The climate is the set of atmospheric characteristics that define a region of the planet during the different stations and the course of the year. There are different non -atmospheric factors that influence climate configuration in an area. These are factors such as relief, altitude, latitude, continentity or vegetation. But, for example, what really is the influence of the relief in the weather?
In this ecology article, we speak in detail of How the weather relief influences and other factors and elements that affect the climate of a region.
The weather and time
Sometimes there is confusion between climate and time concepts, but both refer to different temporal scales. With time we refer to the state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place and can vary with the passage of the hours and days, while The weather is an average meteorological time in a longer period of time and can be measured by different instruments.
The climate concept has varied over the years, currently being considered as the system constituted by the components that exchange matter and energy and are led by sun energy. The energy directs the weather, mobilizing all these components and is returned to the outer space, maintaining the constant balance and temperature. When the climate of a certain area differs from that of surrounding areas, we talk about Topoclimabut if this area is very small, we talk about microclimate.
The climate of a certain region strongly influences the vegetation and fauna of that region, since it fulfills a fundamental role in the physiological processes of organisms as in the development, growth, health or pathological states. The human being, in turn, influences the climate by emitting chemicals and pollutants. In addition, the climate varies throughout the different geological periods, which tries to predict the science of weather.
According to Köppen’s classificationthey exist 6 types of climates defined by temperature and pressure. These types are ordered geographically from Ecuador to the poles:
- Rainy tropical climates.
- Dry climates.
- Stroying temperate climates.
- Cold winter climates.
- Polar climates.
- High mountain climates.
How the weather relief affects
In the initial doubt of this article about How the weather relief influencesthen we explain it to you in this section.
Specifically, the relief is related to the shape of the earth’s surface or relieflike the presence of mountains. The relief influences temperature and precipitation patterns. For example, in the highest mountainous areas, the air masses when colliding with these bodies, rise and as a consequence the temperature decreases with the altitude and increases the frequency of rainfall. When the air is saturated with water vapor, rainfall is generated and when passing through the mountain cord, it loses moisture, generating drier climates.
You may be interested in knowing more on this topic seeing this example in which we explain why it does not rain in the Atacama desert.
Other elements and factors that influence the weather
The factors and elements that influence the weather They can be directly related to meteorological factors such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity or rainfall, but these factors are also influenced by non -meteorological factorsapart from the relief already explained, such as:
Latitude
Latitude refers to the distance between a certain point of the earth’s surface and the equator (imaginary line that passes through the land center). Latitude is important because it determines the inclination with which the sun’s rays affect the earth, determining factors such as the duration of the days and nights and the temperature of a certain region.
Altitude
Altitude is the distance between sea level (0 meters altitude) and a certain point on the earth’s surface. Altitude influences atmospheric pressure, rainfall or temperature. At more altitude, less is atmospheric pressure and temperature, which is why mountainous summits are snowy.
Continentity
The concept of continentity refers to the distance from one point to the sea. The sea acts as a thermal regulator that heats and cools more slowly than the earth’s surface. As a consequence, the regions closest to the sea have a more moderate and more stable temperature than those regions farther from the sea. Also, influence the humidity and quantity of rains.
Oceanic currents
Oceanic currents consist of the displacement of large masses of water inside the oceans. These currents take place due to temperature differences between two points of the ocean. These water masses that move, pursue or cool the air that circulates through the areas through which they pass and, therefore, influence moisture and atmospheric pressure.
Vegetation
The vegetation moderates the temperature, filters the solar radiation, produces moisture and modifies the rainfall of a region. For example, in this other ecology article, you can deepen this issue discovering why trees attract rain and, in this other, you can know why trees attract rays.
If you want to read more articles similar to How the weather relief influenceswe recommend that you enter our category of other environment.
