Climate – Definition, Types & Causes

Climate: Have you ever wondered why we wear woollen in December, why it is hot and uncomfortable in May, and why it rains in June – July? Answers to all of these questions can be found out by learning about the climate. Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a long period of time. The world is divided into many climatic regions.

Do you know what type of climate India has and why it is so? India has a tropical monsoon type of climate. In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the South and the Southeast. Let’s explore more about climate, types and causes of climate change in this post.

What is Climate?

The average weather condition that includes the temperature and rainfall of a specific place or a region over a period of several decades (less than \(30\) years) is known as climate.

Fig: Climate

A climatic region has been defined as “An area of the Earth’s surface over which an approximately homogeneous set of climatic conditions is produced by the combined efforts of a number of climatic controls”. The particular set of climatic conditions is called a climatic type.

India belongs to the tropical monsoon climate zone. Since the Indian subcontinent is separated from Asia by the lofty Himalayan ranges, they block the cold air masses moving southwards from Central Asia. As a result, during winters, the northern half of India is warmer by \({3^ \circ }{\rm{C}}\) to \({8^ \circ }{\rm{C}}\) than other areas located on the same latitudes.

Difference between Climate and Weather

Types of Climate

The world climatic types have been classified on the basis of temperature zones. It is observed that all places located on a particular latitude would experience similar types of climate, although the local factors may play a certain role. The different types of climate are listed below:

Features of Climate of India

1. India has a subtropical monsoon type of climate.
2. India faces huge differences in temperature from one region to another.
3. The distribution of rainfall is most uneven. For example, the highest rainfall recorded in India is Mawsynram, whereas Rajasthan receives less than \(25\,{\rm{cm}}\) of rainfall.
4. Some areas like the eastern coast of India receive rainfall in winter by retreating monsoon.
5. North-West India gets rain in summer as well in winter due to cyclonic depressions.
6. A decrease in rainfall is seen from east to west over the Northern Plains and west to east over Peninsular India.

What causes Climate Change?

• 1. Burning of Fossil Fuels: The burning of fossil fuels, oil, coal emits large amounts of CFCs, which is one of the main reasons for global warming.
• 2. Deforestation: Human activities can lead to negative climate changes like deforestation.
• 3. Aerosol Release: An aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas that warms up the Earth atmosphere, though it cools the surface of the Earth by preventing the heat from escaping.
• 4. Volcanic Eruption: Volcanic eruptions tend to emit a large number of greenhouse gases that can have a detrimental effect on climatic conditions.

Effects of Climate Change

1. Rise in Sea Level: Due to an increase in temperature, the glaciers and the ice cover gets melted and thus, results in rising sea levels.

Fig: Rise in Sea Level

• 2. Shrinking Glaciers: The increase in humidity during summers melts the glaciers and can cause a life threat to animals present in that region.
• 3. Decreasing Arctic Ice Cover: Global warming is the main cause of melting arctic ice cover. It leads to habitat loss of organisms residing there too.

Fig: Decreasing Arctic Ice Cover

• 4. Higher Temperatures of the Ocean: Due to climatic change, the water temperature increases and the concentration of carbon dioxide also increase than normal, thus making the ocean more acidic.
• 5. Biodiversity Loss: Climate change alters temperature and weather patterns; it will also impact plant and animal life.
• 6. Desertification and Flooding: Alternate change in the climate like rainfall, wind and solar radiations leads to loss of forests, and excess rainfall leads to floods.

Fig: Desertification and Flood

Summary

The world climatic types have been classified based on the world’s climatic/temperature zones. Tropical wet climate, tropical grasslands climate, desert type of climate, Cool temperate continental climate, cold/polar desert climate etc., are examples of a few types of climate. It is observed that all the places located on a particular latitude would experience a similar type of climate, although the local factors may play a certain role. The number of combinations of different climatic controls is very large; every location on the Earth’s surface has a distinctive climate. In fact, it would be impossible to describe the unique climatic characteristics of innumerable different locations on our planet.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Climate

Q.1. What defines climate?
Ans: The description of the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area is called climate.

Q.2. What are the 4 types of climate?
Ans: Tropical wet climate, tropical grasslands climate, desert type of climate, Cool temperate continental climate, cold/polar desert climate etc., are examples of a few types of climate.

Q.3. What is the difference between climate and weather?
Ans: Weather reflects short-term conditions of the atmosphere, while climate is the average daily weather for an extended period of time at a certain location.

Q.4. What are the problems of climate?
Ans: The survival for humans and animals becomes tough because of climate change. More constant and intense drought, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, storms, heatwaves, and warming oceans can directly harm animals, destroy the places they live and create damage to people’s livelihoods and communities.

Q.5. What factors affect climate?
Ans: The factors that affect climate are ocean currents, the direction of prevailing winds, distance from the equator, sea, etc.

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