Earth climates {climate}| {clime} can be wet or dry.
dry
Deserts and steppes are 25% of Earth land area. Deserts and steppes have large yearly and daily temperature variation, have rain in summer if at high altitude, have rain in winter if at low altitude, and have high winds.
wet
Pacific Ocean surface currents typically make monsoons. With warm El Ni-o, west North America has wet weather.
wet: plants
Plants absorb rain in roots and evaporate water from leaves, allowing rain to form and fall in one place. If plants die, water goes into ground, and rain is less.
core and surface temperature
Heat flow from core has no effect on Earth surface temperature.
Tropical winds push warm water north along east North-American coast {conveyor belt}. It becomes denser at it cools and sinks near Greenland, allowing flow to continue. Europe receives warm water that returns south in deep water along east Atlantic Ocean. If melted snow enters North Atlantic, the cold fresh water prevents warmer salty water from sinking, and conveyor belt turns off. Cold, dry winds flow east around north.
Above 4000 to 6000 feet is line {forest line}| where forest stops.
Temperate climates can have summer-like weather {Indian summer}| in fall.
Earth receives radiation {insolation}| from Sun. As Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn have different relative positions, Earth orbit varies, which changes insolation. Sun can brighten and darken, changing insolation.
Earth radiates heat {heat radiation}. Soot, particles, and clouds {aerosol, atmosphere} affect heat radiation.
Chemicals can prevent heat from escaping Earth {greenhouse effect} {global warming}|. Carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) prevent heat radiation from Earth by absorbing infrared radiation. Methane comes from gas and oil wells, landfills, and waste processing. Carbon soot and other dark pollution particles trap heat.
reflective
Sulfate aerosols are reflective and prevent insolation. Clouds affected by aerosols are brighter, last longer, are reflective, and prevent insolation. Volcanoes add soot that blocks sunlight.
ocean
Ocean absorbs excess heat.
forests
Deforestation reduces dark areas and reduces heat absorption.
speculation
Ships with windmills can hydrolyze seawater in windstorms or in normal winds to make and store hydrogen and oxygen, as well as upwell cold seawater from the deep to cool hot spot.
Carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, ozone, nitrous oxide, and methane {greenhouse gas}| prevent heat radiation from Earth by absorbing infrared radiation.
If ice starts to form on Earth, it reflects more light, Earth gets icier, and water in air becomes less {White Earth climate}, while carbon dioxide forms into carbonates at equator. Perhaps, an Earth ice covering reflected light and kept Earth cold for 10 million years, with no rainfall, dry winds, no water vapor, and low carbon dioxide. Volcanoes release carbon dioxide can warm Earth again over the ten million years, because carbon dioxide does not go into plants or carbonates in cold weather.
Above 4000 to 6000 feet, climate {highland climate}| has low air pressure, low humidity, large daily temperature range, large annual temperature range, and no forests.
More evaporation than precipitation causes very dry climate {arid climate}|.
Arid climates {desert}| can have cactus and bushes.
More evaporation than precipitation causes dry climate {semiarid climate}.
Semiarid climates {steppe}| can have grass.
Humid rainy climate {tropical}| near equator has narrow temperature range, average temperature greater than 65 F, and dry winters if on west coast.
Seasonal humid climate {subtropical}| at 25 to 40 degrees latitude has dry summers if on west coast.
Humid climate {temperate climate}| at 40 to 60 degrees latitude has summer rainy season and rapid weather changes. It has Indian summers, January thaws, blizzards, and heat waves if on east coast or in interior. It has small temperature range if on west coast.
At 50 to 65 degrees latitude, climate {boreal}| has long cold winters, large annual temperature range, small precipitation in summer, targa, permafrost, long winter nights, long summer days, many lakes, and little topsoil.
Boreal climate has regions {targa}| with sparse conifer forests.
Boreal climate has frozen subsoil and rock {permafrost}|.
At 65 to 90 degrees latitude, cold climate {polar, climate}| has no forest, no sunlight for six months, large annual temperature range, little rain, ice caps, and tundra. Ice caps are 8% of Earth surface.
Polar climate has land {tundra}| with small and sparse vegetation.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225