Outline Lecture 2 - Tropical Climatology

SLIDE 1:

climate definition:

• temperature & precipitation; • sunshine, cloud cover, atmospheric pressure, humidity; • extreme events; • climatology; • latitude is major determinant; weather definition:; • day-to-day variation in temperature, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, wind, and sunshine; • can change on short time scales (hours, days); • meteorology

SLIDE 2:

Angle of incidence: tropics vs. poles see figure 1.4a in book

SLIDE 3:

Hadley cell’s (review general ecology)

SLIDE 4:

Coriolis force (review general ecology

SLIDE 5:

CH Merriam’s life zone diagram (google search)

SLIDE 6:

Holdridge Life Zones

SLIDE 7:

Koppen Climate System

SLIDE 8:

Global Rainfall

SLIDE 9:

Holdridge + Koppen + Rainfall

SLIDE 10:

rainfall; total amount; seasonal distribution

temperature; daily variation; seasonal variation

climate over last 2 million years; alternation of cold and warm climates

SLIDE 11: Temperature in the Tropics

mean annual temperature exceeds 18˚C; daily temperatures rarely exceed 35˚C; nightly temperatures rarely drop below 22˚C; small difference between warmest & coldest months; daily variation exceeds seasonal variation

SLIDE 12:

Seasonal variation in climate - see fig. 1.3 in book

SLIDE 13:

Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) figure

SLIDE 14:

ICTZ photo

SLIDE 15:

ITCZ figure again

SLIDE 16:

movement of pressure & winds; see figure 1.5 in book for a very clear demonstration of ITCZ movements

SLIDE 17:

land and water heat differentially and hold heat differentially; temperature changes on land exceed those in water; deserts versus rainforests

extreme rainfall; dry deserts to sites with 10 m; intensity of storms stronger, more rain falls; big raindrops; unpredictable

rainfall intensity exceeds soil infiltration capacity; waterlogging or erosion; ratio of runoff to infiltration depends on: rate precipitation, vegetation cover, soil porosity, litter cover, soil organic matter, soil moisture, topography

SLIDE 18:

variation in rainfall affects organisms

germination of seeds; flowering & fruiting; breeding; feeding; life-history strategies; migrations

SLIDE 19:

climate diagram - see figure 1.8 in book. go to http://www.globalbioclimatics.org/plot/diagram.htm to find sites used in lecture.

SLIDE 20:

Alice Springs & Broome, Australia

SLIDE 21:

Coen, Australia & Bwagaoia, Papua New Guinea

SLIDE 22:

Puyo, Ecuador & Jefman, Indonesia

SLIDE 23:

Makoua, Congo & Equator, Kenya (shows clearly 2 rainy seasons at equator)

SLIDE 24:

La Paz & San Ignacio de Bal, Bolivia (elevation effects)

SLIDE 25:

Altamira & Manaus, Brazil (same climate; same elevation & latitude)

SLIDE 26:

Bali International Airport & Dili, Indonesia (Monsoon effects)

SLIDE 27:

Mowebaai, Namibia & Pisco, Peru (deserts)

SLIDE 28:

Vero Beach, Florida & Brunswick NAS, Maine

SLIDE 29:

diagram of ENSO effects