A Level Geography Essay_Compare the characteristics of tropical climates based on the Koppen-Geiger climate classification system
8 views 0 purchase
Course
Geography
Institution
Sixth Year / 12th Grade
A detailed essay plan with elaborations and examples to the given question, primarily for use in the Singapore A Level system. (But also relevant to UK A Levels).
Explain / Compare the characteristics of tropical climates based on the Koppen-Geiger climate
classification system.
1. Both humid and arid tropics experience a high mean annual temperature (MAT)
a. The tropics are located at low latitudes, near the equator
i. High incidence of solar insolation with Earth’s surface
ii. Insolation travels a shorter distance through the atmosphere → Less energy
lost to scattering and reflection
1. So tropics: radiation surplus // poles: radiation deficit, of which
Hadley cell is used to maintain equilibrium
iii. Thermal insolation is also spread over a smaller area compared to the poles
so the tropics experience a greater concentration of solar radiation
iv. Humid: Singapore 28oC (1oN)
v. Arid: Mojave Desert, California 32oC (35oN)
2. Humid tropics have a smaller annual temperature range (ATR) than arid tropics
a. Due to migration of thermal equator that follows the position of the overhead sun
b. It migrates between the tropic of cancer (30oN) and capricorn (30oS) depending on
the seasons
i. Eg. summer in N. Hem → Thermal EQ in tropic of cancer
c. Arid tropics are nearer the tropic of cancer and capricorn → Greater temperature
difference
d. Humid: Mangalore, India ~4oC (Am)
e. Arid: Phoenix, USA 10-20oC (Bsh)
3. Humid tropics (Af, Am, Aw) have higher levels of precipitation than arid tropics (Bwh, Bsh)
a. Compare ascending vs descending limb of Hadley cell
b. Ascending limb
i. Convergence of trade winds + convection where air parcel is warmer than
surroundings → Air parcel rises → Unstable atmospheric conditions
ii. Rising air parcel undergoes further expansion and adiabatic cooling, its
temperature ↓ and relative humidity ↑ until saturation point ⇒
Condensation of excess water vapour to form cumulonimbus clouds and high
levels of rainfall
iii. Singapore, > 2500mm annual rainfall
c. Descending limb
i. When temperature of the cooled air parcel is lower than that of its
surroundings, it contracts and its density ↑ → Descends, achieving stable
atmospheric conditions
ii. Descending air parcel undergoes adiabatic warming → Temperature ↑,
relative humidity ↓ and air parcel becomes very dry and lacks saturation →
Lack of cloud cover and precipitation
iii. Mojave Desert, California, USA, 25 - 200mm annual rainfall
** Good to include diagrams!
** Seasonality ≠ precipitation pattern
- ‘Seasonality’ is used to describe precipitation patterns
- Seasonality → Difference in amount of precipitation it receives (for wet/dry seasons)
- Can only use to describe Am/Aw climates
- Precipitation pattern → Uniform vs no rainfall
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller clarissaong. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $11.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
