Climate Zones and Biomes
Climate depends on latitude, altitude, ocean and wind.
About this topic
Climate is affected by latitude (sun's angle), altitude (temperature falls about 6.5 degrees C per 1000 m), distance from the sea (continentality), ocean currents, prevailing winds and relief. Climate is the average weather over about 30 years, while weather is what happens today. The main zones are tropical, dry, temperate, continental and polar, and each supports characteristic vegetation.
A biome is a large ecosystem defined by its climate and the plants and animals adapted to it: tropical rainforest, savanna, desert, temperate forest, grassland, taiga and tundra. For example, a place at the Equator that is also high in the Andes may be cool because of altitude, while a coastal city is milder than an inland one at the same latitude because the sea heats and cools slowly. The Gulf Stream is why north-west Europe is warmer than Canada at the same latitude.
Climate graphs show monthly temperature (line) and rainfall (bars), and learning to read them means describing the pattern, such as hot wet summers and cool dry winters, using figures. Students often mix up weather and climate. Climate change is shifting these zones, moving species poleward and uphill, and altering where crops can be grown and where people can comfortably live.
Key ideas
- Tropical, dry, temperate, continental, polar
- Biomes follow climate
- Climate graphs show temperature and rain
Quick check
Use cases: where Climate Zones and Biomes helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Climate Zones and Biomes before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Climate Zones and Biomes without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Climate Zones and Biomes changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Climate Zones and Biomes in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Geography helps with city planning, climate, trade and migration.
Frequently asked questions
What is Climate Zones and Biomes?
Climate depends on latitude, altitude, ocean and wind.
What will I learn in Climate Zones and Biomes?
Tropical, dry, temperate, continental, polar. Biomes follow climate. Climate graphs show temperature and rain.
Is Climate Zones and Biomes part of Geography?
Yes. It is one of 40 Geography topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Climate Zones and Biomes lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Climate Zones and Biomes?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.