Tropical rainforest climate

A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator, and has at least 60 millimetres (2.4 in) of rainfall every month of the year. Regions with this climate are typically designated Af by the Köppen climate classification. A tropical rainforest climate is typically hot, very humid, and wet.

Worldwide zones of Tropical rainforest climate (Af).

Description

Tropical rain forests have a type of tropical climate in which there is no dry season—all months have an average precipitation value of at least 60 mm (2.4 in). In rainforest climates the dry season is very short, and rainfall is normally heavy throughout the year. One day in a tropical rainforest climate can be very similar to the next, while the change in temperature between day and night may be larger than the average change in temperature during the year.[1]

Equatorial climates vis-à-vis tropical trade-wind climates

When tropical rainforest climates are more dominated by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) than the trade winds (and with no or rare cyclones), so usually located near the equator, they are also called equatorial climates. Otherwise, when they are more dominated by the trade winds than the ITCZ, they are called tropical trade-wind climates. In pure equatorial climates, the atmospheric pressure is low, almost constant so the (horizontal) pressure gradient is low. Consequently the winds are rare and usually weak (except sea and land breezes in coastal areas) while in tropical trade-wind climates, often located at higher latitudes than the equatorial climates, wind is almost permanent which incidentally explains why rainforest formations are impoverished compared to those of equatorial climates due to their necessary resistance to strong winds accompanying tropical disturbances.[2][3]

Notable cities with tropical rain forest climates
Paramaribo, Suriname
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
200
 
 
30
22
 
 
140
 
 
30
22
 
 
150
 
 
30
22
 
 
210
 
 
31
22
 
 
290
 
 
30
23
 
 
290
 
 
31
22
 
 
230
 
 
31
22
 
 
170
 
 
32
23
 
 
90
 
 
32
23
 
 
90
 
 
33
23
 
 
120
 
 
32
23
 
 
180
 
 
30
22
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source:
Mbandaka, DR Congo
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
80
 
 
31
19
 
 
100
 
 
32
20
 
 
150
 
 
32
20
 
 
140
 
 
31
20
 
 
130
 
 
31
20
 
 
110
 
 
30
19
 
 
100
 
 
30
17
 
 
100
 
 
29
17
 
 
200
 
 
30
19
 
 
210
 
 
30
19
 
 
190
 
 
30
19
 
 
120
 
 
30
19
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source:
Pontianak, Indonesia
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
260
 
 
32
23
 
 
215
 
 
33
23
 
 
254
 
 
33
23
 
 
292
 
 
33
23
 
 
256
 
 
33
23
 
 
212
 
 
33
23
 
 
201
 
 
33
22
 
 
180
 
 
33
23
 
 
295
 
 
33
23
 
 
329
 
 
33
23
 
 
400
 
 
32
23
 
 
302
 
 
32
22
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source:
Kuching, Malaysia
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
466
 
 
30
23
 
 
445
 
 
29
23
 
 
465
 
 
30
23
 
 
251
 
 
32
23
 
 
347
 
 
33
24
 
 
310
 
 
32
23
 
 
184
 
 
31
23
 
 
326
 
 
32
23
 
 
208
 
 
32
23
 
 
307
 
 
32
23
 
 
482
 
 
32
24
 
 
516
 
 
30
23
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Monthly Statistical Bulletin Sarawak
Davao, Philippines
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
140
 
 
31
23
 
 
109
 
 
31
23
 
 
108
 
 
32
24
 
 
125
 
 
33
24
 
 
159
 
 
33
25
 
 
187
 
 
32
24
 
 
165
 
 
32
24
 
 
170
 
 
32
24
 
 
170
 
 
32
24
 
 
175
 
 
32
24
 
 
138
 
 
32
24
 
 
113
 
 
31
24
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source:
Quibdó, Colombia
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
579
 
 
30
23
 
 
505
 
 
30
23
 
 
526
 
 
30
23
 
 
655
 
 
31
23
 
 
776
 
 
31
23
 
 
762
 
 
31
23
 
 
803
 
 
31
23
 
 
852
 
 
31
23
 
 
702
 
 
31
23
 
 
654
 
 
30
23
 
 
728
 
 
30
23
 
 
589
 
 
30
23
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source:

See also

References
  1. McKnight, Tom L; Hess, Darrel (2000). "Climate Zones and Types". Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp. 205–8. ISBN 978-0-13-020263-5.
  2. Climatologie Pierre Estienne Alain Godard, pages 309 and 316
  3. Seidel, Dian J.; Fu, Qiang; Randel, William J.; Reichler, Thomas J. (January 2008). "Widening of the tropical belt in a changing climate". Nature Geoscience. 1 (1): 21–24. doi:10.1038/ngeo.2007.38. ISSN 1752-0908.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.