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The climate of the USA. The climate of North America is the table. The climate of South America

It is unlikely that anyone will deny the fact that the US climate is diverse, and one part of the country can be so strikingly different from the other that sometimes, when traveling by air, you willy-nilly begin to wonder whether your fate has cast you into another state. From the mountain peaks covered with snow caps, in a matter of hours of flight you can find yourself in the desert, where cacti grow, and in particularly arid years it is quite realistic to die of thirst or extreme heat.

Many mistakenly believe that the climate of South America and the North are similar, i.e. They are repeated in a mirror image. It is no more than a delusion. After all, you will agree, weather conditions, especially within the framework of the year, are formed not only depending on the location of the continent. A huge role in this process belongs also to the local vegetation, the presence or absence of cold or warm currents, the height of the mountains and the presence of lowlands.

So what is the climate in the US as a whole? What to expect from the weather in different seasons? Let's try to figure it out together.

Section 1. General information

The vast territories of the United States have a variety of climatic conditions. Here you can find regions with almost any weather characteristics.

According to experts, the US has a significant influence on the geographic location of this or that part of the country.

The formation of the type of seasonal weather within one belt depends on the terrain landscape, ocean currents and other factors. The main area of the state, located to the south, is in the subtropical belt, in the north the same climate of America has all the features of a moderate type.

Hawaii and the south of Florida belong to the tropical zone, Alaska inherent weather polar regions of the Earth. For the US Piedmont Plateau, a semi-desert climate is characteristic, and the climate of the Mediterranean is the California coast. The Highlands of the Great Basin and the area around it are located in the arid climate zone.

By the way, hardly anyone will deny the fact that exactly favorable weather conditions played a huge role in the settlement of this continent.

Section 2. The US climate and the features of its formation

A noticeable effect on the amount of precipitation is exerted by a high-jet stream with air currents, which brings moisture from the north of the Pacific Ocean.

Types of Climate USA

Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota

Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, North Dakota and part of New York.

Humid continental

Iowa, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio and South Dakota

Hot continental

South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Georgia, most of Florida and Virginia, Arkansas and Alabama.

Humid subtropical

Utah, South Dakota, Texas, North Dakota, Oregon, New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana, Colorado, Casas, Washington, Wyoming, Arizona and Idaho

Semiarid (arid)

Utah, Nevada, California and Arizona

arid

The West Coast of the USA (Washington and Oregon)

nautical

California

Mediterranean

Rocky Mountains, Pacific Belt

Alpine

South Coast of Florida

Monsoon

Hawaii

tropical

Alaska

Subarctic, arctic

Scientists believe that the climate of North America (Table 1) is diverse mainly due to the following factors.

Wet winds water the west coast of the United States. In the north-west, rains often occur, and these areas are characterized by the snowiest winter. In California, most precipitation falls in autumn and winter, in summer it is dry and hot. That is why it is believed that the climate of the West of the United States often falls in favor of immigrants from the central part of Russia. The weather here is almost unchanged, and the change of seasons is clear and regular.

All the moisture absorbs the Cascade and Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and as a result, formed the so-called rain shadow, affecting the weather in the west of the Great Plains.

By the way, not everyone knows that the rain shadow also influenced the appearance of the Valley of Death and the desert of the Great Basin. When a high-altitude jet stream collides with the air currents of the Gulf of Mexico, severe storms and thunderstorms occur. Depending on the type of air masses, the air temperature changes. It can rise or fall.

Section 3. Drought

Hot weather with low precipitation over a long period leads to droughts, which in the USA are frequent and have serious consequences.

But much, of course, depends on the location of this or that part of the country. For example, in the climate of North America (Table 1), the heat has less impact than on the rest of the territory, but still the country caused by it is subject to a considerable degree.

For example, a drought between 1931 and 1940, dubbed the Dusty Cauldron, almost destroyed all the farms of the Great Plains. Cataclysm of this magnitude was also observed in 1999-2004.

But the last drought that happened in California was the strongest and led to the drying out of Lake Folsom, where traces of a settlement of the Gold Rush were discovered. In some areas of the state, a state of emergency was declared. The dry weather reduced the water reserves in the system of reservoirs of the State Water Project, and more than 25 million people were left without water.

Section 4. The most destructive tornadoes

The US is leading in terms of the number of tornadoes, which are a feature of the state's climate. Such tornadoes lead to human and material losses. Special tidbits are signaled about the approach of a tornado, and all houses are provided with shelters. The cause of atmospheric vortices is the collision of warm and cold air masses. Most often, tornadoes occur in the so-called Tornado Alley, which unites areas where these natural phenomena occur frequently.

In April of this year, at Tupelo in Mississippi, a powerful tornado collapsed, with the victims of more than 20 people. The elements hurt and other US states, as a result of which dozens of people were killed and injured, houses and communications lines were destroyed.

Section 5. Hurricanes in American style

Hurricanes are a natural phenomenon that often occurs in a given country. The US climate promotes their education.

Particularly prone to this element are the areas of the east coast, the Hawaiian Islands and the southern states on the border with the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane season lasts from June to December. The main blow falls on the period from August to October. The top five most powerful hurricanes include: Katrina, Ike, Wilma, Ivan and Charlie.

Leading among them is Hurricane Katrina. The element in late August 2005 became the most destructive in the history of the United States. Most affected New Orleans in Louisiana. More than 80% of the city's area was under water, more than 1,800 people were killed, the damage from the disaster amounted to 125 billion US dollars.

The fifth hurricane of the 2008 season was "Ike", which received the 4th degree of risk on the "Saffir-Simpson" scale. The storm hit the southeastern coast of the USA, the wind speed reached more than 130 km per hour. The epicenter of the hurricane was 1150 km southeast of the city of Wilmington (North Carolina). The damage from the disaster amounted to 30 billion US dollars.

A fairly intense and unprofitable tropical cyclone was Hurricane Wilma. In 2005, it was the sixth in capacity and brought serious damage. The main power of the hurricane hit the Yucatan peninsula and Florida. About 62 people died, and economic losses amounted to 29 billion US dollars.

Section 6. Floods in the US

Many floods occur during strong hurricanes. Features of the US relief also affect their appearance. For example, a thunderstorm can quickly fill the canyon and increase the water level. The reason for the floods can be severe rains, because of which landslides often occur.

The largest flood occurred in May 2011, it affected eight US states. The water level in the Mississippi River rose several times, rapidly increasing the current. The disaster nearly destroyed the city of New Orleans. The width of the river in the state of Tennessee increased 6 times and flooded a huge area. And the river Cumberland that left the banks led to the death of people and caused huge material damage.

Section 7. Where do earthquakes occur most often?

The entire area of the western coast of North America belongs to the zone of the so-called Pacific Fiery Belt, where many earthquakes occur. This area also includes the territory from Alaska to southern California. Volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains in the northwest of the USA are especially active. But volcanic activity in the Hawaiian islands, known for their volcanoes, is not so dangerous for residents.

The strongest earthquake in the last century happened recently in Washington. The tremors were felt by more than 12 million people. Epicenter was the state of Virginia. Special destruction was not. But if the epicenter was near Washington or New York, the consequences could be much more serious. Seismologists call these fluctuations cryptic and consider an alarming sign.

Section 8. Climate change

As can be seen from the information presented above, North American climate types are very diverse, but they can not be called stable. Why? The fact is that from year to year experts mark significant changes.

Thus, studies of ice crystals in air showed that the content of CO 2 in the atmosphere increased by 40%. According to scientists, this is due to human activities. Despite the fact that CO 2 is a constituent element of air, a person burns fossil fuels and violates the natural cycle of carbon, and his surplus falls on Wednesday. Excessive CO 2 content in the future can lead to an increase in temperature not only in this country, but also on the entire surface of the Earth as a whole.

Compared with the past decade, the rate of increase in average temperature has slowed. But this phenomenon does not negate other global changes in temperature.

Warming by several degrees can be a serious cause for alarm. Even a small deviation affects the change in territorial temperature and precipitation, and also increases the number of extreme natural phenomena.

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