Climate is the pattern of weather a place has over many years . Different parts of the world have very different climates , mainly because of how close they are to the equator , and whether they are near the sea or sheltered by mountains . Remember the difference : weather changes from day to day, but climate is the long-term average that you can rely on year after year .
✨ Earth is divided into five main climate zones : tropical , dry (arid ), temperate , continental , and polar . Each zone has its own typical temperatures , rainfall , and seasons .
Why is it hotter near the equator ? It is because of the curved shape of the Earth . Near the equator , the Sun's rays strike the ground almost straight on, so their heat is concentrated on a small area . Near the poles , the same rays hit at a slant and spread out over a much bigger area , so each patch of ground gets far less warmth . That is the real reason the poles are cold and the middle of the planet is hot.
📷 European Space Agency · CC BY-SA 3.0 igo🔗 Match each climate zone to where or what it is known for.
Freezing cold near the poles Mild seasons — like much of Europe Very little rainfall — deserts Hot, wet, and near the equator
Freezing cold near the poles Mild seasons — like much of Europe Very little rainfall — deserts Hot, wet, and near the equator
Freezing cold near the poles Mild seasons — like much of Europe Very little rainfall — deserts Hot, wet, and near the equator
Freezing cold near the poles Mild seasons — like much of Europe Very little rainfall — deserts Hot, wet, and near the equator
💡 The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of the Earth . Places on or near the equator get the most direct sunlight and are warmest . The further you go towards the poles , the colder it gets .
Tropical climates are found near the equator . They are hot and wet all year , making them perfect for rainforests . Further from the equator are temperate zones — mild seasons , moderate rainfall , and the kind of climate much of Europe and North America experience . The polar zones near the North and South Poles are bitterly cold all year , with long , dark winters .
📷 Irrational pi (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0🧩 Order these climate zones from the warm equator out to the cold poles.
Polar — at the far north and south ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Temperate — the middle latitudes ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Dry — just beyond the tropics ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
Tropical — right on the equator ? ⤒ ↑ ↓ ⤓
The equator is not the only thing that decides a climate . Altitude also matters : even in a tropical country you can find snow on very high mountain tops , because the air higher up is colder . The Andes mountains pass through South America's tropical belt , yet their peaks are permanently covered in ice. Being near the sea matters too, because oceans keep nearby land milder , warming it in winter and cooling it in summer .
🗂️ Sort each example into the correct climate zone.
Tropical Dry (arid) Polar
Tropical Dry (arid) Polar
Tropical Dry (arid) Polar
Tropical Dry (arid) Polar
📷 NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U · Public domainPlants , animals , and people all live differently depending on their climate zone . In hot, wet tropical climates , thick rainforests grow . In temperate climates , trees lose their leaves in autumn and grow them back in spring . In freezing polar climates , only tough , low-growing plants survive , and animals such as polar bears wear thick coats of fur and fat.
✨ Climate change is shifting some climate zones . Scientists have found that tropical zones are expanding and polar ice is shrinking as average global temperatures rise .
