Landscapes and climates

Learning objectives

To identify the major types of climates on Earth and to know how to locate them on a map.
To list the factors that determine a climate.
To explain seasonal variations for the same region. One could use annual temperature and precipitation curves taken from specific locations.
To make the distinction between Climate (a study of averages, on a global scale) and weather (values that are nearly instantaneous, and local).
To introduce the risks involved in climate changes.

This animation enables us to simulate the evolution of a type of landscape over the course of the seasons for different climates.

The climatic parameters are simplified and only temperature and precipitation profiles can be modified. Other criteria intervene in defining a climatic zone, like proximity of a sea, altitude, winds.

These different factors shape the landscapes , particularly in terms of vegetation.