try to relate the American units that you already
know (such as degrees Fahrenheit and inches) to their metric equivalents. Here are some
examples to help you make the connection between the American units that you know and
their metric equivalents:
➢​ 50°F is 10°C, 70°F is ~21°C, and 90°F is ~32°C.
➢​ 1 inch is 2.54 centimeters, 5 inches is 12.7 centimeters, and 10 inches is 25.4 centimeters.

Figure 9.1: Blank Climograph.1

In order to complete the climograph, you need the average monthly precipitation and
temperature for a location. Table 9.1 provides this data, which we will use to create an example
climograph.

1
Figure by Scott Crosier is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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 Table 9.1: Climograph Data for a Location

Month Average Precipitation (cm) Average Temperature (°C)

January 5.9 22.9
February 5.1 22.8
March 5.1 23.6
April 1.6 24.5
May 1.6 25.4
June 0.7 26.8
July 1.3 27.3
August 1.4 27.7
September 1.8 27.5
October 4.7 26.7
November 6.1 25.3
December 8.2 23.8

In this example, we’ll first plot the precipitation data from Table 9.1 on the climograph using a
bar graph for each month. As you will note in Figure 9.2 below, the blue bars represent average
monthly precipitation. Note: the blue color is arbitrary; climographs may show precipitation in
green or another color.

Figure 9.2: Climograph with Only Precipitation Plotted.2

2
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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The next step to create the example climograph is to plot the temperature data from Table 9.1.
We have used an orange line to represent average monthly temperature as shown in Figure 9.3.
Note: the orange color is arbitrary; climographs may show temperature in red or as another
color.

Figure 9.3: Climograph with Precipitation and Temperature Plotted.3

1.​ Refer to Figure 9.3. How does the climograph help us understand the location’s climate?
Create a list of what you can determine from the climograph. Here are two questions to
help you write your response: does the location’s temperature fluctuate or is it within
about a 15°C temperature range throughout the year? When is the rainy season? (This is
when precipitation levels increase).

Five Major Controls on Climate

Now that you are familiar with climographs, let’s take a look at the variables that influence a
location’s climate—we call these variables climatic controls (or controls on climate). These
variables explain why a location might (or might not) have temperatures that fluctuate greatly

3
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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throughout the year, why the location might have a rainy season, etc. While we will look at each
variable individually, it’s important to remember that these variables may interact to influence a
particular location in a unique way.

Latitude
The first and most important variable that influences a location’s climate is latitude. Low
latitudes (closer to the equator) receive higher total insolation year-round than higher latitudes
(closer to the poles). So, locations at tropical latitudes show little temperature changes
throughout the year compared to higher latitudes. Locations at middle and high latitudes show
a wider range in temperatures because of the tilt of the Earth, which influences insolation
amounts and daylight hours throughout the year.

2.​ Compare the two climographs shown below (Figure 9.4). Does climograph A (on the left)
or B (on the right) represent a location at 61°C North latitude? Explain your response in
at least one sentence.

Figure 9.4: Climograph Examples A (on left) and B (on right).4

4
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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Continentality
The second variable that influences a location’s climate is continentality. This refers to whether
a location is located along a coastline or is inland. Variations in climate are due in part to
land-water contrasts. Land and water react differently to insolation. In general, land heats up
and cools off faster than water does due to its specific heat. A location in the interior of a
continent will be warmer in the summer and cooler in winter than a maritime (coastal) location
at the same latitude. So, maritime regions have a lower annual temperature range than
continental regions.

3.​ Compare the two climographs shown below (Figure 9.5). Both locations are near 40°
North latitude. Does climograph C (on the left) or D (on the right) represent a maritime
location? Explain your response in at least one sentence.

Figure 9.5: Climograph Examples C (on left) and D (on right).5

5
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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Wind Patterns and Air Masses
Wind patterns and air masses also influence a location’s climate. Here are several examples of
their influence:
➢​ In midlatitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, the dominant winds are the westerlies.
These winds travel from west to east and bring seasonal warmth or coolness to eastern
locations.
➢​ Monsoons are the seasonal reversal of winds that bring very high precipitation levels
around June through August in South Asia.
➢​ Locations influenced by maritime tropical air masses will have higher levels of
precipitation and temperature than locations influenced by polar continental air masses.

4.​ Compare the two climographs shown below (Figure 9.6). Both locations are found at 21°
North latitude. Why does the location depicted by climograph E (on the left) have higher
levels of precipitation when compared to climograph F (on the right)? Explain your
response in at least one sentence.

Figure 9.6: Climograph Examples E (on left) and F (on right).6

6
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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Ocean Currents
Ocean currents also influence a location’s climate. The major surface ocean currents move
warm water from equatorial regions toward polar regions and they bring cool water from the
polar regions to equatorial regions. As a result, ocean circulation is a significant mechanism of
global heat transfer.

The surface ocean current map (Figure 9.7) shows cold currents in blue and warm currents in
red. Notice that warm currents are found in equatorial locations. Recall from a previous lab that
surface ocean currents are driven by global atmospheric circulation. This explains why many
west coasts of continents have cold currents while east coasts have warm currents. Warm
currents bring warmer temperatures and higher levels of precipitation compared to cold
currents.

Figure 9.7: Map of Surface Ocean Currents.7

5.​ Both locations shown by their climographs in Figure 9.8 are near 33° latitude. Based on
the temperature curves on both climographs, how do you know if these locations are in
the northern or southern hemisphere? Explain your response in at least one sentence.

7
Used by permission. Dataset source: Laura Walker, Program Manager, O'Neill Sea Odyssey

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 6.​ Compare the two climographs shown below (Figure 9.8). Which location is near a warm
surface ocean current? Explain your response in at least one sentence.

Figure 9.8: Climograph Examples G (on left) and H (on right).8

Elevation
The final important control on climate is elevation. As you learned when you studied orographic
lifting, under normal conditions temperatures decrease between 6 and 10 degrees Celsuis for
every 1,000 meters that the elevation increases. Locations on the windward side of mountains
receive precipitation and locations on the leeward side of mountains are in the rainshadow.

7.​ Compare the two climographs shown below (Figure 9.9). Both locations are found at 48°
North latitude. Which climograph represents a location in the rainshadow of a
mountain? Explain your response in at least one sentence.

8
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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 Figure 9.9: Climograph Examples I (on left) and J (on right).9

Pin It! The Five Main Controls on Temperature

Remember the five climatic controls when analyzing a location’s climate: latitude,
continentality, wind patterns and air masses, ocean currents, and elevation.

8.​ Apply What You Learned: Match climographs B through J (shown in Figures 9.4, 9.5, 9.6,
9.8, and 9.9 above) to their real-world locations shown in Table 9.2. To complete Table
9.2, use a globe, atlas, or the Internet to find where each city is located, the city’s
elevation, and whether the city is maritime (coastal) or continental (inland of a
continent). Tips:
➢​ Remember to indicate N or S for the latitudes of each city.
➢​ Complete the southern hemisphere locations first (their climographs should be
distinct from the northern hemisphere locations in terms of temperature).
➢​ Several questions above indicate the latitudes of the climographs so you can use
this information to narrow down the cities.

9
Figure by Waverly Ray is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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 Table 9.2: City-Climograph Matching
Latitude Elevation Climograph
Maritime List the Major
(to the (indicate Letter
City or Climatic Controls
nearest feet or (Select from
Continental at this City:
degree) meters) B through J)
Anchorage,
Alaska

Denver,
Colorado

Eureka,
California

Hanoi,
Vietnam

Honolulu,
Hawai’i

Perth,
Australia

Seattle,
Washington

Spokane,
Washington

Sydney,
Australia

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Part B. Climate Classification
Understanding the major variables that influence climate helps explain why a particular location
experiences the climate that it does. In order to understand climate patterns, we need to
classify climates. This helps us to know what locations experience similar climatic conditions.

The Köppen–Geiger climate classification system is one of the most commonly used methods
to classify a location’s climate. It was first developed in the late 1800s and revised through the
early 1900s. This climate classification system uses average monthly temperature and
precipitation data to classify climates into five main groups:
➢​ Tropical climates are humid with monthly average temperatures of at least 18°C
(64.4°F). Tropical climates are designated with an “A”.
➢​ Dry climates are found at locations with little precipitation, which causes evaporation to
exceed precipitation and results in water deficiencies throughout the year. Dry climates
are designated with a “B”.
➢​ Temperate climates have at least one month with an average temperature higher than
10°C (50°F) and a coldest month with an average temperature between 0°C (32°F) and
18°C (64.4°F). Temperate climates are designated with a “C”.
➢​ Continental climates have at least one month with an average temperature lower than
0°C (32°F) and at least one month with an average temperature higher than 10°C (50°F).
Continental climates are designated with a “D”.
➢​ Polar climates have an average monthly temperature below 10°C (50°F). Polar climates
are designated with an “E”.

9.​ Use Your Critical Thinking Skills: Why do you think average monthly temperatures were
used to classify climates? Explain your response in one to two sentences.

10.​Use Your Critical Thinking Skills: Why do you think particular temperatures were used to
classify climates? In other words, why would the creators of the Köppen–Geiger climate
classification system use 0°C (32°F), 10°C (50°F), or 18°C (64.4°F) to divide the climate
types? Explain your response in one to two sentences.

The world map below (Figure 9.10) shows the five major climate types.

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 Figure 9.10: Map of Major Climate Classification Types (1901-2010).10

11.​Refer to Figure 9.10. List three observations that you can make based on the spatial
patterns presented on the map. These observations could be something that is
unexpected or surprising.

Within each of the five main climate types, there are further subdivisions to classify climates.
Figure 9.11 is a map that shows all of these climate classifications. An enlarged version of this
map is available in Appendix 9.1.

10
Figure by Waverly Ray based on data available from http://hanschen.org is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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 Figure 9.11: Climate Classification Map (1901-2010).11

12.​Refer to Figure 9.11 (or Appendix 9.1). List three observations that you can make based
on the spatial patterns presented on the map. These observations could be something
that is unexpected or surprising.

A Climates
For A climates (tropical climates), a second letter is added. It’s important to note that monsoons
are the seasonal reversal of winds that bring tremendous amounts of precipitation to much of
South and Southeast Asia. Also note that a savanna is a grassland found in the tropics and
subtropics.
➢​ Af indicates year-round precipitation. This is a Tropical Rainforest climate.
➢​ Am indicates monsoonal precipitation. This is a Tropical Monsoon climate.

11
Figure by Waverly Ray based on data available from http://hanschen.org is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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 ➢​ Aw indicates a savanna climate with a relatively dry winter. This is a Tropical Wet
Savanna climate.
➢​ As indicates a savanna climate with a relatively dry summer. This is a Tropical Dry
Savanna climate.

13.​Refer to Figure 9.11 above. Describe the spatial distribution for the A climate types.
(Where are the A climates found?)

14.​Apply What You Learned: Why do you think the southeast Asian islands have a Tropical
Rainforest climate but the continental parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia have both
the Tropical Monsoon and the Tropical Savanna climates? Explain your response in one
to two sentences.

15.​The Lion King film is set in the Tropical Savanna of Africa. Estimate the percentage of the
African continent that have this climate type. (Do you think the Tropical Savanna climate
is one-quarter, one-half, or three-quarters of the continent?)

B Climates
For B climates (dry climates), second and third letters are added. If W is the second letter, then
it represents a desert location. If S is the second letter, then it represents a steppe (midlatitude
grassland) location. If the third letter is h, this represents a relatively hot arid location. If the
third letter is k, this represents a relatively cold air location.
➢​ BWh is a Hot Desert climate.
➢​ BWk is a Cold Desert climate.
➢​ BSh is a Hot Semi-Arid climate.
➢​ BSk is a Cold Semi-Arid climate.

16.​Refer to Figure 9.11 above. Describe the spatial distribution for the B climate types.
(Where are the B climates found?)

17.​What is the latitude that intersects much of the land with the B climate types in the
northern and southern hemispheres? Hint: this latitude is where subtropical high
pressure systems are dominant.

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C Climates
For C climates (temperate climates), second and third letters are added. If w is the second letter,
then it represents a location with a relatively dry winter. If f is the second letter, there is not a
dry season at this location. If s is the second letter, then it represents a location with a relatively
dry summer. If a is the third letter, then it represents a location with a relatively hot summer. If b
is the third letter, then it represents a location with a relatively warm summer. If c is the third
letter, then it represents a location with a relatively cool summer. Here are some of the C
climate types:
➢​ Cfa is a Humid Subtropical climate.
➢​ Cfb is a Marine West Coast climate with a relatively warm summer.
➢​ Cfc is a Marine West Coast climate with a relatively cool summer.
➢​ Cwa is a Humid Subtropical climate with a dry winter.
➢​ Csa is a Hot-Summer Mediterranean climate.
➢​ Csb is a Warm-Summer Mediterranean climate.
➢​ Csc is a Cold-Summer Mediterranean climate.

18.​Refer to Figure 9.11 above. Describe the spatial distribution for the C climate types.
(Where are the C climates found?)

19.​Which climate type is most common in the southeastern United States?

20.​The Cfb and Cfc Marine West Coast climates are not only found on the west coasts of
continents. Where is this climate type found when it is not on a west coast of a land
mass?

21.​The Csa, Csb, and Csc Mediterranean climates are not only found in the Mediterranean
regions of Africa, Southwest Asia, and Europe. Where is this climate type found outside
of the Mediterranean region?

D Climates
For D climates (continental climates), second and third letters are added. It utilizes the same
second and third letter designations as the C climates, with an additional letter option for the
third letter. When the third letter is d, this designates a location with a very cold winter. Here
are some of the D climate types:
➢​ Dfa is a Hot-Summer Continental climate.
➢​ Dfb is a Warm-Summer Continental climate.
➢​ Dfc is a Subarctic climate.
➢​ Dfd is an Extremely Cold Subarctic climate.
➢​ Dwa is a Hot-Summer Humid Continental climate.

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 ➢​ Dwb is a Warm-Summer Humid Continental climate.
➢​ Dwc is a Subarctic Humid Continental climate.
➢​ Dwd is an Extremely Cold Humid Subarctic climate.

22.​Refer to Figure 9.11 above. Describe the spatial distribution for the D climate types.
(Where are the D climates found?)

E Climates
There are three types of E (polar climates):
➢​ ET is a Tundra climate.
➢​ EF is an Ice Cap climate.
➢​ EM is a Polar Marine climate.

23.​Refer to Figure 9.11 above. Describe the spatial distribution for the E climate types.
(Where are the E climates found?)

Simplified Guide to Climate Classification

In describing each of the five main climate classification categories, we have left out the details
of what is meant by the descriptions such as warm summer and dry winter. In order to
understand how the climates are actually classified into the different categories, use Figure
9.12, which is a simplified guide to climate classifications.

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 Figure 9.12: Simplified Guide to Climate Classifications.12
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Figure by Scott Crosier is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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Next, you will use the Simplified Guide to Climate Classifications (Figure 9.12) and data from
four example locations to identify each location’s climate type.
24.​Use Figure 9.12 above and the data provided in Table 9.3 below to find the climate
classification for the example 1 location. What climate classification best fits this
location?

Table 9.3: Example 1 Location Climate Data

Month Average Precipitation (cm) Average Temperature (°C)
January 1.8 -9.6
February 1.7 -7.7
March 1.6 -3.6
April 1.0 2.6
May 1.8 8.7
June 2.6 13.2
July 4.8 14.9
August 7.3 13.8
September 6.5 9.1
October 5.0 1.1
November 2.6 -6.2
December 3.1 -8.0
Mean Annual 3.3 2.4
Annual Total 39.8 n/a
25.​Use Figure 9.12 above and the data provided in Table 9.4 below to find the climate
classification for the example 2 location. What climate classification best fits this
location?

Table 9.4: Example 2 Location Climate Data

Month Average Precipitation (cm) Average Temperature (°C)
January 38.5 27.1
February 31.0 27.3
March 10.0 28.4
April 25.8 28.8
May 13.3 29.0
June 8.3 28.1
July 3.1 28.7
August 3.4 28.5
September 2.9 29.3
October 3.3 29.1
November 7.5 28.1
December 8.4 28.5
Mean Annual 13.8 28.4
Annual Total 165.5 n/a

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 26.​Use Figure 9.12 above and the data provided in Table 9.5 below to find the climate
classification for the example 3 location. What climate classification best fits this
location?

Table 9.5: Example 3 Location Climate Data

Month Average Precipitation (cm) Average Temperature (°C)
January 3.7 3.1
February 3.4 5.3
March 3.7 10.3
April 2.8 16.4
May 1.5 22.1
June 0.3 27.5
July 0.3 30.4
August 0.2 29.2
September 0.1 25.4
October 1.4 18.5
November 2.1 11.6
December 3.6 5.6
Mean Annual 1.9 17.1
Annual Total 23.1 n/a

27.​Use Figure 9.12 above and the data provided in Table 9.6 below to find the climate
classification for the example 4 location. What climate classification best fits this
location?

Table 9.6: Example 4 Location Climate Data

Month Average Precipitation (cm) Average Temperature (°C)
January 10.6 10.2
February 10.3 11.6
March 7.5 12.7
April 3.3 13.8
May 1.2 15.3
June 0.3 16.8
July 0.0 17.6
August 0.1 18.1
September 0.4 18.2
October 2.4 16.6
November 6.0 13.2
December 10.2 10.3
Mean Annual 4.4 14.5
Annual Total 52.3 n/a

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California’s Climate Types
Four of the five major Köppen climate types are present in California (Figure 9.13). In parts of
the Great Basin desert, Mojave desert, and the Colorado portion of the Sonoran desert found in
California, there is a dry (B) climate. The Mediterranean climate types (Cs) are found along
coastal California and the Channel Islands. Cold continental (D) and polar (E) climates are found
at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The state’s topography and geomorphic
provinces are shown in Figure 9.14. (Topography refers to the elevation changes and features on
land; geomorphic provinces are regions that have similar geographic features).

Figure 9.13: California Climate Map.13

13
Figure by Adam Peterson is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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 Figure 9.14: California Topography and Geomorphic Provinces Map.14

28.​Compare California’s climate map (Figure 9.13) to the California topography map (Figure
9.14). What are the peak elevations where an ET climate is found?

29.​The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world.
a.​ What climate type is found there? Tip: first, locate the San Joaquin Valley on
Figure 9.14 (at about 37°N) then identify the climate type shown in Figure 9.13.

14
Figure by Ssalonen is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

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 b.​ Use Your Critical Thinking Skills: What are the implications for the irrigation
needs in the San Joaquin Valley? Explain your response in two to three
sentences.

Shifting Climate Patterns

As you learned earlier in the lab, at least thirty years of precipitation and temperature data are
used to classify a location’s climate. As climates change across the globe, it makes sense that
maps like the ones shown in Figure 9.11 and 9.13 above will need to be updated. Scientists
actively research how climate classification patterns have changed over time and predict how
these patterns will change in the future. The next lab in this course will go into more detail to
explain why climates are changing. For now, let’s explore one dynamic online map that shows
historical shifting climate patterns and predictions based on data from the Institute for
Veterinary Public Health, Climatic Research Unit (CRU), Global Precipitation Climatology Centre
(GPCC), German Weather Service, University of East Anglia, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change
Research, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Step 1

Go to the Koppen-Geiger Observed and Predicted Climate Shifts website.

Step 2
Click on the legend icon. (This is on the upper-left of the window. If you hover over the icons, it
is the one that says Show Map Legend).

Step 3
Scroll downwards so that you are familiar with the colors used to classify the climate types.

Step 4
Below the map, click on the blue triangle, which will start the map animation. Notice that the
animation begins at 1900 and goes to 2100.

Step 5
Replay the animation in order to answer the following questions.
30.​What is the first year that you notice a large change in the maps?

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 31.​In two to three sentences, describe how the climate pattern is predicted to change in
North America from 2000 to 2100.

32.​Globally, which climate types show the most change from 2000 to 2100?

Part C. Synthesis: Your Local Climate

What does a climograph look like for your location? What variables influence your local climate?
In this part of the lab, you will find monthly average precipitation and temperature data for your
location (or for a location near you), create a climograph, determine the climate type, and then
identify the controls on climate at this location.

33.​Search the Internet to find the average monthly precipitation and temperature data for
your location (or for a location near you). Be sure to convert average precipitation to
centimeters (cm) and average temperature into degrees Celsius (°C). Complete the table
below with this data (Table 9.7). Your instructor may direct you to online resources that
provide this information, or you may follow the steps below for The Weather Channel
website.

Step 1

Go to The Weather Channel website.

Step 2
In the search box, type in your zip code and then click on the magnifying glass. If prompted, click
on your city.

Step 3
Change the data from American to metric units. In the upper-right corner, click to select °C. Tip:
this step is very important.

Step 4
Click Monthly. This option is shown towards the top middle of the webpage.

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Step 5
Scroll down until you see the graph of average highs, average lows, record highs, record lows,
and average precipitation.

Step 6
Add the average precipitation data to Table 9.7. If the average precipitation data is shown in
millimeters (mm), convert to centimeters (cm) by dividing by 10. For example, if the average
precipitation in January is 50.29 millimeters then divide this number by 10, which equals 5.029.
Tip: round the data to the nearest hundredth decimal point, so 5.029 centimeters would be
recorded as 5.03 on Table 9.7.

Step 7
The graph shows average high temperatures and average low temperatures, but you will need
average temperature to complete Table 9.7. To calculate average temperature, use this formula:

Monthly Average High Temperature + Monthly Average Low Temperature = Monthly Average T.
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2

For example, if the January average high temperature is 18.3°C and the monthly average low
temperature is 9.4°C, then add 18.3°C plus 9.4°C, which equals 27.7°C. Then, divide 27.7°C by
two, which equals 13.85°C (the January monthly average temperature). Tip: round the data to
the nearest tenth decimal point, so 13.85°C would be recorded as 13.9°C on Table 9.7.

Table 9.7: Local Precipitation and Temperature Data

Month Average Precipitation (cm) Average Temperature (°C)
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Mean Annual
Annual Total

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 34.​Use Your Critical Thinking Skills: The Weather Channel website does not disclose how the
average precipitation and temperature are calculated. It could be a 30-year average, a
10-year average, or something else. How would the length of time used to calculate the
average affect your analysis of the data? More broadly, what are the concerns with using
datasets if the source does not disclose its methods of calculations? Your response
should be two to three sentences in length.

35.​Following the example shown in Figure 9.3, graph your location’s precipitation and
temperature data on the blank climograph (Figure 9.15). Use the left y-axis to graph
precipitation data as a bar graph and use the right y-axis to graph temperature data as a
line graph.

Figure 9.15: Blank Climograph.15

15
Figure by Scott Crosier is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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 36.​Refer to California’s Climate Map (Figure 9.13). What is the climate type at your
location?

37.​Use your location’s data from Table 9.7 and the simplified guide to climate classification
(Figure 9.12) to determine your location’s climate type. Based on the simplified guide,
what is your location’s climate type?

38.​Use Your Critical Thinking Skills: Are your answers to questions 36 and 37 the same? If
not, what reasons might explain why the map and the simplified guide provided
different answers?

39.​Refer to Figure 9.14. What geomorphic province is your location in?

40.​List the major climatic controls at your location. Tip: the major climatic controls are
latitude, continentality, wind patterns and air masses, ocean currents, and elevation. Be
sure to discuss the specifics of each climatic control that influences the local climate at
your location. For example, if a wind pattern influences the local climate, be sure to
identify the name or type of wind, such as the westerlies.

41.​Apply What You Learned: Considering how climate patterns are shifting globally, do you
anticipate that the climate type at your location will change by 2100? Explain your
response in at least two sentences.

Part D. Wrap-Up
Consult with your geography lab instructor to find out which of the following wrap-up questions
you should complete. Attach additional pages to answer the questions as needed.

215 | Lab 9: Climate Patterns

 42.​What is the most important idea that you learned in this lab? In two to three sentences,
explain the concept and why it is important to know.

43.​What was the most challenging part of this lab? In two to three sentences, explain why it
was challenging. If nothing challenged you in the lab, write about what you think
challenged your classmates.

44.​What is one question that you have about what you learned in this lab? Write your
question along with one to two sentences explaining why you think your question is
important to ask.

45.​Review the learning objectives on page 1 of this lab. How would you rate your
understanding or ability for each learning objective? Write one sentence that addresses
each learning objective.

46.​Sketch a concept map that includes the key ideas from this lab. Include at least five of
the terms shown in bold-faced type.

47.​Create an advertisement to educate your peers on the important information that you
learned in this lab. Include at least three key terms in your advertisement. The
advertisement should be about half a page in size (about 4 inches by 6 inches).

48.​One way to think of physical geography is that it is the study of the relationships among
variables that impact the Earth's surface. Select two variables discussed in this lab and
describe how they are related.

49.​How does what you learned in this lab relate to your everyday life? In two to three
sentences, explain a concept that you learned in this lab and how it relates to your
day-to-day actions.

50.​How does what you learned in this lab relate to current events?
a.​ Write the title, source, and date of a news item that relates to this lab.
b.​ In two to three sentences, discuss how the news item relates to what you have
learned in this lab.
c.​ In one to two sentences, discuss whether or not the news item accurately
represents the science that you learned. Tip: consider whether or not the news
item includes the complexity of the topic.

51.​Search O*NET OnLine to find an occupation that is relevant to the topics presented in
today's lab. Your lab instructor may provide you with possible keywords to type in the
Occupation Quick Search field on the O*NET website.
a.​ What is the name of occupation that you found?
b.​ Write two to three sentences that summarize the most important information
that you learned about this occupation.
c.​ What is one question that you would want to ask a person with this occupation?

216 | Lab 9: Climate Patterns

Appendix 9.1: Climate Classification
Map (1901-2010)16

16
Figure by Waverly Ray based on data available from http://hanschen.org is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

217 | Lab 9: Climate Patterns