The tropical climate zone is one of two geographical zones on the globe. The tropics are located in the Northern and Southern hemispheres of the Earth between the subequatorial and subtropical zones from 20 to 30° N latitude. and S. Tropical zones cover certain areas on all continents except Antarctica, including the territory of countries such as Australia, Algeria, Egypt, China, Libya, UAE, Taiwan, Chile, Brazil, Vietnam, Hawaii, Maldives, Oman, Nigeria, Thailand, etc. The tropical climate has characteristics over the oceans.
Climatic conditions are formed under the influence of tropical air masses, which are characterized by high atmospheric pressure and persistent anticyclonic air circulation, light cloudiness, low relative air humidity, and low annual precipitation. Seasonal temperature changes are pronounced over the continents. The prevailing winds are trade winds - constant winds east direction.
Average annual temperatures
The average annual temperatures of the warmest months are 30-35°C, the coldest months are at least 10°C. Maximum temperature 61°C was recorded, the minimum was 0°C and below. The average annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 200 mm. In the eastern oceanic region alone, up to 2000 mm of precipitation can fall per year.
The territory lying in the tropical zone is conventionally divided into four regions:
1. Eastern Oceanic (with high humidity and dominant forest areas);
2. Eastern transitional (with a predominance of shrubs and woodlands);
3. Inland;
4. Western-oceanic (with a predominance of deserts and semi-deserts).The latter region experiences high relative humidity with frequent fogs and relatively stable temperatures.
Continental areas located in the tropical zone are characterized by changes in natural processes when moving from east to west: the runoff layer becomes less abundant (from 100 mm to 2-10 mm) and the water content of rivers decreases (eastern rivers are constantly full-flowing, western rivers are periodically).
To the east, erosion processes and chemical weathering are predominant, to the west and in the inland region - deflation and physical weathering. From east to west, the thickness of the soil cover decreases; inland and western regions are characterized by desert soils with a primitive composition (gypsum, carbonate, solonchaks), which alternate with sands and accumulations of rubble. Also, the types of plant communities change from east to west: mixed evergreen forests are replaced by monsoon deciduous forests and then by savannas or open forests, dry forests, shrubs, semi-deserts and deserts. Accordingly, the composition of the fauna changes - from many forest inhabitants to rare inhabitants of desert areas.
From east to west, the following zones of the tropical zone on land are distinguished: tropical rainforest zone, woodland zone, savannah and dry forest zone, tropical semi-deserts and deserts. For mountainous areas characterized by altitudinal zones.
Areas of continents with a tropical climate are poorly developed and populated by humans, except eastern regions continents. In the eastern oceanic region, agriculture and forestry are developed, in the western oceanic and inland region - pasture cattle breeding with areas of irrigated agriculture, as a result of which natural landscapes are almost completely transformed in the process economic activity person.
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The tropical zone covers the main parallels within the northern and southern hemispheres. Air in summer time year can heat up to +30 or +50, in winter the temperature drops.
In summer, intense heat during the day can be combined with cooling in the evening. More than half of the annual precipitation falls during winter.
Types of climate
The degree of proximity of the territory to the ocean allows us to distinguish tropical climate several varieties:
- continental. It is characterized by hot and dry weather in central regions continents. Clear weather most often prevails, but dust storms are also possible with strong winds. A number of countries are well suited to this: South America, Australia, Africa;
- The oceanic climate is mild with high rainfall. The weather is warm and clear in summer, and winter is as mild as possible.
In the summer, the air can warm up to +25, and in the winter it can cool down to +15, which creates optimal conditions for human life.
Tropical countries
- Australia is the central region.
- North America: Mexico, western regions of Cuba
- South America: Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, northern Chile, Brazil.
- Africa: from the north - Algeria, Mauritania, Libya, Egypt, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Niger. The southern tropical belt in Africa covers Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.
- Asia: Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman, India.
Tropical Zone Map
Click to enlarge
Natural areas
The main natural zones of this climate are:
- forests;
- semi-deserts;
Wet forests are located on the eastern coasts from Madagascar to Oceania. and is rich in its diversity. It is in such forests that more than 2/3 of all species of flora and fauna of the Earth live.
The forest smoothly turns into savannas, which have a large extent, where small vegetation in the form of grasses and cereals predominates. Trees in this area are not common and are drought-resistant species.
Seasonal forests have spread to the north and south of the humid areas. They are characterized by a small number of vines and ferns. IN winter time years, such trees completely lose their foliage.
Areas of land with semi-deserts can be found in countries such as Africa, Asia and Australia. These natural areas experience hot summers and warm winters.
IN tropical deserts the air can heat up above +50 degrees, and along with its increased dryness, rain turns into steam and is unproductive. These types of deserts have increased levels of solar exposure. Vegetation is sparse.
The largest deserts are located in Africa, these include: and.
Flora and fauna
The tropical zone is known for its rich vegetation; more than 70% of the representatives of the entire Earth’s flora are present on its territory:
- Swamp-type forests have little vegetation due to the fact that the soil contains a small amount of oxygen. Most often, such a forest is located in lowlands with wetlands;
- are located near the flow of warm air masses, plants form a multi-level system. Such a forest is characterized by a high density of crowns with the presence of roots in the form of litter;
- Mountain forests grow at an altitude of more than a kilometer and have several tiers. The upper tier includes trees: ferns, evergreen oaks, and the lower tier is occupied by grass: lichens, mosses. Heavy precipitation contributes to the appearance of fog;
- seasonal forests are divided into evergreen forests (eucalyptus), semi-evergreen forests have trees that shed leaves only on the upper tier without affecting the lower one.
In the tropical zone the following can grow: palm trees, cacti, acacia, various shrubs, milkweed and reed plants.
Most representatives of the animal world prefer to settle in the crowns of trees: rodents of the family,. In this zone there are: hedgehogs, tigers, leopards, lemurs, rhinoceroses, elephants.
Small predators and rodents prefer to live in savannas various types, ungulate mammals, insects.
Tropical climate zones - video
There are 13 such countries. These are Australia, Algeria, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Egypt, the not universally recognized Western Sahara, China, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Chile.
In these states, the so-called trade winds arise, all year round walking in the tropics. In the Northern Hemisphere they blow from the northeast, and in the Southern Hemisphere they blow from the southeast.
Residents of the countries described above feel the impact of pronounced seasonal changes in ambient temperature like no other. Moreover, they are especially strong not on the islands, but in the zone: the deeper, the stronger.
As for precipitation, it is not too abundant - only 50-150 millimeters per year. The only exceptions to this rule are the coasts of the continents, where the long-awaited moisture comes from the oceans. For example, in the tropical zone of the continent of Africa there is precipitation in winter, but in summer it is almost completely absent.
Countries with more than half of their area in the belt
This one is more extensive. The largest of them are Ethiopia, banana Ecuador, the Philippines, Uganda, Chad, Thailand, Tanzania, Sudan, USA, Somalia with its pirates, Rwanda, Peru, Panama, Oman, Nicaragua, Mali, Malaysia, Congo, Kenya, Cameroon, Zambia , Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Yemen, Brunei and others. There are more than 40 such countries in total.
Tropical areas provide about a quarter of the world's landmass. various types soil formation, diverse flora and fauna.
Geographers attribute part of the tropical to the ancient continent of Gondwana, and, according to the current location of the land on, it is in this zone that most of the earth's coral reefs are located, including the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches along the northeastern coast of Australia, is considered the world's largest coral formation. Length – 2.5 thousand kilometers, area – 344 square kilometers.
There are also mountainous states in the tropical zone, in both hemispheres. They have a more variable climate than countries without noticeable elevations. Nevertheless, there are relatively few such territories, since semi-desert and desert landscapes still predominate.
It is the hot climate in the tropical zone that makes many states located in it a “tidbit” for tourists who love to bask in the sun and swim in salty sea water.
Geographic zones located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres between 20° and 30° latitude, where trade wind circulation dominates and large areas are occupied by deserts and semi-deserts... Dictionary of Geography
northern tropical zone- in the Northern Hemisphere, between the northern subtropical and northern subequatorial zones, mostly between 30 and 10° N. w. In the Old World, it is most clearly expressed in Africa, where it occupies vast areas in the northern part of the continent (Sahara, Nubian, ... ... Geographical encyclopedia
southern tropical zone- V Southern Hemisphere, between southern subtropical and southern sub equatorial belts. It is most widespread over the oceans, where it covers the space from the equator to 30° south. w. On continents it is relatively narrowed, mainly. between 30° and 20° S. sh... Geographical encyclopedia
TROPICAL Dictionary Ushakova
TROPICAL- 1. TROPICAL1, tropical, tropical. 1. adj. to the tropics, located between the tropics. Tropical zone. Tropical countries. 2. Peculiar to the tropics. A tropical forest. Tropical fever (one of the forms of malaria). Tropical climate. 3.… … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
BELT- belts, plural belts, m. 1. A long narrow strip of fabric, cord or belt, used for circular coverage, tying at the waist. Leather belt. 2. The place where the body is covered by this stripe, the waist (colloquially). Tight in the waistband. Waist-deep in water. 3.… … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Tropical climate- South Florida is in a tropical climate Tropical climate is a type of climate typical of the tropics. According to the classification adopted for climate by V. P. Köppen, it is defined as not ... Wikipedia
Tropical dry climate- Tropical dry climate is a continental variety of trade wind climate, where there is no change in monsoons, that is, where tropical air predominates all year round. The wind regime in these continental regions is not as characteristic and stable as in ... ... Wikipedia
BELT- BELT, ah, plural. a, ov, husband. 1. Ribbon, cord, belt or stitched strip of fabric for tying or fastening at the waist. Leather p.p. skirt. To put someone in the belt and behind the belt. (certainly surpass someone in nothing; colloquial). Plug the ax into step 2. transfer... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
geographical belt- (physical-geographical belt), the largest unit of the zonal division of the geographical envelope, which has common features of the structure of latitudinal landscape zones, which is determined by the magnitude of the radiation balance. Many geographers identify... ... Geographical encyclopedia
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The concept of "tropics"
Definition 1
The tropics (from the Greek “turning circle”) is the climatic zone of the planet. In a strictly geographical concept, the tropics are located between the Southern and Northern Tropics, that is, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer - the main parallels located south and north of the equator and determining the maximum latitude at which the Sun can rise to its zenith at noon.
In the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, the Sun is at its zenith on the winter and summer solstice. At all other latitudes, the Sun appears at the zenith twice: when moving north and back - to the south.
The tropics are tropical zones with a characteristic hot climate.
The opposite of the tropics is the Arctic Circle.
In the tropics there are territories of more than 40 countries: Ecuador, Ethiopia, Uganda, Philippines, Thailand, Chad, Sudan, Tanzania, USA, Rwanda, Somalia, Peru, Oman, Panama, Mali, Nicaragua, Malaysia, Kenya, Congo, Zambia, Cameroon , Dominican Republic, Yemen, Vietnam, Brunei, etc. Partially located in the tropics: Algeria, Australia, Bahamas, Egypt, Bangladesh, Western Sahara, Libya, China, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Paraguay, Chile, Taiwan.
The tropics occupy about 25 of the planet's land masses. There is a variety of soil cover, vegetation and animal world.
Tropical zones and tropical climate
There are two tropical zones on Earth: northern and southern, located in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres within the boundaries of 20º to 30º northern latitude and southern latitude, respectively. Part of the tropical zone belongs to the ancient continent of Gondwana.
Note 1
According to Alisov's classification, the tropical zone is located between the subequatorial and subtropical zones.
In humid areas there are savannas and deciduous forests, in arid areas there are deserts and semi-deserts.
The tropics have a tropical climate.
On both sides of the strip low blood pressure in the tropics there are areas with high blood pressure. The trade wind climate with regular easterly winds – trade winds – prevails over the ocean.
In coastal areas of land, the weather is relatively dry. Precipitation falls up to 500 mm per year. Moderate cloudiness is observed. The average temperature in winter is +10-15 ºС, in summer - +20-27 ºС.
On the windward slopes of islands with mountain ranges, precipitation increases sharply.
Tropical cyclones occur rarely.
In the middle of the continent, average temperatures in winter drop no lower than +14 ºС, in summer - +30-35 ºС (in the warmest month they can rise to 40 ºС).
The most high temperatures observed in the interior of California and northern Africa - +57-58 ºС. In Australia, temperatures can rise to +55 ºС.
On the continents, seasonal changes in air temperature are well expressed. During the day, temperature fluctuations can reach 40 ºС. Trade winds prevail.
The average annual precipitation is extremely low - 50-150 mm. The exception is the coastal areas of continents, where moisture is brought from the ocean.
In Africa, winter is dominated by cyclonic activity and precipitation occurs. In summer, precipitation is very rare. The dominance of the trade winds gives way to a tropical monsoon climate in many tropical areas:
- northern Australia;
- South Asia;
- Southeast Asia;
- Equatorial Africa.
The intertropical convergence zone in these areas moves further north from the equator in the summer. Eastern trade winds give way to western monsoon winds, bringing the bulk of precipitation.
According to the Köppen climate classification, a tropical climate is a non-arid climate characterized by an average monthly air temperature of +17 ºС and above.
The tropical climate of Köppen has the following climate types:
- tropical rainy - corresponds to the climate of Alisovo;
- tropical monsoon tropical - corresponds to the subequatorial climate of Alisov;
- tropical climate with dry winters and rainy summers;
- tropical climate with dry summers and rainy winters.
Soils, flora and fauna
In the tropical zone, the most common soil types are:
- red-yellow ferrallitic soils – permanently moist tropical rainforests;
- red ferrallite-laterite soils – seasonally wet deciduous forests;
- red-brown soils – savannas;
- infertile soils of deserts and semi-deserts.
Red-yellow soils are common in Africa, South America, Ceylon, Madagascar and Australia.
Tropical rain forests have enormous biomass. Most of the litter decomposes due to the active activity of microorganisms. The soil-forming rocks are sedimentary-metamorphic and volcanic rocks. The humus content ranges from 3 to 10%, soil acidity is 5.5-6.5.
In tropical rainforests, large areas are occupied by tropical swamp soils. The soils of tropical forests are insufficiently supplied with potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and some other microelements. The peculiarity of moist forest biocenoses is that all the chemical elements necessary for plant nutrition are present in the plants themselves and are not washed out by precipitation.
The peculiarity of the soil is its poverty in water-soluble substances. Nutrients are washed deep into the soil by heavy rainfall or are immediately absorbed by plants. Tropical areas that were under forests are characterized by a slash-and-burn farming system - cutting down small areas of forest, burning the felled wood, cultivating the area for one to two years and then abandoning it.
The tropics are distinguished by a variety of plant and animal forms. Many species can be found exclusively here.
The peculiarity of tropical forests is that the trees are located in several (5) tiers. The trunks are entwined with different types of vines, and the branches contain many epiphytes. Lots of orchids, ferns, lichens and terrestrial algae.
The forests and savannas are home to many predators, mainly the cat family. Scorpions, spiders, scolopendras and ants are found everywhere.
The Amazon tropics are home to jaguars, ocelots, and oncillas. In South Asia and Africa you can find leopards, mongooses, civets, and genets.
In tropical forests there are many amphibian inhabitants of the terrestrial (large snakes, small ungulates, reptiles and amphibians) or arboreal (chameleons, snakes, geckos) tier.
