An Overview of

Global and Regional

Climates
George Taylor
Applied Climate Services

Some fundamental rules

of physics:
1. The sun shines more directly on the low
latitudes than the high latitudes
2. Warm air rises, and cold air descends
3. As air rises, it cools; as it descends, it
warms
4. Warm (cold) air can hold more (less)
water vapor

Single cell model

Three cell model

Ocean currents

Jet stream

Subtropical jet stream

Global and Regional

Climates

Influences on
climate
Global circulation
East coast/west coast
Distance from ocean

Classifying
climate
Data-based (Koppen)
Ecosystem-based

Koppen Climate
System
Major categories
(A,B,C,D,E,H)
Minor categories
(a,b,c,d,e,f,k,m,w)

ENSO