O continental climate it is a type of weather typical of countries and regions located in the Northern Hemisphere of planet Earth, occurring mainly in inland areas, where there is a predominance of continentality as a climatic factor. Characterized by the marked thermal amplitude and the alternation between the seasons, the continental climate has average temperatures ranging between 10 °C and -3 °C, and precipitation well distributed throughout the year, with snow and frost records In the winter.
Read too: Equatorial climate — a type of climate that occurs in the low-latitude regions of planet Earth
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary of continental climate
- 2 - Location of continental climate
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3 - Characteristics of the continental climate
- → Temperature and rainfall of the continental climate
- → Continental climate vegetation
- → Fauna of the continental climate
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4 - Types of continental climate
- → Humid continental climate or continental climate without dry season (Df)
- → Continental climate with dry winter (Dw)
- 5 - Is there a continental climate in Brazil?
- 6 - Continental climate in the world
Continental climate summary
O climate continental is located in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, in the interior of the continents.
Present in northern North America, Europe and parts of Asia and the Middle East.
Characterized by the good distinction between summer and winter and by the high temperature range.
Temperatures are mild most of the year. The minimums are below -3 °C, and the maximums vary between 10 and 20 °C, according to the Köppen classification.
The rains are recurrent, and there is heavy precipitation in the form of snow in more humid areas.
Boreal forest (or taiga) and grasslands are the two types of vegetation that thrive in the continental climate.
Bears, wolves, lynxes, moose and birds of prey are examples of animals that make up the fauna of the continental climate.
It can be classified into wet continental and continental with dry winter. In the case of a drier climate, what happens is a reduction in the volume of precipitation during the coldest months compared to the rest of the year.
It is not a climate type that is observed in Brazil.
Continental climate location
the continental climate is a climate variation that occurs predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere of planet Earth, in locations located at mid-latitudes, which corresponds to the range between 30° and 60° N. This climate is generally found in the interior of the continents and other locations where the influence of maritime activity is very low or null.
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Features of continental climate
→ Continental climate temperature and rainfall
One of the main aspects of the continental climate is the elevated temperature rangedaily and Yearly, that is, the big difference between the temperatures peaks and troughs that occur both within a 24-hour period and over the course of a year.
The maximums recorded during the year usually vary between 10 and 20 °C, depending on the location and type of climate. mainland, while the minimum temperatures are equal to or lower than -3 °C, according to the climate classification of Köppen-Geiger.
Despite the temperature difference, the weather remains mild throughout the year. This fact is also conditioned by the high incidence of winds, which is common in the continental climate.
To the seasons are well defined, marked mainly by the difference in temperature and rainfall. To the rainscan happen throughout the year, and there is also training and frost and precipitation in the form of snow in the coldest months. The presence of snow is even more common in the humid variation of the continental climate. The annual volume of rainfall varies between 600 and 1000 mm.
→ Continental climate vegetation
The vegetation of the continental climate varies according to the distribution of rainfall and the soil type gift. In the more humid areas, there is a predominance of biome vegetation taiga or boreal forest, which is characterized by the presence of deciduous trees, that is, which lose their leaves at a certain time or season of the year.
They are present in areas with a continental climate. large and medium-sized trees, such as conifers, such as pines, spruces and firs, as well as plants such as cedars, birches and wild fruits, also called berries. In regions with lower humidity, the formation of prairies It is steppes, with a greater presence of small species, such as shrubs, grasses and herbs.
→ Continental climate fauna
The fauna of the continental climate is formed by medium and large mammals, rodents, migratory birds, birds of prey, insects and reptiles, animals common in biomes such as the taiga and Thes steppes. In colder areas, there are animals adapted to low temperatures and those ones that perform hibernation during the coldest months of the year. Animals such as:
wolves;
bears;
moose;
bobcats;
deer;
reindeer;
squirrels;
hares;
eagles;
owls.
continental climate types
the continental climate can be classified according to the moisture content present in the atmosphere and the predominance of temperatures. In the Köppen-Geiger classification, widely used for understanding and analyzing the different climatic occurrences in the world, the continental climate (D) is subdivided into the types that we will see follow.
→ Humid continental climate or continental climate without dry season (Df)
The humid variation of the continental climate occurs in areas where there is higher moisture content available in the atmosphere, which is influenced by the presence of large water surfaces, such as seas, rivers and lakes.
Precipitation is more recurrent, and temperature variations are less pronounced, although present. It presents intense precipitation in the form of snow and frost, with severe winters and cold or mild summers.. It is common at higher altitudes, between 40 and 60° N.
Has as subtypes the climates:
continental with hot summer (Dfa);
continental with temperate summer (Dfb);
continental with short and cool summer (Dfc);
continental with very cold winter (Dfd).
Dfc and Dfd type climates are also known as subarctic, due to the permanent cold and the recurrence of snow.
→ Continental climate with dry winter (Dw)
Unlike the humid continental climate, the continental variation with dry winter presents a season of the year with reduced available humidity. This happens due to the lower volume of rainfall, making it impossible to speak of scarcity itself. this variation has a greater temperature range than the humid continental climate.
Is there a continental climate in Brazil?
The continental climate is typical of the northern temperate zone of planet Earth., making itself present in areas of lesser influence of humidity.
Brazil is located in the tropical zone, where there is a predominance of hot and alternately humid and dry climates, as is the case of tropical weather. In addition, even in the mildest regions, humidity is an important climatic element. Therefore, the continental climate not present in Brazil.
See too: Subtropical climate — the climate type that occurs between the latitudes of 25° and 40° in both hemispheres
Continental climate in the world
![Places of occurrence of the continental climate (and its variations) in the world, according to the Köppen-Geiger classification. [1]](/f/526d5b5fe608485725a040964e2e5e96.jpg)
As you can see on the map, the continental climate is distributed across countries in the Northern Hemisphere, in mid-latitude areas, where there is a predominance of temperate climates. The continental climate and its variations are present in the following locations:
north of North America, in the northernmost areas of the U.S and not Canada;
Central, Eastern and Northern Europe Europeoccurring in countries such as Sweden, Norway, Poland, Belarus, Croatia, Romania and others;
Russia, Türkiye and countries in Central Asia and Middle East, as Kazakhstan, uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan It is Will;
south and east of Asia, as Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea It is Japan.
image credit
[1] World Köppen Classification / Ali Zifan / Wikimedia Commons (Reproduction / Edited image: Text "Continental climate — World map of Köppen-Geiger climate classification" has been cropped from the image.)
By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher
Read about the temperate climate, learn about the main characteristics of this climate type and identify the places where it occurs, in addition to the way it occurs in Brazil.
Click here, discover all the climates in the world and know how to identify the main characteristics and location of each one of them.
Click here, find out what maritimeness and continentality are and understand how they act in climate dynamics.
Do you know the difference between Taiga and Tundra? Click here and learn more about the Taiga or boreal forest. Read about its fauna and flora and understand the threats to this biome.
Click here and understand what are the thermal zones of planet Earth. Learn the factors that determine your establishment and the characteristics of each one of them.
