The climate of a region is a set of meteorological variables that act to form a specific environmental condition. There are many climate factors that act at the same time to be able to grant these characteristics to an area. The variables that act are not only found at the level of the atmosphere but also affect all levels of height from the earth's surface. Keep in mind that the troposphere is the layer of the atmosphere that makes up the world's climate. Above this troposphere there are no significant differences between zones.
In this article we are going to analyze what are the characteristics and different factors of the climate.
Importance of climate factors
There are many people who confuse meteorology, climatology. When we speak of meteorology we do not refer to what is known as the weather. That is, if today or tomorrow it will rain, it will be sunny, strong wind, high temperatures, etc. To this set of meteorological phenomena that can occur at any time is what is called meteorology. On the other hand, if we continuously record all these meteorological phenomena and the values of the variables here have given rise to these phenomena over time, we will have as a result the climate of a region.
For this reason, we affirm that the climate is the sum of the meteorological variables that take place over time and in space. All these variables and their values are what give the climatic characteristics to a certain area. For example, the average temperatures that exist in a certain region of the planet is what marks part of this climate. It can be classified as warm, temperate or cold areas depending on the average temperature values. One of the most remarkable examples for our area is the Mediterranean climate. This climate is characterized mainly by having high temperatures in the summer season and colder and wetter winters. I mean, these types of weather the precipitations are concentrated in the winter months while the summers are drier.
It is important to join the meteorological data and elaborate total averages from the values of the variables that make up the climate. The rest of the data that is too far from the mean is usually not used to establish this average value. In almost all areas there are average values of wind regimes, temperature, rainfall, solar radiation, etc.
Climate factors
As we have mentioned before, a series of meteorological variables are those that give the characteristics to the climate of an area. These climate factors are as follows: altitude and latitude, terrain inclination, water, ocean currents, temperature, rainfall, humidity, atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, wind and solar radiation. As you can see, there are many climate factors and their values can change continuously. All these factors intervene in one way or another.
For example, it is not the same amount of solar radiation that can strike perpendicularly on the line of the tropics as the amount of solar radiation that reaches the poles. The inclination of the solar rays is what determines the amount of solar radiation that will arrive. Based on this, mean temperature values are established. This is the reason why the poles have an average temperature much lower than the area of the tropics.
The energy that makes the earth's surface heat the surrounding atmosphere it is not the same in the entire area of the planet. It can be said that the altitude and latitude influence a lot. We are going to analyze the different climate factors and how they affect its characteristics.
Altitude and latitude
Depending on the altitude at which we are and the latitude we must know that temperatures will vary apart from other meteorological variables. For every 100 meters that we climb in altitude, the temperature drops by 3 degrees Celsius. With this rise in altitude we also see that the atmospheric pressure does as well as the temperature. These two variables, such as temperature and atmospheric pressure, make environmental conditions favor another type of life development.
For example, there is a large amount of flora and fauna that have developed and adapted to this type of height. In these places there is lack of food, little vegetation, higher wind regime, etc. These are conditions that do not help the development of biodiversity at all.
Temperature
Temperature is the most important variable globally. It is the one that mainly conditions the development of life. The temperature must have a value that is in a necessary range so that life can develop and species can occupy the territory. At the temperature variable le affect clouds, wind, rain, atmospheric pressure, the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface, etc.
This means that a single atmospheric variable does not have an absolute value, but will be affected by other factors of the climate.
Precipitation
Precipitation is summarized as the source of water in an area and the sustenance of environmental humidity. Thanks to rainfall, vegetation can flourish and with it the rest of the food chain. Precipitation takes place depending on temperatures, the amount of solar radiation, cloud cover, atmospheric pressure, etc. As we can see, there is no climate factor that is not conditioned by another.
Humidity
Humidity is the amount of vapor that is contained in the air. It is determined by the rainfall regime of an area, the temperature, the wind, among others. The more rainfall an area has and the less wind, the more water vapor the air can hold.
Atmospheric pressure
It is the force that the air exerts on us and the earth's surface. It is defined as what the air thought. As we mentioned before, as you go up in altitude, the atmospheric pressure is less and less.
Climate factors: cloudiness, solar radiation environment
In what we go these three climate factors since they are the ones that vary the most on the earth's surface. The amount of clouds in the troposphere at any given time is an element of the climate that is influenced by precipitation, the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface and the humidity of the environment.
Wind is the movement of air and determines some variables of the climate such as environmental humidity, changes in atmospheric pressure and contributes to the evaporation of water. The evaporation of water is one of the key elements of the water cycle.
Solar radiation is one of the variables that can change the most from one area to another. It is the one that gives each the land surface and the air and the clouds are usually retained by greenhouse gases.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about climate factors and how they act on it.