Wind and current map of South America. Test control "climate of South America" ​​What winds prevail in South America

Education local winds associated with the nature of the underlying surface (orography, type of surface - water or land) and temperature. Breezes are local winds of thermal origin. They are better expressed in cloudless anticyclonic weather and are especially often manifested on the western coasts of the tropics, where heated continents are washed by the waters of cold currents. We grouped other local winds depending on their properties and origin (temperature or type of landscape over which they form) into three groups: cold, mountain-valley and desert. Separately, the local names of the Baikal winds were given.

local winds	Description of the wind
Cold local winds:
Blizzard	cold piercing wind of storm force in Canada and Alaska (similar to snowstorm in Siberia).
Bora (Greek "boreas" - north wind)	strong, gusty wind blowing mainly in the winter months from the mountain ranges on the coast of the seas. Occurs when a cold wind (high pressure) crosses the ridge and displaces the warm and less dense air (low pressure) on the other side. In winter it causes severe cooling. It occurs in the northwest coast of the Adriatic Sea. Black Sea (near Novorossiysk), on Baikal. Wind speed during bora can reach 60 m/s, its duration is several days, sometimes up to a week.
	dry, cold, northerly or northeasterly wind in mountainous regions of France and Switzerland
Borasco, burraska (Spanish "borasco" - small bora)	a strong squall with a thunderstorm over the Mediterranean Sea.
	small intense whirlwind in Antarctica.
	cold north wind in Spain.
	cold wind from Siberia, bringing sharp cold snaps, frosts and snowstorms, in Kazakhstan and the deserts of Central Asia.
	sea ​​breeze softening the heat on the northern coast of Africa.
	cold northeast wind blowing over the lower part of the Danube lowland.
Levantine	eastern strong, humid wind, accompanied by cloudy weather and rain in the cold half of the year over the Black and Mediterranean Seas.
	cold north wind over the coast of China.
Mistral	intrusion of a cold strong and dry wind from the polar regions of Europe along the valley of the Rhone River to the coast of the Gulf of Lion in France from Montpellier to Toulon in the winter-spring period (February, March).
Meltemi	northern summer wind in the Aegean.
	cold north wind in Japan, blowing from the polar regions of Asia.
	bora-type wind only in the region of Baku (Azerbaijan).
Northser, norter (eng. "norther" - north)	strong cold and dry winter (November - April) northerly wind blowing from Canada to the USA, Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, up to the northern part of South America. Accompanied by rapid cooling, often with showers, snowfalls, ice.
	cold south storm wind in Argentina. Accompanied by rain and thunderstorms. Then the cooling rate reaches 30 °C per day, the atmospheric pressure rises sharply, and the cloudiness dissipates.
	strong winter wind in Siberia, lifting snow from the surface, resulting in reduced visibility to 2-5 m.
Mountain-valley winds: foehns (bornan, breva, talvind, helm, chinook, garmsil) - warm, dry, gusty winds that cross the ridges and blow from the mountains down the slope into the valley last less than a day. Foehn winds have their own local names in different mountain regions.
	breeze in the Swiss Alps, blowing from the valley of the river. Drance to the middle part of Lake Geneva.
	afternoon valley wind, combined with a breeze on Lake Como (Northern Italy).
Garmsil	strong dry and very hot (up to 43 ° C and above) wind on the northern slopes of the Kopetdag and the lower parts of the Western Tien Shan.
	pleasant valley wind in Germany.
Chinook (or Chinook)	dry and warm southwest wind on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains of North America, which can cause very large temperature fluctuations, especially in winter. There is a case when in January in less than a day the air temperature increased by 50°: from -31° to + 19°. Therefore, the Chinook is called the "snow eater" or "snow eater".
Desert winds: samum, sirocco, khamsin, habub - dry, very hot dusty or sandy winds.
	dry hot western or southwestern wind in the deserts of the North. Africa and Arabia, swoops in like a whirlwind, closes the Sun and the sky, rages for 15-20 minutes.
	dry, hot, strong southerly wind blowing to the Mediterranean countries (France, Italy, the Balkans) from the deserts of North Africa and Arabia; lasts several hours, sometimes days.
	sweltering hot and dusty wind blowing over Gibraltar and southeast Spain,
	it is a wind with high temperature and low air humidity in the steppes, semi-deserts and deserts, it is formed along the edges of anticyclones and lasts for several days, increasing evaporation, drying up the soil and plants. It prevails in the steppe regions of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Caspian region.
	dust or sandstorm in northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Khamsin (or "fifty days")	hot gale in Egypt blowing from Arabia for up to 50 consecutive days.
Harmattan	local name for the northeast trade wind blowing from the Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea; brings dust, high temperatures and low humidity.
	analogue of khamsin in Central Africa.
Eblis ("dust devil")	a sudden rise of heated air on a calm day in the form of a whirlwind that carries sand and other objects (plants, small animals) to a very high altitude.
Other local winds:
	dusty southern or southwestern wind blowing from Afghanistan along the valleys of the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Vakhsh. It inhibits vegetation, fills the fields with sand and dust, and demolishes the fertile soil layer. In early spring, it is accompanied by showers and cold snaps to frost, destroying cotton seedlings. In winter, it is sometimes accompanied by sleet and leads to frostbite and death of livestock caught on the plains.
	strong wind from the Caspian, bringing surge floods to the lower reaches of the Volga.
	southeast trade wind in the Pacific Ocean (for example, off the islands of Tonga).
Cordonaso	strong southerly winds along the western coast of Mexico.
	the sea breeze blowing from the Pacific Ocean on the coast of Chile is especially strong in the afternoon in the city of Valparaiso, which even suspends port operations. Its antipode - a coastal breeze - is called a terrap.
Probe (sondo)	strong northern or western dry and hot foehn-type wind on the eastern slopes of the Andes (Argentina). It has a depressing effect on people.
	prevails in the eastern Mediterranean, warm, brings rain and storms (lighter in the western Mediterranean)
	fair wind on rivers and lakes.
Tornado (Spanish: Tornado)	a very strong atmospheric vortex over land in North America, characterized by high frequency, is formed as a result of the collision of cold masses from the Arctic and warm masses from the Caribbean.
	One of the most dangerous winds in Chukotka. The strongest constant wind in the world, its usual speed is 40 m/s, gusts up to 80 m/s.
Winds of Baikal:
Verkhovik, or hangar	north wind overpowering other winds.
Barguzin	northeast storm wind blowing in the central part of the lake from the Barguzin valley across and along Baikal
	local southwest storm wind bringing overcast weather.
Harahaiha	autumn-winter northwest wind.
	southeast storm wind blowing from the valley of the river. Goloustnoy.
	cold strong chilling winter wind blowing along the river valley. Sarma.

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A source of information: Romashova T.V. Geography in figures and facts: Educational manual / - Tomsk: 2008.

The geographic position of the South American continent determines the high values ​​of solar radiation: most receive it in the amount of 5000-6700 MJ / m2 (120-160 kcal / cm2) per year. The radiation balance of the earth's surface has a negative value in the winter season only south of 45 ° S, that is, on a very small part of the mainland. Air currents coming from the Atlantic Ocean freely penetrate westward up to the foot of the Andes. In the west and partly in the north, the Andean barrier influences the air currents coming from the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Guiana and Brazilian branches of the South Equatorial Current in the Atlantic Ocean create a winter positive anomaly of the order of 3 °C off the coast of South America. The Peruvian cold current in the Pacific Ocean, penetrating almost to the very equator, carries masses of cold water from Antarctica to the north and reduces the temperature in the equatorial zone by 4 °C compared to the average value for these latitudes. Along the western periphery of the Atlantic highs, masses of relatively humid tropical air are carried out, which transforms, moving deep into the mainland and giving up a significant part of its moisture to the marginal uplifts of the Brazilian and Guiana highlands. On the eastern edge of the mainland south of the equator, the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres occur, and in more western regions in the summer for each hemisphere, there is a transition of trade winds to the other hemisphere and the formation of monsoon winds. The western margin of the mainland is subject to the influence of the eastern periphery of the South Pacific High and the associated southerly and southwesterly winds and trade winds for a considerable distance. The extreme south of the mainland is affected by the western transfer of temperate latitudes.

The North Atlantic High is somewhat shifted to the south, and the air flow flowing along its southern periphery in the form of a northeast trade wind captures the northern part of South America. It leaves a significant amount of precipitation on the eastern slopes of the Guiana Highlands and on the Guiana lowlands, and in the interior of the highlands and on the Orinoco lowlands, this is already a dry wind, with which the drought period is associated. Crossing the equator, the air flow transforms into an equatorial one, changes direction to the north and northwest, and irrigates most of the Brazilian Highlands and the Gran Chaco plains with rain.

Monsoonal winds blow from the side of the South Atlantic High towards the heated mainland, bringing rain to the southeastern outskirts of the Brazilian Highlands and the La Plata Lowland. Most of the western coast, from 30° almost to the equator, is under the influence of the eastern periphery of the South Pacific High and receives no precipitation. Only the stretch of coast north of the Gulf of Guayaquil is affected by equatorial air masses and is irrigated by heavy rains.

Humid oceanic air comes to the extreme south of the mainland from the west, the Pacific coast and especially the western slopes of the Andes receive a large amount of precipitation, and the Patagonian Plateau, which is under the cover of the Andes and washed from the east by the cold Falkland current, becomes the center of the formation of relatively dry continental air masses of temperate latitudes. .

In July, the entire northern part of the mainland is under the influence of humid equatorial air brought by the southwest monsoon, and no less humid marine tropical air coming from the Atlantic Ocean.

High pressure and dry weather prevail over the Brazilian Highlands due to the northward movement of the tropical high of the southern hemisphere. Only the southeastern outskirts of the highlands fall under the influence of the southeast trade wind, which comes directly from the Atlantic Ocean, and receives a significant amount of precipitation, although less than in summer.

In the subtropical and temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere, westerly transport dominates and cyclonic rains fall. Patagonia is still the center of formation of relatively dry and cold air, which at times breaks north as far as the Amazonian lowland, causing significant temperature drops there.

Over the central part of the Pacific coast from 30°S. almost to the equator, in July, as in January, southerly and southwesterly winds prevail, blowing parallel to the coast over the waters of the cold Peruvian current. The low level of inversion prevents rainfall on the Pacific Coast at these latitudes. Only on the north coast, where the trade wind turns into the southwest monsoon, does a significant amount of precipitation fall.

South America is located for the most part within the equatorial, both subequatorial and southern tropical climatic zones. In the extreme south, it enters the subtropical and temperate zones.

The equatorial climatic zone in South America covers the entire Amazonian lowland (except for the eastern part and the extreme south), the adjacent parts of the Guiana Highlands and the Orinoco lowlands, as well as the Pacific coast north of the equator. This belt is characterized by abundant rainfall and uniform high temperatures (24…28 °C) throughout the year. Annual precipitation amounts range from 1500 to 2500 mm, and on the slopes of the Andes and on the Pacific coast, the amount of precipitation increases to 5000 - 7000 mm per year.

Precipitation in this area throughout the year is brought by southern and southwestern winds, their large amounts are due to orographic reasons. In the Amazonian lowland, most of the precipitation falls due to convective processes in the equatorial air masses. Abundant precipitation far exceeds evaporation, causing a high moisture coefficient throughout the year (much more than 100% everywhere).

The entire northern part of South America, including the Orinok Lowland, the Caribbean coast, a significant part of the Guiana Highlands and the Guiana Lowland, is located in the subequatorial zone of the northern hemisphere. The subequatorial belt of the southern hemisphere includes the north of the Brazilian highlands and the southern part of the Amazonian lowland, as well as part of the Pacific coast from the equator to 4-5 ° S. latitude. In the east, the subequatorial belts of the northern and southern hemispheres are connected. A distinctive feature of the subequatorial climate - seasonality in the distribution of precipitation - is quite clearly expressed in this territory. In the southern hemisphere - in the Brazilian Highlands, in the south of the Amazonian lowland and in the lower reaches of the Amazon - the period of rains associated with the action of the equatorial monsoon lasts approximately from December to May, and its duration increases towards the equator. In the north, the rainy season lasts from May to December. In winter, during the action of the trade winds, precipitation does not fall. Only in the northern segment of the coastal part of the Brazilian Highlands, where the trade winds, coming from the warm ocean, meet mountains on their way, does it rain even in winter.

The temperature is highest during the transitional period between the end of the dry season and the beginning of the wet season, when the average monthly temperature rises to 28…30 °C. At the same time, the average temperature never falls below 20 °C.

Within the tropical climate zone, South America is included only in the southern hemisphere. The east and southeast of the Brazilian Highlands are located in a humid trade wind climate, where rainfall throughout the year brings tropical air currents from the Atlantic. Rising up the slopes of the mountains, the air leaves a large amount of moisture on the windward side. In terms of precipitation and moisture, this climate is similar to the climate of the Amazonian lowland, but is characterized by more significant temperature differences between the hottest and coolest months.

In the interior parts of the mainland within the tropical zone (Gran Chaco Plain), the climate is arid, with a summer maximum of precipitation and a pronounced dry winter period. In terms of precipitation, it is close to subequatorial, but differs from it in sharp temperature fluctuations, especially in winter, lower annual precipitation and insufficient moisture.

Coast of the Pacific Ocean between 5 and 30° S characterized by a climate of coastal deserts and semi-deserts. This climate is most pronounced in the Atacama Desert, which is influenced by the eastern periphery of the Pacific High and temperature inversions created by the constant influx of relatively cold air from high latitudes and the cold waters of the powerful Peru Current. With a relative humidity of up to 80%, very little precipitation falls - in some places only a few millimeters per year. Some compensation for the almost complete absence of rain is the abundant dew that falls on the coast in winter. The temperature of even the hottest months rarely exceeds 20 °C, and the seasonal amplitudes are small.

South of 30°S South America is part of the subtropical climate zone.

The southeast of the mainland (the southern outskirts of the Brazilian Highlands, the basin of lower Uruguay, the interfluve of the Parana and Uruguay, the eastern part of the Pampas) is characterized by a uniformly humid subtropical climate. In summer, northeast monsoon winds bring moisture, in winter precipitation falls due to cyclonic activity along the polar front. Summers in these areas are very hot, winters are mild, with average monthly temperatures around 10°C, but temperatures drop well below 0°C due to intrusions of relatively cold air masses from the south.

The inland regions of the subtropical belt (Western Pampa) are characterized by an arid subtropical climate. Little moisture from the Atlantic Ocean gets there, and precipitation (not more than 500 mm per year) that falls in summer is mainly of convective origin. Throughout the year, there are sharp fluctuations in temperature and frequent drops below 0 °C in winter, with average monthly temperatures of 10 °C.

On the Pacific coast from 30 to 37 ° S.l. The climate is subtropical, with dry summers. Under the influence of the eastern periphery of the Pacific High, summer there is almost rainless and not hot (especially on the coast itself). Winter is mild and rainy. Seasonal temperature amplitudes are insignificant.

The temperate zone (south of 40°S) is the narrowest part of South America. In Patagonia, there is a center for the formation of continental air in temperate latitudes. Precipitation in these latitudes is brought by westerly winds, which are blocked by the Andes to Patagonia, and therefore their amount does not exceed 250-300 mm. In winter, there are severe colds due to the penetration of cold air from the south. Frosts in exceptional cases reach -30 - -35 ° C, however, the average monthly temperatures are positive.

In the extreme southwest of the mainland and on the coastal islands, the climate is moderately warm, oceanic. This entire area is under the influence of intense cyclonic activity and the influx of oceanic air from temperate latitudes. On the western slopes of the Andes, especially a lot of precipitation falls in winter. In summer, there is less rain, but overcast cloudy weather prevails. The annual precipitation exceeds 2000 mm everywhere. The differences in temperatures between the summer and winter months are small.

South America is located on both sides of, but most of it lies in the southern hemisphere. The widest part of the mainland lies between the tropics. Within the subtropical and temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere is its narrowed and dissected margin.

The influence of air masses coming from extends far into the interior of the continent along the plains wide open towards the ocean to the very foot.

The western coast is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, which have a significant negative temperature anomaly off the coast of the mainland, which is caused by the cold Peruvian current. Pacific air masses, due to the existence of the Andes barrier, affect the climate of only a narrow strip of land adjacent to the ocean.

The climatic conditions of South America are determined mainly by the influence of equatorial air masses that form over the mainland. These air masses are distinguished by high moisture content and small temperature amplitudes throughout the year. They move from one hemisphere to another by the equatorial monsoons of the northern and southern hemispheres and cause precipitation.

Tropical air of marine origin has a great influence on the climate. It is formed in tropical anticyclones over the oceans and enters the mainland with trade winds. By its properties, it is close to equatorial air masses.

Continental tropical air is formed over the mainland in tropical latitudes through the transformation of sea air. It is characterized by comparative dryness and significantly greater annual temperature ranges than equatorial and maritime tropical air.

The influence of air masses of temperate latitudes affects only the extreme south of the mainland.

In January, the northern part of South America falls under the influence of tropical air masses of the dynamic maximum of the northern hemisphere. These air masses rush in the form of a northeast trade wind towards the area of ​​low pressure on the mainland, located at this time to the south of the equator. In this regard, there is a drought on the northern outskirts of South America. Only in the northeast of the mainland, on the slopes and on the coastal lowlands, the trade wind, coming directly from, leaves some precipitation.

Above the equatorial part of the Amazonian lowland, tropical air is humidified and, rising upwards, gives abundant convective precipitation. Penetrating into the area of ​​low pressure south of the equator, the northeast trade wind changes its direction to the north and northwest and turns into the equatorial monsoon of the southern hemisphere. In a vast area south of the equator, it leaves heavy rainfall, most of the Brazilian Highlands and the Gran Chaco plain.

Monsoonal winds blow from the South Atlantic towards the heated mainland, bringing rain to the southeastern outskirts of the Brazilian Highlands and lowlands.

Most of the western coast, starting from subtropical latitudes and almost to the equator, is under the influence of the eastern periphery of the Pacific anticyclone and does not receive precipitation. Only a segment of the coast to the north of the bay is under the influence of equatorial air masses and is irrigated by heavy rains.

Humid oceanic air is brought to the extreme south of the mainland from the west. At the same time, the coast of the Pacific Ocean and especially the western slopes of the Andes receive abundant precipitation, and Patagonia, which is under the cover of the Andes, turns out to be the center of the formation of relatively dry continental air masses of temperate latitudes.

In July, the entire northern part of the mainland comes under the influence of humid equatorial air brought by the southwestern equatorial monsoon, and no less humid marine tropical air coming from the Atlantic Ocean.

Above is high (and as a result - dry), due to the northward movement of the tropical maximum of the southern hemisphere. Only the southeastern margin of the highlands is affected by the southeast trade wind, which comes directly from the Atlantic Ocean, and receives a significant amount of precipitation, although much less than in summer.

In the subtropical and temperate latitudes of the southern hemisphere, low pressure prevails and cyclonic rains fall. Only Patagonia still remains the center of the formation of relatively dry and cold air, which at times breaks to the north and penetrates as far as the Amazonian lowland, causing significant depressions and even snowfall there.

Over the central part of the Pacific coast, in July, as in January, from 30 ° S. sh. to the equator, south and southwest winds prevail, blowing parallel to the coast over the waters of the cold Peruvian Current. This leads to great dryness of the coast in these latitudes. Only in its northern segment, where the southeast trade wind turns into the southwest monsoon, does a significant amount of precipitation fall.

Likewise, South America is located for the most part within the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical. Only in the extreme south does it enter the temperate zone. But the mutual arrangement and width of these belts, as well as the ratio of climatic regions within them, is different than in Africa. This is determined primarily by the features of the orography of South America, which differ sharply from the features of the orography of the African continent.

In the equatorial part of South America, it reaches a large width; the relief does not prevent development there. The equatorial climate belt includes almost the entire Amazonian lowland, except for the eastern part and the extreme south, and the adjacent parts of the Guiana Highlands and the Orinoco lowland. The equatorial belt also includes a segment of the Pacific coast north of the equator.

The entire belt is characterized by heavy rainfall throughout the year. Their annual amounts range from 1500 to 2500 mm, and only on the slopes of the Andes, on the Pacific coast, the amount of precipitation increases to 5000-7000 mm per year. Precipitation in this area throughout the year is brought by the south and south-west, and their large amounts are due to reasons. In the Amazonian lowland, most of the precipitation falls due to convective processes in the equatorial. Temperatures in the region are high and vary little with the seasons. The average temperatures of all months fluctuate between 25-27°.

The entire northern part of South America, including the coast, a significant part of the Guiana Highlands and the Guiana Lowland, lies in the subequatorial climate zone. The southern hemisphere belt includes the north of the Brazilian Highlands and the southern part of the Amazonian lowland. In the east, the subequatorial belts of the northern and southern hemispheres are interconnected. This belt also includes part of the Pacific coast from the equator to 4-5 ° S. sh.

A distinctive feature of the subequatorial climate - seasonality in the distribution of precipitation - is quite clearly expressed throughout this territory. In the southern hemisphere, in the Brazilian Highlands, in the south of the Amazonian lowlands and in the lower reaches, the rainy period associated with the action of the equatorial monsoon lasts approximately from December to May, and it lengthens from south to north, gradually turning into a year-round wet period. In the north, the rainy season lasts from May to December. In winter, during the action of the trade winds, precipitation does not fall. Only in those regions where the trade winds, coming from the ocean, meet mountains on their way, does it rain even in winter. This is the case in the northern stretch of the coastal Brazilian Highlands and in the northeast of Guiana. The annual amount of precipitation within the entire subequatorial zone is 1500-2000 mm. Only the northeast of the Brazilian Highlands receives less than 1000 mm of precipitation, as moist air currents are intercepted by the uplifted margins of the highlands and penetrate into this region transformed. The highest temperatures occur, as in Africa, during the transitional period between the end of the dry and the beginning of the wet season, when the average monthly temperatures rise to 29-30 °. At the same time, in no month the average temperatures do not fall below 20 °.

Within the tropical climate zone, South America is included only in the southern hemisphere. The east and southeast of the Brazilian Highlands are located in the area (windward coasts), where precipitation throughout the year is brought by tropical air currents from the Atlantic.

Rising up the slopes of the mountains, this air leaves a large amount of precipitation on the windward side. In terms of precipitation, this climate is close to that of the Amazonian lowland, but is characterized by greater temperature differences between the hottest and coolest months.

Inside the mainland in the tropical zone (Gran Chaco Plain), the climate is arid, with a summer maximum of precipitation and a pronounced dry winter period.

This climate, in terms of precipitation, is close to subequatorial, but differs from it in sharp temperature fluctuations, especially in winter, and lower annual precipitation.

Coast of the Pacific Ocean between 5 and 30 ° S. sh. lies in the climate of coastal deserts and. This climate is most pronounced in the Atacama. The region is under the influence of the eastern periphery of the Pacific anticyclone and temperature inversions created by a constant influx of relatively cold air from high latitudes. With air up to 80% of precipitation, very little falls - in some areas only a few millimeters per year. Some compensation for the almost complete absence of rain is the abundant dew that falls on the coast in winter. The temperatures of even the hottest months are moderate (they rarely exceed 20°C) and the seasonal amplitudes are small.

South of 30°S sh. South America is part of the subtropical climate zone. It highlights a number of areas.

The southeast of the mainland (the southern outskirts of the Brazilian Highlands, the territory between the rivers and Uruguay, the eastern part of the Pampas) lies in an area of ​​​​a uniformly humid subtropical climate. In summer, moisture is brought into the region by northeast monsoon winds. In winter, precipitation falls due to cyclonic activity along the polar front. Summers in the region are very hot, winters are mild, with average monthly temperatures around +S°, but there are temperature drops well below 0° due to intrusions of relatively cold air masses from the south.

The inland regions of the subtropical belt (western Pampa) are characterized by an arid subtropical climate. Little moisture from the Atlantic Ocean gets there, and precipitation (not more than 500 mm per year) that falls in summer is mainly of convective origin. There are sharp temperature fluctuations in the region and frequent drops below 0°C in winter, with average monthly temperatures below +10°C.

On the Pacific coast (from 30 to 37 ° S. latitude), the climate is subtropical with dry summers. Under the influence of the eastern periphery of the Pacific anticyclone, summer there is almost rainless and not hot (especially on the coast itself). Winter is mild and rainy. Seasonal temperature amplitudes are insignificant.

Within the belt (south of 40° S. latitude) South America is included in its narrowest part. There are two climatic regions.

The southeast of South America (Patagonia) lies in a region of climate transitional from oceanic to continental, but very arid. In this area there is a center of formation of continental air of temperate latitudes. Precipitation in these latitudes is brought by westerly winds, the path of which is blocked by the Andes, and therefore their amount does not exceed 250-300 mm. In winter, there are severe colds due to the penetration of cold air from the south. Frosts reach 30, 35 °, however, the average monthly temperatures are positive.

In the extreme southwest of the mainland and on the coastal areas, the climate is moderately warm, oceanic. This entire area is under the influence of intense cyclonic activity and the influx of oceanic air from temperate latitudes. On the western slopes of the Andes, especially a lot of precipitation falls in winter. In summer, there is less rain, but overcast cloudy weather prevails. The annual precipitation exceeds 2000 mm everywhere. The differences in temperatures between the summer and winter months are small.

The interior plateaus of the Andes, located on both sides of the equator, are characterized by a mountainous equatorial climate, with a very uniform annual temperature pattern moderated by altitude. At the same time, the daily amplitudes are quite significant, as in general in a mountain climate. Precipitation is plentiful, but their amount is much less than in the same latitudes.

The central Andean plateaus are characterized by a high-mountain tropical climate (dry and sharply continental). The amount of precipitation there is negligible, and the temperature differences between seasons and especially during the day are very sharp.

South America lies predominantly in the southern hemisphere. This circumstance must be taken into account when considering the circulation of the atmosphere and the time of the onset of a particular season. The geographical position of most of South America in low latitudes and the configuration of the mainland (expansion in the equatorial-tropical latitudes and narrowing in the temperate zone) determine the receipt of a significant amount of solar radiation by it. The radiation balance reaches almost 60-85 kcal / cm2 on almost the entire continent. is about 40 kcal/cm2, i.e. the south of the mainland is in the same radiation conditions as the south of the European part of Russia. Despite this, the characters of their climates are very different and depend on a number of other factors (land area, etc.), primarily on the general patterns of air mass circulation over South America. Due to the large heating of the vast area of ​​South America, the pressure over the widest part of the continent at the level of the earth's surface is usually significantly lower than over the surrounding oceans. The relatively cold surface of the oceans contributes to the stabilization of subtropical anticyclones, which are always very clearly expressed (South Pacific and South Atlantic) Stable areas there are no subpolar cyclones near South America, but there is a wide band of low pressure to the south of the mainland. The equatorial type of circulation with powerful convection of air masses (as a result of convergence - the convergence of the trade winds) and the subequatorial type with seasonal changes in equatorial and tropical air masses (trade winds) are widespread. - monsoon type) The northern part of the mainland is under the strong influence of the northeast trade wind from the Azores anticyclone. In the tropical zone, east and northeast winds from the western periphery of the South Atlantic anticyclone dominate in the west - southeastern trade winds from the eastern part of the South Pacific High Relatively small land sizes in subtropical and temperate latitudes cause the absence of typical continental and monsoon climates; oceanic air masses from the western periphery of the Atlantic anticyclones, i.e., eastern transport predominates. The system of ocean currents associated with the general circulation of the atmosphere emphasizes the impact of the oceans on the climate of the coastal regions of the continent; the warm Brazilian Current increases the moisture content of the trade winds that irrigate the east of the Brazilian Highlands, the cold Falkland Current increases the aridity of the Patagonian climate, and the Peruvian Current contributes to the formation of a desert belt in the west of the mainland. . Significant features in the nature of the redistribution of air masses are introduced by the relief of South America.

The high barrier of the Andes limits the spread of Pacific air masses to a narrow edge of the western coast and adjacent mountain slopes. On the contrary, almost the entire continent with vast lowlands open in the east is exposed to air masses coming from the Atlantic. The absence of inland mountain barriers, similar to those that occur in Asia, and the much smaller size of the mainland do not contribute to the deep transformation of maritime air masses into continental ones, the latter are formed only in the summer of the southern hemisphere in the Gran Chaco region and are poorly outlined in winter on the Patagonian plateau in the Andes, Naturally, the patterns of altitudinal climatic zonality are very clearly manifested. Seasonal differences in climate are most pronounced in the subequatorial and subtropical latitudes of South America. In July, subtropical anticyclones move northward. From the southern and southeastern periphery of the Azores High, northeastern trade winds come to the shores of South America. Passing over the heated waters, they are saturated with moisture. At the same time, humid equatorial air from the Amazon (equatorial monsoon) spreads to the north. These reasons, as well as cyclonic rains on the tropical front, determine the summer rainy period in the north of the mainland. In the Western Amazon, where equatorial air prevails, intense intramass convection causes daily afternoon showers. The vertical thickness of the equatorial air column reaches 8-10 km, so even the high inter-Andean highlands of the northern Andes are under the influence of the equatorial circulation. The dry southeast trade wind from the Brazilian Highlands penetrates into the Eastern Amazonia, and therefore there is a decrease in precipitation in the July season. In the southern hemisphere, the southeast trade wind from the northern periphery of the South Atlantic High irrigates the northeast ledge of the Brazilian Highlands. Winds from the western edge of this maximum carry humid and warm tropical air. It captures not only the coast of eastern Brazil, but, bypassing the central, chilled, part of the highlands with relatively high winter pressure, penetrates into the mainland. The winter continental anticyclone in Patagonia is weakly expressed due to the limited size of the land. However, in the more northern regions, the pressure is much lower, and the air of temperate latitudes is directed into these baric depressions. It moves along the east coast, forming polar fronts with parallel oncoming tropical air. Frontal rains irrigate the east coast of Brazil. Cold air penetrates to the north along the lowlands of Parana-Paraguay, sometimes reaching the Amazon, and along the gentle southern slopes of the Brazilian Highlands, where snow can fall up to the tropic.

The constant westerly transfer of Pacific maritime air causes an enormous amount of precipitation in southern Chile, falling on the western slopes of the Andes perpendicular to the winds. But leeward Patagonia is almost devoid of precipitation. In winter, due to the shift to the north of the South Pacific anticyclone, middle Chile also falls into the sphere of moderate circulation; westerly winds irrigate the territory up to 30 ° S. sh. Along with orographic, there are also frontal rains (the interaction of temperate and tropical air masses). West coast, slopes and intermountain plateaus of the Andes from 30° S. sh. to the equator in winter are under the influence of the eastern periphery of the South Pacific anticyclone. Southerly and southeasterly winds bring air from higher and colder latitudes to lower and warmer latitudes; the coastline and the Andes are parallel to the prevailing winds. These factors are unfavorable for moisture condensation. Under the influence of the South Pacific anticyclone, the cold Peruvian current is formed, washing the western coast in these latitudes. The upper warm layer of water is driven by the winds and deflected by the action of the Earth's rotation; cold waters rise off the coast. They cause a strong drop in air temperatures and increase unfavorable conditions for condensation: low position of inversion and stable stratification, difficult rise of colder and heavier masses. All west, between 30° S. sh, and the equator, turns out to be sharply arid and abnormally chilled. North of the equator, southwesterly winds, approaching at an angle to the Andes, irrigate western Colombia abundantly. Seasonal fluctuations in the thermal regime are manifested in South America in a limited area, mainly in subtropical and temperate latitudes and in the mountainous regions of the tropics. The entire north of the mainland, the Amazon and the west of the Brazilian Highlands are very hot throughout the year. In July they are contoured by the 25° isotherm. Winter cooling affects the mountainous east of the Brazilian Highlands (average July temperatures 12°-15°) and the plains of Pampa - the July isotherm of 10°C passes through Buenos Aires. On the high plateaus of Patagonia, the average July temperature is -5°C (minimum up to -35°C). Intrusions from the south of cold air of temperate latitudes cause irregular frosts throughout the southern (south of the tropic) part of the Brazilian Highlands, in the Chaco and northern Pampas; in southern Pampa, frosts can last for 2-3 months. Naturally, the lowest temperatures are set in the highlands of the Andes. On the western coast of the mainland, cold air and ocean currents cause a sharp deviation of isotherms to the north: the July isotherm of 20°C reaches 5°S. sh. At ocean level, average monthly negative temperatures are not observed in South America, even in the south of Tierra del Fuego, the average July temperature is 2°C.

In January, the approach of the Azores anticyclone to the equator causes high pressure on the northern outskirts of South America. Equatorial air masses recede to the south. Instead, Llanos is dominated not by sea, but by continental trade wind (tropical) air, causing the onset of the dry season. To the east, due to the deviation of the coastline to the southeast and the increase in the path of the trade winds over the Atlantic, the latter have time to saturate with moisture. They bring abundant rainfall to the windward, outer slopes of the Guiana Highlands and penetrate deep into the area of ​​low pressure over the Amazon. Unlike July, ascending air currents give daily convective showers over the entire Amazon. Further south in January, moist equatorial air from the northeast spreads to the northern, northwestern and western parts of the Brazilian Highlands, to the depression of the upper Parana and the Gran Cha region. ko, causing summer rains from December to May, typical for subequatorial regions. In some years, the edge of this wet equatorial monsoon touches the northeastern part of the Brazilian Highlands, causing intermittent stormy rains; usually due to the configuration of the mainland, this area lies east of the main paths of the equatorial monsoon. Tropical air masses from the western periphery of the South Atlantic High irrigate the southeastern coast of Brazil, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, penetrating the heated La Plata Lowland, where they thus have a monsoon character. In autumn, cyclonic rains are sharply expressed on the polar fronts. The western transfer of Pacific air masses in summer occurs at higher latitudes (south of 37-38 ° S) than in winter and in a somewhat weakened form, although southern Chile receives a significant amount of moisture in summer. Lying to the east of the Andean chains, the Patagonian plateaus remain in the "dry shadow of the mountains" throughout the year. The influence of the eastern periphery of the South Pacific anticyclone shifted to the south also affects the subtropical middle Chile, where dry and clear weather sets in in summer. The entire central part of the western coast of South America is in the same conditions in summer as in winter, and it is completely devoid of precipitation at any time of the year. Here, between 22-27 ° S. sh., lies the Atacama Desert. However, in January, the complete transfer of air masses from the southern hemisphere to the northern one does not take place, and the southeast trade winds reach only 5 ° S. sh. To the north of the Gulf of Guayaquil in western Ecuador, summer rains occur due to the penetration of equatorial air masses from the north. On the contrary, in the extreme northwest of the mainland (Caribbean lowlands), a drought sets in due to the influx of tropical air.

The thermal conditions of the January season are determined by the significant amount of solar heat that most of the mainland receives. The 25°C isotherm outlines the entire territory of the Out-Andean East up to 35°S. sh., with the exception of the most elevated areas of the Guiana and Brazilian Highlands and the east of Uruguay and Pampa, where temperatures of 20 ° -25 ° C prevail. On the Patagonian plateau, the average January temperature drops to 20°-10°C. As before, the west of the mainland is colder than the east; the 20°C isotherm in the west almost reaches the tropic; average temperatures in Pune are 6°-12°C. As a result of the interaction between the atmospheric circulation and the underlying surface, the following pattern is observed in the annual distribution of precipitation. The wettest areas are western Colombia and southern Chile, where the annual precipitation reaches 5000-8000 mm. The annual amount of precipitation in average Chile decreases rapidly towards the north (from 2000 to 300 mm). Patagonia and the Precordillera region are very dry (150-250 mm per year), and the Pacific coast is especially dry between 5-28 ° S. sh. with adjacent western slopes and intermountain plateaus of the Andes, where in some places it does not rain. for several years in a row. The distribution of precipitation largely corresponds to the pattern of annual moisture. The wettest areas named in the first two groups (from 2000 to 8000 mm of precipitation) receive abundant moisture constantly, all months have a moisture coefficient of more than 100, vegetation is possible throughout the year. Areas of the third group (1000-2000 mm) receive precipitation mainly in summer (on average, Chile receives precipitation only in winter), they have a pronounced dry or dry season, during which the moisture coefficient drops to 50 and even less than 25, the vegetation ceases to vegetate . These are areas of variable-humid and arid-humid climate. In the west of the Chaco, the Pampas, in the Precordillera, in the northeast of the Brazilian Highlands, in the north of the mainland and in the middle of Chile, the dry period is already longer than the wet one, and in the western semi-desert and desert regions, in most of Patagonia, it lasts all year. The equatorial zone with constantly humid (precipitation over 2000 mm due to convective rains) and constantly hot climate (average monthly temperatures 24°-26°С or 26°-28°С) includes Western Amazonia and western Colombia. The same belt includes the Andes of Colombia and northern Ecuador, which have a high-mountain type of equatorial climate, which is distinguished by two maxima of precipitation and an even more even course of temperatures that decrease with height (average monthly temperatures in Bogota at an altitude of 2660 m 14 ° - 15 ° C, precipitation 1000-1200 mm per year); however, diurnal amplitudes reach 6°-8°C and the weather is very changeable.

To the north and south of the equatorial belt, there are subequatorial climatic zones, in which equatorial air masses dominate in summer, and tropical air masses in winter, therefore, a typical subequatorial climate is characterized by a humid hot summer (called in vierno in Latin America), alternating with dry, often still hotter winter (verano). The average monthly temperatures are 25°-30°C, with annual precipitation of up to 1500 mm or more. The summer-humid subequatorial climate is especially pronounced in the Llanos Orinoco, the central parts of the Brazilian Highlands and in the west of Ecuador. On the eastern slopes of the Guiana Highlands, due to favorable relief conditions, a humid type of subequatorial climate is formed, in which the dry season is almost not expressed. In the highland region of the subequatorial belt (the Andes of southern Ecuador and northern Peru), in contrast to the mountainous equatorial region, there is a winter dry period and a greater amplitude of both average monthly and daily temperatures. In the tropical belt, the differences between the interior and oceanic parts of the mainland become more acute. In the eastern oceanic region (east of the Brazilian Highlands), which is under the constant influence of wet trade winds, a humid tropical climate is formed, similar to the climate of the eastern region of the subequatorial belt, but with large temperature amplitudes and precipitation also due to cyclonic processes at the polar fronts. Further to the west (in the Gran Chaco) a long winter dry period is expressed, and in the inland regions (the high mountain region of the Puna of the Central Andes), high pressure and dry tropical air dominate for most of the year, the amount of precipitation drops to 150-300 mm, daily amplitudes temperatures can reach 25-30°C in extremely unstable weather. Finally, the western oceanic region, which is under the constant influence of the eastern periphery of the South Pacific anticyclone, like other continents, is characterized by a desert type of tropical climate with an annual precipitation of less than 30-50 mm, but with significant relative humidity (up to 83%), cloudiness, abundant dews and relatively low temperatures in the coastal strip (average monthly temperatures from 13°С to 21°С). The internal differences are just as great in the subtropical zone. In the east (in Uruguay and Pampa) there is a warm, evenly humid climate (in summer due to monsoon-type winds, the rest of the time - cyclonic precipitation), further to the west, the continentality and aridity of the climate increase (precipitation occurs only in summer), and on In the west of the mainland, as usual in these latitudes, a Mediterranean type of subtropical climate is formed with wet winters and dry summers.

In the temperate zone, with the dominance of western air transport, the Andes barrier causes sharp differences between the semi-desert climate of Patagonia and the constantly humid oceanic climate of southern Chile, where precipitation exceeds 2000-3000 mm, and the average monthly temperatures on the coast do not fall below 0 ° C, but also do not rise above 15°C. These changes in climate types, both from the equator to higher latitudes, and within the belts from the eastern margin of the continent to the western, largely determine the regularities in the distribution of zonal landscape components.

Wind and current map of South America. Back.

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Nature of South America

"South America Relief Minerals" - Lesson #1. Huascaran. Amazon. San Valentin. Chimborazo. East Plains and highlands dominate. How was the modern relief of the mainland formed? The highest peaks of South America. Relief and minerals of South America. Orinokskaya. Correspond to platform deflections. EXERCISE. By the nature of the structure of the surface of South America.

"Climate of South America" ​​- Moderate. Climatic zones of South America. Map of winds and currents. Climate of South America. The purpose of the lesson: the formation of knowledge about the climate of South America. Back. tropical Wind and current map of South America. Learn the elements of a climatogram. Table "Characteristics of the climatic zones of South America." Subtropical

"Nature of South America" ​​- Features of the nature of South America. Climate. Nature. No wonder South America is called the "bird continent". Huge mainland. South America is a huge continent. 7th grade students Elina Bakhtina. And there are a lot of birds here. Animals.

“Relief of South America lesson” - Tasks: “... Aconcagua ... Physical map of South America. Minerals of South America. Angel Falls. Oil production. Geography and mathematics. Career. Mountain West Plain East. Finding coordinates through the solution of linear equations. Targets: Andes… Profile of South America. Tasks. Lullaillaco… east… gold…”.

"Brazil" - People call this jungle forest. The sloth has long and thin paws with 3 toes with very long claws. And when the time comes, they have fun, sing and dance for a whole week. What do you think is photographed here? Many in Brazil and different monkeys. Sloths live on the edges of the forest and along the banks of rivers. Rudyard Kipling.

"Waters of South America" ​​- PIRANHAS Piranhas belong to the cyprinoid order. Glaciers. Iguazu means "big water". Located at an altitude of 4000 m. Translated into Russian "Holy Lake". Lake Titicaca. Inland waters of South America. Practical work. Large waterfalls. Approximately 1,176,000 lightning strikes are visible annually at distances up to 400 km.

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