Polar Climate Zone
Understand that polar regions belong to the polar climate zone, one of Earth's five main climate zones (tropical, arid, temperate, continental, polar), characterised by temperatures rarely above 10°C even in summer, low precipitation (polar deserts receive less rain than the Sahara), and strong winds; know that latitude is the key factor determining climate zones, with polar regions above 60°N/S
What a learner can do afterwards
- Name the five main climate zones and place polar regions correctly within them
- State that polar regions are above approximately 60° latitude and explain that distance from the Equator is the main reason they are cold
- Describe polar climate characteristics: rarely above 10°C in summer, very low precipitation, strong winds
1 · Read
Earth has five main climate zones: tropical, arid, temperate, continental, and polar. Which zone a place belongs to depends mostly on its latitude, how far north or south it sits from the Equator.
The polar zone covers land and ocean above about 60 degrees latitude, both in the north and the south. That is far from the Equator, so sunlight there hits the ground at a low angle and spreads out over a wide area. Weak, spread-out sunlight is the main reason polar regions stay so cold.
Zara visits the Arctic in July, its warmest month. The thermometer reads 4 degrees C, still below 10. A steady wind blows so hard she leans into it to keep her balance, while only a light dusting of snow has fallen since spring.
To remember the polar zone, think of three words: cold, dry, and windy. It sits farthest from the Equator of all five zones, so it gets the least direct sunlight.
The polar zone is Earth's coldest and driest climate zone, found above about 60 degrees latitude because it is farthest from the Equator's direct sunlight.
More to read
Key points: Terrestrial biomes
A biome is a big community of plants and animals that all live in the same kind of climate. Many biomes are on land, and what each one is like depends mostly on two things: how warm or cold it is, and how much rain or snow falls. Latitude is a huge clue to a biome's climate. Latitude tells you how far a place is from the Equator. Places near the Equator get strong sunshine all year, so they are warm. Tropical rainforests grow there, with hot weather and lots of rain in every month. As you travel farther from the Equator, toward the North Pole or the South Pole, the sunlight arrives at more of a slant. Slanted sunlight is weaker, so the land gets colder. That is why the polar regions, the lands farthest from the Equator, have the coldest climate on Earth. Even in summer, polar places rarely get warmer than 10 degrees Celsius. They also get very little rain or snow, and strong winds blow across the ice. Scientists group Earth's climates into five main zones: tropical, arid, temperate, continental, and polar. Each zone has its own weather pattern, and the plants and animals in each one are suited to that weather.
Learn: The biosphere
The biosphere is every living thing on Earth, all added together. Living things can be found in amazing places, from deep inside rocks underground to high up in the air. The biosphere is divided into regions called biomes. A biome is a place with its own special non-living conditions, like a certain temperature and a certain amount of rain or snow. The plants, animals, and other living things in a biome are well suited to those conditions. Land biomes are defined by their climate, which means their temperature and precipitation. Precipitation is any water that falls from the sky, like rain or snow. There are also water biomes, in oceans, rivers, and lakes. Climate zones help explain why biomes are where they are. Near the Equator, the Sun's rays hit Earth directly, so it stays warm all year. Far from the Equator, past about 60 degrees of latitude north or south, lie the polar regions. There the sunlight is weak and slanted, so the climate stays very cold, the air is dry, and the wind can be fierce. Only tough, specially adapted living things can make a home in a polar biome.
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