Climate

1. WORLD CLIMATES ~Hot climates ~Temperate climates ~Cold climates

1.1. EQUATORIAL CLIMATE ~Hot all year [28°C] ~One season ~Rainfall every afternoon ~Rainforest and jungle

1.1.1. SAVANNA CLIMATE ~Hot all year [25-35°C] ~Two seasons ~Wet summers dry winters ~Scattered trees/grassland

1.1.1.1. DESERT CLIMATE ~Temperature day: [30-50°C] night temperature: [5°C] ~precipitation ~There is very little rain [100mm per year] ~Long droughts followed by sudden downpours

2. PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE DESERT ~Its difficult for plants and animals to survive in the desert because there is so little water

2.1. CACTUS ~It has thick bark which prevents loss of moisture and it can store water inside it. The roots spread out over long distance to reach avaliable water. The needles protect it from wild animals

3. LOCAL CLIMATES

3.1. ~Aspect~ Refers to the direction of which a slope faces. In the Northern hemisphere, south facing slopes are warmer because the sun is shining in this direction and the south facing slopes are protected from the cold northerly winds.

3.1.1. ~Altitude~ Altitude refers to the height above sea level. The higher up you climb the colder it is. The temperature decreases by 100°C for every 150 meters climbed. This is known as the lapse rate. Air is very thin on mountains which makes it hard to retain heat.

4. SAMPLE ANSWER Explain the characteristics of a hot desert climate under the following headings: [1]Temperature [2]Rainfall

4.1. Temperatures during the day can reach 30-50°C it is very hot. This is because the desert is located close to the equator and the sun shines directly down. Temperatures can drop to less than 5°C at night due to lack of cloud cover causing heat to escape. Precipitation is very low, it is less than 100 mm per year. This is because the trade winds blow in over the desert and loose their moisture before they reach the desert.