Looking Ahead
Chapter 8, Weather Systems, gave us an insight into how the daily changes of the atmosphere occur, in other words, how our weather. This chapter,and those that preceeded it, have set the stage for an analysis of climate, the long-term state of the atmosphere. Climate plays an important role in the distribution of plant and animal species, soils, streams and rivers, and affects landforming processes. Having a good grasp of the geographical distribution of climate is necessary in understanding the physical geography of Earth.
Figure 8.36 The five main climate types (clockwise),
tropical, dry, temperate, continental, polar.
Courtesy (FAO, USFWS, NOAA)
The Earth is potentially facing changes to its climate the likes of which have not seen for thousands of years, and it is most likely the result of human activities. The elements of climate interact with each of the subsystems of the Earth system. A change in any one of the elements of climate can reverberate through the entire system.These changes will have profound effects on the Earth system. Warming oceans and melting ice caps will reshape coastlines. The migratory behavior of animals will change as climate conditions shift. Habitats will vanish along with the plant and animal species that depend on them. Water resources will evaporate from some regions while others may experience floods like they haven't seen in the recent past. Thus it is ever so important for us to understand how the climate system works, and what effect our activities have on it.