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Temperate

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General Physics

                                                          CAPTION: Seasons

                                                                  Tropical

                                                                Dry season

                                                                Wet season

                                                          CAPTION: Seasons

                                                                 Temperate

                                                                    Spring

                                                                    Summer

                                                                    Autumn

                                                                    Winter

   In geography, temperate latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics
   and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and
   winter are generally subtle, warm or cool, rather than extreme, burning
   hot or freezing cold. However, a temperate climate can have very
   unpredictable weather. One day it may be sunny, the next it may be
   raining, and after that it may be cloudy. These erratic weather
   patterns occur in summer as well as winter.

   The north temperate zone extends from the Tropic of Cancer at about
   23.5 degrees north latitude to the Arctic Circle at about 66.5 degrees
   north latitude. The south temperate zone extends from the Tropic of
   Capricorn at about 23.5 degrees south latitude to the Antarctic Circle
   at about 66.5 degrees south latitude.

   Within these borders there are many individual climate types, which are
   generally grouped into two categories: continental and maritime.

   The maritime climate is clearly affected by the oceans, which help to
   sustain somewhat stable temperatures throughout the year. In the
   temperate zones, the prevailing winds are to the west, the western edge
   of temperate continents most commonly experience this maritime climate.
   Such regions include Western Europe, especially the UK, and western
   North America at latitudes between 40° and 60° north (65°N in Europe).

   The continental climate is usually situated inland, with warmer summers
   and colder winters. The large land mass increases its effects on heat
   reception and loss. In North America, the Rocky Mountains act as a
   climate barrier to the maritime air blowing from the west, creating a
   continental climate to the east. In Europe, the maritime climate is
   able to stabilize temperatures further inland, because the major
   mountain range - the Alps - is oriented east-west.

   The idea of a temperate "zone" was first hypothesized by the ancient
   Greek scholar Aristotle. He said that the earth was divided into three
   types of climatic zones, based on their distance from the equator.

   Thinking that the area near the equator was too hot for habitation,
   Aristotle dubbed the region around the equator (from 23.5° N to 23.5°
   S) as the "Torrid Zone." He reasoned that from the Arctic Circle to the
   pole was permanently frozen. He called this uninhabitable zone the
   "Frigid Zone." The only area that Aristotle believed was livable was
   the "Temperate Zone", lying between the "Frigid Zone" and the "Torrid
   Zone". One of the reasons Aristotle believed that the Temperate Zone
   was the best for life could come from the fact that he lived in that
   zone.

   As knowledge of the earth's geography improved a second "Frigid Zone"
   was discovered south of the equator around the Antarctic and a second
   "Temperate Zone" was discovered south of the equator.

   Aristotle's map was vastly oversimplified, although the general idea
   was correct. Today, the most commonly used climate map is one developed
   by German climatologist and amateur botanist Wladimir Köppen
   (1846-1940) which divides the world into six major climate regions,
   based on average annual precipitation, average monthly precipitation,
   and average monthly temperature.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
