Opening subject page...
Loading your content
Discover why some places are hot and dry while others are cold and snowy all year long.
Have you ever wondered why polar bears live in the Arctic but parrots live in tropical jungles? The answer has a lot to do with climate — the usual weather pattern of a place over a long time. People have been studying climate for hundreds of years to understand why different parts of the world feel so different.
Long ago, travelers noticed that some lands were always warm while others were always cold. Scientists began to keep records of temperature and rainfall. Over time, they sorted the world into different climate regions — areas that share similar weather patterns.
Today, the big question is: How are climates in different regions alike and different? Let's find out!
Before we compare climates, we need to understand a few important ideas. Climate is not the same as weather. Weather is what happens outside right now — like today's rain or sunshine. Climate is the pattern of weather over many years.
Earth can be divided into big climate zones based on how much sunlight each area gets. The diagram below shows how the zones wrap around the planet like belts.
Notice how the zones appear in the same order on both sides of the equator. The tropical zone gets the most direct sunlight, so it is the warmest. The polar zones get the least sunlight, so they are the coldest. The temperate zones are in between.
Several things work together to shape a region's climate. Let's look at the main ones.
The equator is an imaginary line around the middle of Earth. Places close to the equator get sunlight that hits more directly, which makes them warmer. Places far from the equator get sunlight at a lower angle, so they are cooler.
Altitude means how high above sea level a place is. The higher you go, the colder it gets. That is why mountain tops can have snow even when the land below is warm.
Oceans heat up and cool down slowly. Places near the ocean usually have milder temperatures — not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter. Places far from the ocean can get very hot in summer and very cold in winter.
Big winds and ocean currents carry warm or cold air and water around the planet. They can make a region warmer or cooler than you might expect just from its location.
Let's look closely at four climate types you can find on Earth. Each one has its own temperature and precipitation pattern, and each one supports different plants and animals.
| Climate Type | Temperature | Precipitation | Example Plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical | Hot all year (25−28°C) | Very high rain | Palm trees, ferns |
| Desert | Very hot days, cool nights | Very little rain | Cacti, small shrubs |
| Temperate | Warm summers, cold winters | Medium rain & snow | Oak trees, grass |
| Polar | Cold all year (below 0°C) | Low (mostly snow) | Moss, lichens |
Let's practice comparing the climates of two real cities: Miami, Florida and Anchorage, Alaska. Follow along step by step!
Even though climates can look very different, every climate has the same basic parts: temperature, precipitation, and seasons. The table below shows what is similar and different across climate types.
| Feature | Similarities Across Climates | Differences Across Climates |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | All regions have a measurable average temperature. | Ranges from below −40°C (polar) to above 40°C (desert). |
| Precipitation | All regions receive some form of precipitation. | Can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail, in very different amounts. |
| Seasons | All regions have patterns that repeat each year. | Some have 4 seasons, some have 2, some stay nearly the same. |
| Plants & Animals | All climates support some form of life. | Tropical has the most species; polar and desert have fewer. |
In this lesson, we compared climates today. But scientists also study how climates change over time. As you learn more science, you will explore why Earth's climates have shifted in the past and how they might change in the future.
| What You Learned Today | What You Will Learn Later |
|---|---|
| Climates can be sorted into zones like tropical, desert, temperate, and polar. | How oceans and the atmosphere move heat around the whole planet. |
| Temperature and precipitation are the two main ways to compare climates. | How greenhouse gases in the atmosphere affect Earth's temperature. |
| Distance from the equator is a big factor in a region's climate. | How people can affect climate through their actions and choices. |
Understanding how to compare regional climates is the first step. Once you can describe and compare, you can start to ask bigger questions — like Why is this climate changing? and What can we do about it?
Try these five questions to test what you have learned. They go from easier to harder. Give each one a try before looking at the answer!
Climate is the long-term weather pattern of a region, measured mainly by temperature and precipitation. Earth has several major climate zones. The tropical zone near the equator is hot and rainy. Desert climates are hot and dry. Temperate climates have changing seasons with moderate rain. Polar climates are very cold all year with little precipitation.
A region's climate depends on its distance from the equator, its altitude, how close it is to the ocean, and wind and ocean currents. By comparing these features across different regions, you can explain why some places are hot and wet while others are cold and dry. Understanding climate helps us predict what plants and animals can live in a region and how people there live their daily lives.