Learning Objectives

2.3.1 Outline the determinants of global temperature and precipitation patterns.

2.3.2 Explain how a region's seasonal changes in temperature are affected by its location, whether it is near a large body of water or at the center of a large continent.

2.3.3 Summarize how air density and air exchange cause a decrease in air temperature with increases in elevation on a mountain.

Earth's climates reflect a variety of temperature and precipitation regimes, from the warm, wet climate of the tropics to the cold, dry climate of the Arctic and Antarctic. Ultimately this variation in climate determines the location of the major biological zones (Concept 3.1). In this section, we examine these global patterns of temperature and precipitation and explore how both climate averages and climate variation are influenced by prevailing winds and ocean currents.