Climate

Upon completion of this lab, the student should be able to:

· Plot climate data on a climograph form.

· Identify Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Koppen – Geiger climate type.

· Determine the Koppen – Geiger climate type for various locations using the information plotted on climographs.

INTRODUCTION:

Climographs are graphic representations of climate data that allow for easier interpretation of climate statistics. For this activity, you will plot Harrisburg Pennsylvania’s average monthly temperatures and average monthly precipitation totals on the form provided. For the monthly average temperatures plot the temperature values and then connect the points to create a line graph. For the precipitation data, create bar graphs extending up from the bottom of the form.

After you have completed the Harrisburg climograph, answer the following questions.

1] What is the overall pattern of Harrisburg’s rainfall distribution with respect to the seasons?

2] What is Harrisburg’s climate type in the Koppen-Geiger system of climate classification?

3] What percentage of Harrisburg’s annual rainfall is recorded in the four warmest months? (To calculate this, divide the sum of the monthly precipitation amounts for the four warmest months by the annual total.)

4] How would the climograph for Harrisburg differ in appearance if Harrisburg were located in the Southern Hemisphere? Use the form below to make a rough sketch to illustrate your answer.

image1.png

5] Can you identify and name any actual locations in the Southern Hemisphere that share the same climate type as Harrisburg?

Climate Data for Harrisburg Pennsylvania

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Year

Temp oF

41.8

42.0

52.6

65.8

76.5

81.7

84.0

84.1

69.6

61.8

43.0

34.5

2007

Precip “

3.4

4.43

3.21

3.06

1.24

3.77

4.51

3.97

3.62

3.01

3.15

2.98