Climate-forming factors - the conditions for the formation of a certain type of climate. These are the reasons that affect air temperature, rainfall and other important indicators. Consider the main climate-forming factors in Russia - the largest country in the world in terms of area.
Solar radiation, geographic latitude and other climate-forming factors
The star of our system is the main source of heat on Earth. Solar radiation and the level of radiation is one of the most important causes of climate formation. Due to the sphericity of the planet, the angle of inclination of the rays is not the same at the equator, in the tropics and polar latitudes. But not only this condition determines what the air temperatures and seasons will be in a particular area. There are other major climate-forming factors:
- circulation of air masses;
- latitude;
- landscape features;
- the influence of the seas, oceans, the proximity of other continents.
Solar radiation
Not all the rays of our star reach the Earth's surface, while the amount of incoming energy is determined by the location of the territory and depends on a number of other reasons. Part of the radiation (about 20%) is reflected by the upper layers of the atmosphere. About 30% is scattered by clouds, dust particles and water droplets. The sum is made up of scattered and direct radiation reaching the solid shell of the planet. In this last form, the absorbed and reflected radiation is separated.
Absorption depends on the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of the underlying surface. Water has a high specific heat capacity, oceans and seas absorb 95% of direct radiation, gradually accumulate heat in summer, and slowly release it in winter. White snow, glaciers absorb about 15% and reflect 85% of the radiation reaching the surface. For chernozem, the reflection index is 4%.
Climate-forming factors are interrelated causes of climate formation. Let us give examples of the influence of other conditions on the radiation balance. So, on the territory of Russia, when moving from north to south, the total solar radiation decreases by about 2.7 times. On Sakhalin Island, located in the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Russia, clouds reflect 70% of the sunlight. As a result, a more severe climate is formed than at the same latitudes within the mainland.
Atmospheric circulation
The main reasons for the formation and movement of huge accumulations of air are the uneven heating of the earth's surface by the Sun. This is one of the mainconditions for creating different atmospheric pressure on the planet. The characteristics of air masses depend on the place of their formation, for example, sea air dominates over the oceans, it is humid, over the mainland it is dry continental. The abbreviated letter designations for these two varieties are M and K, respectively. When studying the climate-forming factors of Russia, they necessarily characterize three main types of air masses - arctic, temperate and tropical. They can be marine and continental. The following abbreviations are used: MAV, KAV, MUV, KUV, MTV, KTV.
The types of prevailing air masses determine the most important features of climate and weather:
- atmospheric pressure;
- temperature in the surface layer of the atmosphere;
- direction of constant winds;
- air transparency;
- humidity.
Air masses are able to transform, change their physical properties, moving over the surface of the Earth from one region to another.
Geographic latitude
The ratio between the intake and expenditure of solar radiation - the radiation balance - is one of the main climate-forming factors. It affects the thermal regime of the soil and other surfaces, the lower layers of the atmosphere. The evaporation of water, the transformation of large masses of air, the life of man and plants depend on the radiation balance. But what climate-forming factor is the main one? This is the geographic latitude - the distance from the equator to the study area on the surface of the Earth.
In July the cornerbetween the rays and the earth's surface in the Northern tropical zone of illumination is almost 90 °. Then there is more energy per unit area, the land heats up more, and from it the air. The farther from the equator and the tropics, the colder.
Influence of geographic latitude on the climate of Russia
Let's consider how the main climate-forming factor affects the example of the Russian Federation. The country stretches from the icy Arctic to the subtropics of the Caucasus, from the B altic coast to Chukotka and the Pacific seas. The climate varies considerably from north to south and from west to east. Moderate air prevails, cold air masses from the Arctic often invade, the Siberian anticyclone influences, humid Atlantic air.
Great variety, but for Russia the main climate-forming factor is the distance from the equator. When moving to the southern borders of the country, the amount of solar radiation increases. The closer to the Arctic Circle and the North Pole, the colder it gets. Thus, the long-term weather regime in different regions of the country mainly depends on the geographical latitude.
Relief, influence of continents and oceans - climate-forming factors
The distribution of air temperatures does not always strictly obey the law of latitudinal zoning and depends only on solar radiation. If we connect the cities of Russia with the same summer temperatures with lines, then it is easy to see that the isotherms of July are located basically, respectively.geographic latitude. But in the European part of Russia, the isotherms of January 0, –8, –10 °С lie to the north than in Siberia. The climate of the territory up to the Urals is softened by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and its warm currents.
The meridianally located chain of the Ural Mountains retains moist and warm air coming from the Atlantic. On the Pacific coast, July isotherms are lower than at the same latitudes inland, due to the influence of the summer monsoon and the predominance of scattered radiation on Sakhalin Island. When climbing mountains, the temperature drops even at the same latitude.
Asian high (Siberian anticyclone)
The area of high atmospheric pressure dominates over the territory of Mongolia from November to March. Air masses with low temperatures are formed from the CAW coming from the north. At this time of the year, the climate of the region is almost not affected by the Pacific Ocean. The mountains of Southern and Eastern Siberia prevent the spread of chilled air. The result is the lowest temperatures in Russia and throughout the Northern Hemisphere in the surface layer of the atmosphere (from -40 to -70 °С).
Temperature inversions are observed when cold air stagnates in hollows. Then at an altitude of about 2 km it is warmer by about +10…+20 °С than in depressions and near the surface of the earth. Having found out which factors are climate-forming, we are convinced that not only the causes themselves are important, but also the combination of conditions in a certain area.
Climate Shaping
In the centerand in the north of the European part of Russia, more precipitation falls than at the same latitude in Eastern Siberia. The ISW comes from the Atlantic to the west of the country, cyclonic activity dominates here (low air temperatures, sleet, showers). There is little precipitation outside the Arctic Circle, and the influence of the KAV, which is poor in moisture, is felt. In Siberia and the Urals, the continental climate differs from the European regions of the country. Summer here is relatively warm and short, winter is long and very cold.
In the south, in the Astrakhan region, such climate-forming factors have a significant impact: geographic latitude and the amount of solar radiation associated with it, atmospheric circulation. It is possible to note the influence on the climate and weather in summer of dry and hot KTV, which comes from Kazakhstan, Central Asia. The arrival of the same air masses on the Black Sea coast of Russia is delayed by high mountain ranges.
The specific conditions of Kamchatka were formed under conditions of a combination of maritime and sharply continental climate types. The region is characterized by frequent weather changes, strong winds, a significant amount of precipitation, in winter - in the form of heavy snowfalls.
Climatic weapons
Finding out what climate-forming factors are, we focused on natural processes and phenomena. It is required to explain such facts as the increase in average annual air temperatures and uneven precipitation in recent decades. Is it a natural pattern or the result of anthropogenic changeclimate?
It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. Disputes about whether climate weapons are used, whether they have been created or are just being developed do not subside. The issue was discussed especially actively during the extreme heat wave in Russia in the summer of 2010. The temperature in the central part of the country was 10 °C above the average for the region. The year was the hottest since the end of the 19th century. Massive forest fires broke out, and there was a surge in deaths among the population.
Climate weapons are ways to control the weather for military purposes. The enemy is damaged as a result of natural anomalies (droughts, floods). Scientists from the USA and the USSR began to work on the creation of climate weapons in the middle of the last century. Such actions are contrary to the UN Convention prohibiting the military use of means of influencing the natural environment. The US government denies artificial influence on the atmosphere with the aim of causing damage to other states, populations and the environment.
