Tundra climate

The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. It is classified as ET according to the Köppen climate classification. It is a climate which at least one month has an average temperature high enough to melt snow (0 °C [32 °F]), but no month with an average temperature in excess of 10 °C (50 °F).[1] If the climate occurs at high elevations, it is known as alpine climate.[2]

Despite the potential diversity of climates in the ET category involving precipitation, extreme temperatures, and relative wet and dry seasons, this category is rarely subdivided. Rainfall and snowfall are generally slight due to the low vapor pressure of water in the chilly atmosphere, but as a rule potential evapotranspiration is extremely low, allowing soggy terrain of swamps and bogs even in places that get precipitation typical of deserts of lower and middle latitudes. The amount of native tundra biomass depends more on the local temperature than the amount of precipitation.[1]

Tundra climates are the third coldest Köppen climate type on Earth, though extreme subarctic climates (Dfd/Dwd/Dsd) can experience significantly colder winters. There also exists an oceanic variety of the tundra climate with cool to mild winters (the coldest month averaging around 0°C) which borders the subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) and is found in parts of Iceland, the Aleutian Islands and most predominantly on subantarctic islands.

Climate charts

Nuuk, Greenland, Danish Realm
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
67
 
 
−5
−10
 
 
51
 
 
−6
−11
 
 
59
 
 
−5
−10
 
 
53
 
 
−1
−5
 
 
57
 
 
4
−1
 
 
62
 
 
8
2
 
 
69
 
 
11
4
 
 
91
 
 
10
5
 
 
105
 
 
7
2
 
 
81
 
 
2
−2
 
 
79
 
 
−1
−5
 
 
75
 
 
−3
−8
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Danish Meteorological Institute[3][4]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.6
 
 
23
15
 
 
2
 
 
21
12
 
 
2.3
 
 
23
14
 
 
2.1
 
 
31
23
 
 
2.3
 
 
39
30
 
 
2.4
 
 
47
36
 
 
2.7
 
 
52
40
 
 
3.6
 
 
50
40
 
 
4.1
 
 
44
36
 
 
3.2
 
 
36
29
 
 
3.1
 
 
30
22
 
 
2.9
 
 
26
18
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
3.6
 
 
−21
−28
 
 
5.3
 
 
−21
−28
 
 
4.6
 
 
−20
−27
 
 
4.6
 
 
−12
−19
 
 
7.1
 
 
−3
−8
 
 
11
 
 
5
−1
 
 
25
 
 
9
2
 
 
28
 
 
7
2
 
 
20
 
 
3
−1
 
 
14
 
 
−4
−8
 
 
9.4
 
 
−11
−18
 
 
5.6
 
 
−18
−25
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: NOAA[5][6]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.1
 
 
−5
−18
 
 
0.2
 
 
−5
−18
 
 
0.2
 
 
−4
−17
 
 
0.2
 
 
11
−3
 
 
0.3
 
 
27
19
 
 
0.4
 
 
41
31
 
 
1
 
 
48
36
 
 
1.1
 
 
44
35
 
 
0.8
 
 
37
30
 
 
0.6
 
 
26
17
 
 
0.4
 
 
11
0
 
 
0.2
 
 
0
−12
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
21
 
 
−8
−14
 
 
17
 
 
−8
−15
 
 
16
 
 
−9
−16
 
 
9
 
 
−6
−12
 
 
8
 
 
−1
−4
 
 
8
 
 
6
2
 
 
20
 
 
9
5
 
 
23
 
 
8
4
 
 
26
 
 
4
0
 
 
18
 
 
−2
−6
 
 
22
 
 
−4
−9
 
 
24
 
 
−6
−12
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute[7]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.8
 
 
18
6
 
 
0.7
 
 
17
5
 
 
0.6
 
 
16
4
 
 
0.4
 
 
22
10
 
 
0.3
 
 
31
25
 
 
0.3
 
 
42
36
 
 
0.8
 
 
49
42
 
 
0.9
 
 
47
40
 
 
1
 
 
39
33
 
 
0.7
 
 
29
21
 
 
0.9
 
 
25
15
 
 
0.9
 
 
21
10
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Tiksi, Sakha Republic, Russia
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
22
 
 
−26
−33
 
 
15
 
 
−27
−34
 
 
10
 
 
−21
−30
 
 
8
 
 
−12
−22
 
 
15
 
 
−2
−9
 
 
28
 
 
8
1
 
 
45
 
 
13
5
 
 
48
 
 
12
5
 
 
27
 
 
5
−1
 
 
15
 
 
−7
−13
 
 
19
 
 
−19
−26
 
 
21
 
 
−25
−32
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: погода и климат[8]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
0.9
 
 
−15
−28
 
 
0.6
 
 
−16
−29
 
 
0.4
 
 
−6
−22
 
 
0.3
 
 
10
−8
 
 
0.6
 
 
28
16
 
 
1.1
 
 
46
33
 
 
1.8
 
 
55
40
 
 
1.9
 
 
53
41
 
 
1.1
 
 
41
31
 
 
0.6
 
 
19
8
 
 
0.7
 
 
−2
−14
 
 
0.8
 
 
−12
−25
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Tolhuin, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
64
 
 
14
5
 
 
46
 
 
14
4
 
 
54
 
 
12
2
 
 
52
 
 
9
0
 
 
52
 
 
5
−2
 
 
50
 
 
3
−5
 
 
42
 
 
3
−5
 
 
41
 
 
4
−3
 
 
38
 
 
7
−1
 
 
36
 
 
10
0
 
 
41
 
 
12
2
 
 
60
 
 
13
4
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional[9]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.5
 
 
57
40
 
 
1.8
 
 
57
39
 
 
2.1
 
 
54
36
 
 
2
 
 
48
33
 
 
2
 
 
42
28
 
 
2
 
 
37
24
 
 
1.6
 
 
37
23
 
 
1.6
 
 
40
27
 
 
1.5
 
 
44
29
 
 
1.4
 
 
50
33
 
 
1.6
 
 
53
36
 
 
2.4
 
 
56
38
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Macquarie Island, Tasmania, Australia
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
89
 
 
9
5
 
 
86
 
 
9
5
 
 
101
 
 
8
5
 
 
94
 
 
7
4
 
 
87
 
 
6
3
 
 
79
 
 
5
2
 
 
75
 
 
5
2
 
 
77
 
 
5
2
 
 
77
 
 
5
2
 
 
78
 
 
6
2
 
 
74
 
 
7
3
 
 
81
 
 
8
4
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology[10][11]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
3.5
 
 
48
42
 
 
3.4
 
 
48
42
 
 
4
 
 
46
40
 
 
3.7
 
 
45
39
 
 
3.4
 
 
43
37
 
 
3.1
 
 
41
35
 
 
2.9
 
 
41
35
 
 
3
 
 
41
35
 
 
3
 
 
42
35
 
 
3.1
 
 
42
36
 
 
2.9
 
 
44
37
 
 
3.2
 
 
46
40
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Places featuring a tundra climate

Alpine tundra
Polar tundra

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Tundra climate". Encyclopædia Britannica. 31 July 2017.
  2. ^ McKnight, Tom L; Hess, Darrel (2000). "Climate Zones and Types: The Köppen System". Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. pp. 235–7. ISBN 978-0-13-020263-5.
  3. ^ "Klimanormaler Grønland" (PDF). DMI (in Danish). Archived from the original on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  4. ^ "The Observed Climate of Greenland, 1958–99 with Climatological Standard Normals, 1961–90" (PDF). Danish Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-02-17. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  5. ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  6. ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  7. ^ "EKlima". Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ^ Погода в Тикси
  9. ^ "Climatología general argentina" [Argentine general climatology]. gustfront.com.ar (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Climate statistics for Macquarie Island". Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Daily maximum temperature: Macquarie Island". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
  12. ^ "Tundra". Mindat.
  13. ^ Valerio Giacomini, La Tundra del Gavia, Publication out of commerce for Stelvio National Park authority, 1975
  14. ^ "Mount Fuji Facts & Worksheets". Kidskonnect. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Get to know Iqaluit". Arctic Kingdom. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Antarctic Islands in the Southern Indian Ocean". World Wild Life. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Is Svalbard Tundra or Polar?". Restaurant Norman. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Nuuk". Britannica. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Utqiagvik, Alaska tours". Alaska Collection.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.