Name: Climographs

Introduction:

Climate is affected by several factors. A brief description of each factor is

listed below.

Latitude The lower the latitude, the warmer the temperatures and usually a

smaller temperature range

Elevation The higher the elevation, the colder the temperatures

Mountain Barriers The windward side is more moist and cooler than the leeward side

Wind Belts

Wind from lower latitudes causes temperature to be warmer than

wind coming from the higher latitudes

Wind from water cause greater amounts of precipitation

Ocean

Currents

Cool ocean currents cause temperatures to be lower than warm

ocean currents

Nearness to large

body of water

The closer you are to a large body of water, the smaller the

temperature range

Materials

Color pencils

Highlighter

Objective:

Draw and analyze climographs

Procedure:

(1) Draw the climograph for Buffalo, NY as instructed by your teacher

a. Plot the average temperature for each month.

b. Connect the plotted points and create a line graph for temperatures.

c. Create a bar graph using the data for average rain for each month. Color in ONLY the

larger space, leaving a small space in between bars.

d. Precipitation for January has been done for you.

e. A sample climograph is pictured below.

(2) Using the Earth Science Reference Tables as a guide, draw the following on the map of

South America.

a. yellow - trace the line for the equator and 30 S latitude ONLY

(do not highlight 20˚)

b. green – planetary winds (ESRT page 14)

c. blue – cool ocean currents (ESRT page 4)

d. red – warm ocean currents (ESRT page 4)

(3) For each climograph given:

a. Find the location on the map of South America and highlight it.

b. Draw the climograph using the data in the table at the top of the sheet.

c. Look at the map and the climate variations listed to the right of your climograph.

Describe how each factor should be effecting this location.

Climograph: Buffalo, NY - USA

Latitude 42.93 N Longitude 78.73 W Elevation 702 feet

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yearly

Average

temp (F) 23.7 24.6 33.8 45.1 56.5 65.8 71.1 68.9 61.9 51.1 40.5 29.1 47.7

Average rain (in) 3.0 2.5 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.9 3.5 3.1 3.9 3.5 38.6

Degrees Inches

100

32

90 30

80 28

70 26

60 24

50 22

40 20

30 18

20 16

10 14

0 12

-10 10

-20 8

-30 6

-40 4

-50 2

-60 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Climate Variables:

Latitude

Elevation

Lg. Body of Water

Wind Belts

Mountain Barrier

Ocean Currents

Climograph: Victoria (Aeroporto) Brazil

Latitude 22.27 S Longitude 40.20 W Elevation 13 feet

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yearly

Temp (F) 81.3 82.4 81.5 79.3 76.5 73.4 72.5 72.9 74.1 75.9 78.1 79.3 77.2

Rain (in) 3.7 3.8 4.2 2.6 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.1 1.0 1.4 4.0 4.4 30.9

Degrees Inches

100

32

90 30

80 28

70 26

60 24

50 22

40 20

30 18

20 16

10 14

0 12

-10 10

-20 8

-30 6

-40 4

-50 2

-60 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Climate Variables:

Latitude

Elevation

Lg. Body of Water

Wind Belts

Mountain Barrier

Ocean Currents

Climograph: Iquique, Chile

Latitude 20.53 S Longitude 70.09 W Elevation 16 feet

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yearly

Temp (F) 69.6 69.6 67.8 64.8 62.8 61.0 60.1 59.7 61.0 62.8 65.1 67.6 64.2

Rain (in) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1

Degrees Inches

100

32

90 30

80 28

70 26

60 24

50 22

40 20

30 18

20 16

10 14

0 12

-10 10

-20 8

-30 6

-40 4

-50 2

-60 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Climate Variables:

Latitude

Elevation

Lg. Body of Water

Wind Belts

Mountain Barrier

Ocean Currents

Climograph: Belem, Brazil

Latitude 1.45 S Longitude 48.40 W Elevation 52 feet

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yearly

Temp (F) 78.4 78.1 78.3 78.6 79.0 79.5 79.2 79.7 79.5 80.1 80.1 79.5 79.2

Rain (in) 13.8 16.2 17.4 14.6 11.1 6.5 6.1 4.8 5.1 4.1 4.0 7.9 111.7

Degrees Inches

100

32

90 30

80 28

70 26

60 24

50 22

40 20

30 18

20 16

10 14

0 12

-10 10

-20 8

-30 6

-40 4

-50 2

-60 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Climate Variables:

Latitude

Elevation

Lg. Body of Water

Wind Belts

Mountain Barrier

Ocean Currents

Climograph: Quito – Observatorio - Equador

Latitude 0.22 S Longitude 78.50 W Elevation 9252 feet

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Yearly

Temp (F) 56.5 56.1 56.5 56.3 56.8 56.1 56.5 56.7 56.7 55.8 55.6 56.1 56.3

Rain (in) 3.5 5.3 5.8 6.5 4.3 1.9 1.1 1.4 3.3 5.3 3.9 3.7 46.2

Degrees Inches

100

32

90 30

80 28

70 26

60 24

50 22

40 20

30 18

20 16

10 14

0 12

-10 10

-20 8

-30 6

-40 4

-50 2

-60 0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Climate Variables:

Latitude

Elevation

Lg. Body of Water

Wind Belts

Mountain Barrier

Ocean Currents

1. 1. How can you tell by looking only at the temperature graphs if the location is in the

Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Hemisphere?

2. 2. Explain why is Quito’s temperatures relative cold, even though it is on the equator.

3. 3. Both Vitoria and Iquique are located close to the same latitude and right next to an ocean.

Explain why there is a difference in the amount of rainfall.

4. Which location has the greatest temperature range?

How can you tell by looking at the graph?

5. Describe the wind patterns around the equator (inward or outward)

Explain why Belem is so wet.

6. For each of the locations, give two climate factors that effect that location the most and

explain how.

Quito

Belem

Iquique

Vitoria

7. Name two climate factors that affect the area in which you live and explain how.