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Climate Types and Their Biomes

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2.4.8 There are three general patterns of climate types that are connected to biome types.

Climate types include tropical (seasonal and equatorial), temperate (maritime and continental), and polar. Include the reasons for these classifications and the type of biomes found in each one.

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This lesson builds on the tricellular model and ocean currents (2.4.5 and 2.4.6). You already understand that the tricellular model determines patterns of temperature and precipitation at different latitudes, and that ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet. The IB syllabus now requires HL students to understand three formal climate type groupings and how they connect to biome types.

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1. Tropical climates

Found between approximately 23.5°N and 23.5°S. Subdivided into:

Equatorial

• Found at or near the equator
• Consistently high temperatures (around 26 to 28°C year-round)
• High rainfall throughout the year (over 2,000 mm per year)
• The Hadley cell rising air at the ITCZ provides constant convective rainfall
• Associated biome: Tropical rainforest

Seasonal (tropical wet-dry)

• Found further from the equator within the tropics
• Temperatures remain high year-round but there is a distinct wet season and dry season as the ITCZ migrates seasonally
• Annual rainfall is typically 500 to 1,500 mm
• Associated biomes: Tropical grassland (savanna), tropical deciduous forest