What is Climate?

Climate describes the atmospheric conditions that occur in a location over years, decades, or even millennia and varies drastically depending on geography such as latitude, terrain, and nearby bodies of water.

Along the equator where the sun's energy is closest to the earth, more solar radiation is absorbed and trapped in the atmosphere increasing annual temperatures and rainfall relative to higher latitudes.

On the other extreme, the south and north poles receive glancing rays of solar energy. These are spread over a larger area of the earth's surface absorbing significantly less energy and resulting in much colder temperatures.

On a local scale, terrain and bodies of water become very important players in climate. For example, in South America, the Andes Mountains block rising moisture from the Amazon creating a rain shadow resulting in the dry arid climate of the Atacama Desert.

There is also cyclical variation in temperature and rainfall over longer periods of time. As the earth rotates on its tilted axis, the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth's surface changes by latitude resulting in seasons.