There are three main climate-forming factors, and in addition to them there are additional factors that can influence the climate. But the main factors determine the climate of any point on the globe.
Main climate factors
The main climate factors include terrain, solar radiation and atmospheric circulation. The terrain qualitatively changes the influence of other factors on the climate.
This is due to the fact that mountain ranges and elevations have a specific temperature regime, as well as a precipitation regime. Slopes and ridges can reflect significant amount solar energy and due to this, huge shaded mountain areas are created.
There are high mountain peaks that are completely covered with snowfields and ice, regardless of the time of year. Mountains also act as barriers to movement. air fronts and masses, and for this reason often become the boundaries of climatic regions.
There are many areas on the surface of our planet where precipitation is very frequent and large, and there are areas where there is very little precipitation. For example, central Asia It is considered a dry area, as mountain systems rise along the outskirts of this region.
Solar radiation
This is a factor that determines the flow of solar energy to different surfaces of the earth. Geographic latitude determines the amount of heat. This is extremely important factor, since it is thanks to a certain amount of heat that almost all life processes on the planet function.
And other climate indicators directly depend on solar radiation- cloudiness and pressure, atmospheric circulation and precipitation.
Atmospheric circulation
As a factor in the formation of climate, atmospheric circulation predetermines the movement air masses By earth's surface and vertically. And inter-latitudinal air exchange occurs precisely thanks to this process. Air masses are carried by clouds, which in turn determine precipitation.
They redistribute pressure, humidity and air temperature and form wind currents. Climate conditions change with changes in altitude, this is clearly felt in the mountains - with increasing altitude, the temperature decreases, humidity decreases, precipitation increases and atmospheric pressure drops.
These changes make it possible to distinguish climate zones for the mountains. Flat surfaces land and the surface of the World Ocean does not have a significant influence and direct impact on the main climate-forming factors. They do not distort the movement of air masses, their speed and directions.
Climate-forming factors in different regions
There are factors that influence the type of climate that are unique to certain regions of the planet. For example, the distance of a particular territory from the seas and oceans, the general distribution of sea and land.
There is a difference between maritime air masses that are continental, depending on how far into the continents they move. The amount of precipitation also depends on this.
Determining the main climate-forming factors will be impossible without knowledge of what climate is, and these are frequently recurring weather patterns in a certain area that do not change over time. long period time.
Introduction
There is no one reason. This thesis is confirmed by the presence of not one, but several factors influencing the formation and evolution of climate on Earth. One or even two factors would form climatic zones that would have clear boundaries and coincide with parallels.
In reality, a completely different picture emerges: the climate zones on Earth are not so ideally expressed. This is explained by the fact that the climate in a certain area of land, for example, in Eurasia, was formed due to the combination of all climate-forming factors: astronomical, geographical and human influence on nature.
Astronomical or planetary factors
Astronomical or planetary factors include:
- level of solar radiation;
- circulation of air masses;
- moisture circulation;
- rotation of the Earth around the Sun and its axis.
Solar radiation levels affect transmission solar heat through space. The rotation of the Earth causes the formation of trade winds and monsoons, as well as various cyclones, which, in turn, affect air temperature, precipitation patterns and their distribution throughout the globe. The formation of different climatic zones depending on geographic latitude was made possible due to the spherical shape of our planet.
The movement of the Earth around the Sun is also a very important factor: the inclined position of the planet’s rotation axis changes, and with it the seasonal changes weather conditions.
rice. 1. Astronomical climate-forming factors
Geographical factors
Geographic climate-forming factors include:
- latitude of place;
- relief;
- underlying surface;
- ocean currents.
The formation of climate in a certain area is influenced by the distribution of land and sea. For example, air temperature, humidity, and the degree of continental climate directly depend on the distance of the land from the ocean shores. For full description It is very important to know the climate and what the terrain is like in a given area. Mountains and the direction of mountain ranges are a serious barrier to the invasion of air masses. Steppe zone, on the contrary, promotes the penetration of continental or oceanic air masses.
Currents in the oceans and seas also play an important role in climate formation. For example, warm currents contribute to increased temperatures and increased precipitation. Cold ones, on the contrary, affect the decrease temperature regime and reduced precipitation. As for the underlying surface, which refers to the components of the earth's surface that interact with the atmosphere, its nature directly affects the formation of climate.
Fig.2. Geographic climate-forming factors
Human influence
Human influence on nature and climate is, one might say, a modern climate-forming factor. It became possible thanks to the development human society, and its influence is not always a plus. For example, in big cities there is an increase in air temperature, and dust causes fogs and smogs, which prevent penetration sun rays and increase precipitation. In addition, air pollution has led to the appearance of so-called acid rain, which “contaminates” the soil and water bodies.
Fig.3. The influence of human economic activity on the planet's climate
The destruction of the ozone layer is another scourge of our time, generated by scientific and technological progress. Excessive use of freon, which can be found in various aerosols and refrigeration units, poses a huge danger to the planet - excess ultraviolet radiation.
What have we learned?
Our climate home planet directly depends on the combination of all factors, which, in turn, have an impact on total solar radiation on Earth, as well as its distribution across hemispheres, continents and seasons. So, let’s once again list all the climate-forming factors: astronomical, geographical and human influence. This article helps to consolidate the material studied in geography and will help prepare homework for a lesson in 7th grade.
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To reveal the conditions for climate formation, it is necessary to determine its causes. They are called climate-forming factors. The main climate-forming factors are shown in the diagram.
On Earth, given a homogeneous, sufficiently moist surface, differences in the climate of any part of the Earth would depend on the radiation balance and atmospheric circulation. In this case, climatic zones would be located strictly zonally and their boundaries would coincide with parallels. In fact, climate zones are not so ideally expressed. This is explained by the fact that the climate of different parts of the Earth is formed under the influence of all climate-forming factors.
Solar radiation is the source of energy for all processes occurring in the atmosphere. Due to solar radiation, heat is transferred by the Sun through outer space. The spherical shape of the Earth determines climate differences depending on geographic latitude, and the inclined position of the Earth's rotation axis determines the seasonality of the climate. The circulation of air masses in the atmosphere affects the precipitation regime and the geography of its distribution in globe, air temperature.
To characterize the climate, it is very important to know how this place land and sea are distributed. The distance from the ocean shores to the interior of the continents affects the temperature and humidity regime and determines the degree of continentality of a given climate. Warm currents in the seas and oceans contribute to rising temperatures in coastal areas land and increased precipitation. Cold currents, on the contrary, lower the temperature on the outskirts of continents and prevent precipitation. Climate of the east and west coasts South America, Australia and Africa, located within the same tropical climate, is different. This is explained precisely by the presence of ocean currents there.
When the Earth orbits the Sun, the angle between the polar axis and the perpendicular to the orbital plane remains constant and amounts to 23̊ 30̍. This movement explains the change in the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on the earth's surface at noon at a certain latitude throughout the year. The greater the angle of incidence of the sun's rays on the Earth in a given place, the more efficiently the Sun heats the surface. Only between the Northern and Southern tropics (from 23° 30° N to 23° 30° S) the sun's rays fall vertically on the Earth at certain times of the year, and here the Sun at noon always rises high above the horizon. Therefore, the tropics are usually warm at any time of the year. At higher latitudes, where the Sun is lower above the horizon, the heating of the earth's surface is less. There are significant seasonal changes in temperature (which does not happen in the tropics), and in winter the angle of incidence of the sun's rays is relatively small and the days are much shorter. At the equator, day and night always have equal duration, while at the poles the day lasts throughout the summer half of the year, and in winter the Sun never rises above the horizon. The length of the polar day only partially compensates for the low position of the Sun above the horizon, and as a result, summers here are cool. During dark winters, the polar regions quickly lose heat and become very cold. The amount of insolation (incoming solar radiation) varies over time and from place to place in accordance with the change in the angle at which the sun's rays strike the Earth's surface: the higher the Sun is overhead, the greater it is. Changes in this angle are determined mainly by the Earth's revolution around the Sun and its rotation around its axis.
The impact on climate and topography is great. So, in the mountains different heights terrain above sea level climatic conditions vary; The climate is influenced by the direction of mountain ranges, which serve as an obstacle to wind and the invasion of air masses. Plains, on the contrary, allow continental or oceanic air masses to easily penetrate into neighboring areas.
Climate largely depends on the nature of the underlying surface, which refers to the components of the earth's surface that interact with the atmosphere. A forest, for example, reduces the daily temperature range of the soil and, therefore, the surrounding air. Snow reduces heat loss from the soil, but it reflects a significant amount of sunlight, and the Earth therefore heats up little.
With the development of human society on Earth, a new factor has appeared that influences the planet’s climate. In cities, the air temperature is higher than in the surrounding areas. Air dust contributes to the formation of fogs and clouds, which leads to a reduction in the duration of sunshine and precipitation. Economic activity human pollution sometimes has an irreversible detrimental effect on the climate. For example, atmospheric pollution with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides has given rise to the phenomenon of acid rain, which poisons soil and water bodies and destroys forests. These pollutants are transported over long distances by air masses and, together with precipitation, fall far from the sources of pollution. Only in the USA and Western Europe They have already destroyed more than 30 million hectares, which are the “lungs” of the planet. Acid rain also fall on Russian territory.
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Climate– long-term weather regime in a particular area. Climate is the result of climate-forming processes that continuously occur in the atmosphere. K. is determined mainly by the flow of radiant energy from the sun onto the underlying surface and into the atmosphere (more precisely, by its incoming and outgoing balance), as well as by differences caused by the distribution of land and ocean. K. is also affected by many other geographical factors.
Climate-forming factors are divided into leading and driven. The leading factors include radiation and circulation factors, and the driven factors include orographic and the nature of the underlying surface.
Radiation factor– the amount of solar energy received by the territory. The radiation regime of a territory is characterized through total solar radiation and radiation balance. Climatic conditions are influenced by their annual values and seasonal changes.
The amount of incoming solar radiation is determined primarily by geographic latitude. The spherical shape of our planet determines the latitudinal pattern of changes in the angle of incidence of solar rays from the equator to the poles. Towards the poles, the height of the Sun above the horizon decreases, the sliding rays are distributed over large area and, per unit area there is less solar energy. Therefore, from the equator to the poles, the annual value of the radiation balance decreases. The amount of total solar radiation also varies latitude, but by its value big influence other factors also play a role. And, above all, the underlying surface and, associated with it, the transparency of air masses for sunlight.
The amount of solar energy determines the degree of heating of the earth's surface, from which, in turn, the air is heated, which determines the air temperature and affects the value atmospheric pressure.
Due to the rotation of the Earth around the Sun, the angle of incidence of the sun's rays changes throughout the year, which affects the amount of solar radiation and determines the allocation of thermal seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer, autumn.
Under circulation factor understand character prevailing winds and the types of air masses (Am) they carry. Wind is the horizontal movement of Vm in lower layers troposphere from the region high pressure to an area of low pressure.
Due to the uneven heating of the surface of the globe, 7 zones are formed, differing in atmospheric pressure: equatorial zone low blood pressure; 2 zones high blood pressure above the thirtieth latitude (1 in each hemisphere); 2 low pressure zones in temperate latitudes(1 in each hemisphere); 2 high pressure zones over the poles (north and south). A constant exchange of Vm develops between these areas, i.e. a system is being formed constant winds: trade wind circulation in tropical latitudes, western transport in temperate latitudes, northeastern and southeastern constant winds high latitudes in the polar regions.
Diagram of the distribution of pressure and winds on the globe.
Marine VMs predominate in the oceanic sectors, and continental VMs predominate in the inland sectors. The cloudy one is associated with the sea, rainy weather, with continental WM – clear dry weather.
In the collision zone, Vm are formed atmospheric fronts, which are always associated with windy, inclement weather with precipitation.
Orographic factor– this is the absolute height of the territory and the presence of mountain barriers on the path of movement of the Vm. On the windward slopes of mountains there is always much more rainfall. atmospheric precipitation than on the leeward slopes and on the plains behind the mountains. From absolute altitude depends annual course temperature, because With every kilometer you rise upward, the temperature drops by 6 0 .
Underlying surface. When characterizing macroclimatic differences within the continent, only the degree of distance from the coasts and the nature of sea currents near the coasts are taken into account. Oceanic regions are characterized by a more uniform temperature pattern throughout the year, a small annual temperature range, big amount precipitation. Inland areas are characterized by: clear seasonal rhythm, large annual amplitudes temperatures, decrease annual quantity atmospheric precipitation, increasing the share of summer rains.
Warm currents increase air temperature in coastal areas (this is especially pronounced in winter time in temperate and subarctic climatic zones), increase the amount of precipitation. Cold currents reduce air temperature and precipitation.
The influence of sea currents. Warm currents are associated with increased air temperatures in coastal areas and increased precipitation. Above warm currents, as hotter surfaces, evaporation increases, more water vapor enters the air and, consequently, the amount of precipitation increases.
Cold currents, on the contrary, prevent precipitation. This is due to the stable stratification of the atmosphere above them.
(Fig. 32).
Climate-forming factors, associated with geographic latitude, determine climate zonation. The distribution of water and land on the surface of the earth, as well as the topography of the continents, change the strict zonation of the climate.
The influence of latitude on climate
The most important factor in climate formation is geographic latitude. The angle of incidence of the sun's rays, and, consequently, the distribution of heat on the globe depends on it. A whole group of other climate-forming factors is associated with geographic latitude.
The influence of atmospheric circulation on climate
Uneven post-dullness solar radiation at different latitudes, in turn, determines the difference in atmospheric pressure and global process atmospheric circulation. This is a kind of air cycle, which involves heat and moisture transferred along with air masses.
The influence of geographical location on climate
One of the groups of climate-forming factors belongs to underlying surface. This is an azonal factor associated with the structure earth's crust and relief.
First of all, it is very important whether the climate is formed over the land surface or over the water surface. In the same latitudes it can be maritime or continental. Air masses over the oceans are cooler (at low and mid-latitudes in summer) and humid, with slight fluctuations in climate indicators (amplitudes). This is very clearly visible if we compare the distribution of air temperatures and atmospheric pressure in the temperate latitudes of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. IN Southern Hemisphere, where the Ocean is mainly located at these latitudes, isotherms and isobars lie relatively flat. In the Northern Hemisphere, where there is a lot of land, the contour lines are strongly curved.
For the land area it is also important remoteness from the oceans and seas. This factor determines the continental climate. The further inland the continent, the greater the fluctuations in air temperature and the less cloudiness and precipitation. For example, in the interior regions of Eurasia the climate is sharply continental; here the temperatures in July and January can differ by 60-70 °C.
The influence of relief on climate
A feature of the continents that also greatly influences the climate is: relief And absolute altitude. It is known that with altitude the air temperature decreases and the climate becomes colder. In addition, mountains can create a barrier to the path of air masses, and flat terrain, on the contrary, facilitate their invasion. For example, the southern slopes of the Himalayas resist the wet summer monsoon, so great amount precipitation falls on these windward slopes. But in the northeast of Vietnam there are mountain ranges medium height stretched out in meridional direction, therefore, cold air from the north often invades here through wide intermountain valleys, causing cold snaps and reducing rice yields.
The influence of currents on climate
Oceanic or sea te-cheniye, largely dependent on atmospheric circulation, they have a great influence on the climate, redistributing heat. If warm currents from low latitudes come to high latitudes, the climate of the coasts becomes warmer and wetter. Cold currents make the climate colder and drier. For example, the warm North Atlantic Current has a warming effect on the northwestern regions of Europe, while at the same latitudes in North America the cold Labrador Current passes, and there the climate is more severe. In the tropics, on the coasts past which cold currents flow, there are deserts.
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