42-529: The North Pacific High is a semi-permanent, subtropical anticyclone located in the northeastern portion of the Pacific Ocean , located northeast of Hawaii and west of California . It is part of the great belt of anticyclones known as the subtropical ridge . It is strongest during the northern hemisphere summer and shifts towards the equator during the winter, when the Aleutian Low becomes more active. It
84-590: A Zimbabwean-born biologist, farmer, game rancher, politician and international consultant and co-founder of the Savory Institute . According to the United Nations University Our World dissemination he is credited with developing "holistic management" in the 1960s and has led anti-desertification efforts in Africa for decades using a counterintuitive approach to most developed economies of increasing
126-474: A more even rhythm of seasonal rainfall. Tropical lows and weakening tropical storms often contribute to seasonal rainfall in most humid subtropical climates. In the cool season (winter) the subtropical highs retreat, and the humid subtropics are more influenced by the westerlies and the fronts and storms that move with them. The Subtropical highland climate is a climate variant often grouped together with oceanic climates found in some mountainous areas of either
168-658: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Subtropic The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics . Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from 23°26′09.8″ (or 23.43605°) to approximately 35° north and south. The horse latitudes lie within this range. Subtropical climates are often characterized by hot summers and mild winters with infrequent frost. Most subtropical climates fall into two basic types: humid subtropical ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa/Cwa), where rainfall
210-548: Is currently 23°26′09.8″ (or 23.43605°) south of the Equator , but it is very gradually moving northward, currently at the rate of 0.47 arcseconds , or 15 metres, per year. When this line of latitude was named in the last centuries BC , the Sun was in the constellation Capricornus at the December solstice . This is the date each year when the Sun reaches zenith at this latitude,
252-427: Is generally in areas adjacent to powerful cold ocean currents. Examples of this climate are the coastal areas of Southern Africa and the west coast of South America . The humid subtropical climate is often on the western side of the subtropical high. Here, unstable tropical airmasses in summer bring convective overturning and frequent tropical downpours, and summer is normally the season of peak annual rainfall. In
294-418: Is lower. This definition, though restricted to dry regions, is almost similar to Holdridge's. Heating of the earth by the sun near the equator leads to large amounts of upward motion and convection winds along the monsoon trough or Intertropical Convergence Zone . The upper-level divergence over the near-equatorial trough leads to air rising and moving away from the equator aloft. As the air moves towards
336-533: Is not fixed, but constantly changes because of a slight wobble in the Earth's longitudinal alignment relative to its orbit around the Sun. Earth's axial tilt varies over a 41,000 year period from about 22.1 to 24.5 degrees and currently resides at about 23.4 degrees. This wobble means that the Tropic of Capricorn is currently drifting northward at a rate of almost half an arcsecond (0.468″) of latitude, or 15 metres, per year (it
378-541: Is often concentrated in the warmest months, for example Southeast China and the Southeastern United States , and dry summer or Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa/Csb), where seasonal rainfall is concentrated in the cooler months, such as the Mediterranean Basin or Southern California . Subtropical climates can also occur at high elevations within the tropics , such as in
420-757: Is responsible for California's typically dry summer and fall and typically wet winter and spring , as well as Hawaii's year-round trade winds . During the 2011–2017 California drought , the North Pacific High persisted longer than usual, due to a mass of warm water in the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge . This significantly limited the number of powerful winter storms that were able to reach California , resulting in historic drought conditions in that state for several years. This climatology -related article
462-461: Is subdivided into seven smaller areas. According to the E. Neef climate classification, the subtropical zone is divided into two parts: rainy winters of the west sides and eastern subtropical climate . According to the Wilhelm Lauer & Peter Frankenberg climate classification, the subtropical zone is divided into three parts: high-continental , continental , and maritime . According to
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#1732845132342504-455: Is the Trewartha climate classification , which defines a subtropical region as one that has at least eight months with a mean temperature greater than 10 °C (50.0 °F) and at least one month with a mean temperature under 18 °C (64.4 °F). German climatologists Carl Troll and Karlheinz Paffen defined warm temperate zones as plain and hilly lands having an average temperature of
546-645: The Atacama Desert , one of the driest in the world, so that no glaciers exist between Volcán Sajama at 18˚30'S and Cerro Tres Cruces at 27˚S . Vegetation here is almost non-existent, though on the eastern slopes of the Andes rainfall is adequate for rainfed agriculture . Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the Tropic of Capricorn passes through 10 countries: Download coordinates as: The following cities and landmarks are either located near
588-593: The Diamantina River . In most years, their waters are absorbed into the earth or evaporate, but when there is sufficient rainfall in their catchment area, these rivers flow into Lake Eyre , South Australia. One of the most significant rainfall events occurred in 2010 when a monsoonal low from ex- Cyclone Olga created a period of exceptional rainfall. El Niño adverse phases cause a shift in atmospheric circulation; rainfall becomes reduced over Indonesia and Australia, rainfall and tropical cyclone formation increases over
630-669: The Southern Tropic ) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice . It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reaches 90 degrees below the horizon at solar midnight on the June Solstice . Its northern equivalent is the Tropic of Cancer . The Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five major circles of latitude marked on maps of Earth . Its latitude
672-491: The Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn , at latitudes 23°26′09.8″ (or 23.43605°) north and south, respectively. According to the American Meteorological Society, the poleward fringe of the subtropics is at latitudes approximately 35° north and south , respectively. Several methods have been used to define the subtropical climate depending on the climate system used. The most well known
714-553: The Cwb classification have significant monsoon influence, usually having dry winters and wet summers. The Mediterranean climate regime resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin , parts of lower West Coast of the United States, parts of Western and South Australia , in southwestern South Africa and in parts of central Chile . The climate is characterized by hot dry summers and cooler winters with rainfall. In Europe,
756-489: The Siegmund/Frankenberg climate classification, subtropical is one of six climate zones in the world. Leslie Holdridge defined the subtropical climates as having a mean annual biotemperature between the frost line or critical temperature line, 16 °C to 18 °C (depending on locations in the world), and 24 °C. The frost line separates the warm temperate region from the subtropical region. It represents
798-489: The Tropic of Capricorn at 23°26′11.7″S is 36,788 km (22,859 mi). In most of this belt of southern Africa , a minimum of seasonal rainfall is reliable and farming is possible, though yields struggle to compete with for example the Mississippi basin , even against like-to-like soil fertilisers . Rivers have been successfully dammed particularly flowing from relief precipitation areas (high eminences) and those from
840-563: The annuals or as perennial plants that can withstand the cold. The 16 °C–18 °C segment is often "simplified" as 17 °C ( 2 ( log 2 12 + 0.5 ) ∘ C ≈ 16.97 ∘ C ) {\textstyle {\bigl (}2^{(\log _{2}12\ +\ 0.5)}\ ^{\circ }\!\mathrm {C} \approx 16.97\ ^{\circ }\!\mathrm {C} {\bigr )}} . The Holdridge subtropical climates straddle more or less
882-539: The coastal areas of the lower west coast of the United States. These climates do not routinely see hard freezes or snow due to winter on average being above freezing, which allows plants such as palms and citrus to flourish. As one moves toward the tropical side the slight winter cool season disappears, while at the poleward threshold of the subtropics the winters become cooler. Some crops which have been traditionally farmed in tropical climates, such as mango , litchi , avocado and aloe vera , are also cultivated in
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#1732845132342924-586: The coldest month between 2 °C (35.6 °F) and 13 °C (55.4 °F) in the Northern Hemisphere and between 6 °C (42.8 °F) and 13 °C (55.4 °F) in the Southern Hemisphere , excluding oceanic and continental climates . According to the Troll-Paffen climate classification, there generally exists one large subtropical zone named the warm-temperate subtropical zone, which
966-573: The deep southeastern United States , southeastern South America , southeastern Southern Africa , northcentral Southern Europe , and southern and southwestern Eastern Europe . In most humid subtropical climates, summer is the wettest season. In summer, the subtropical high pressure cells provide a sultry southernly flow of tropical air with high dew points, and frequent (but brief) convective showers are common. With decreasing latitude most humid subtropical climates typically have drier winters and wetter summers, however some sectors with this climate see
1008-410: The dividing line between two major physiological groups of evolved plants. Most of the plants are sensitive to low temperatures on the warmer side of the line. They can be killed back by frosts as they have not evolved to withstand periods of cold. On the colder temperate side of the line, the total flora is adapted to survive periods of variable lengths of low temperatures, whether as seeds in the case of
1050-634: The edge of the Great Rift Valley , such as the Zambezi , well within the Tropics. This, with alluvial or enriched soil, enables substantial yield grain farming in areas with good soil. Across this large region pasture farming is widespread, where intensive, brief and rotational it helps to fertilise and stabilise the soil, preventing run-off and desertification . This approach is traditional to many tribes and promoted by government advisors such as Allan Savory ,
1092-455: The mid-latitudes, it cools, gets denser and sinks, which leads to subsidence near the 30th parallel of both hemispheres. This circulation is known as the Hadley cell and leads to the formation of the subtropical ridge . Many of the world's deserts are caused by these climatological high-pressure areas , within the subtropics. This regime is known as a semiarid / arid subtropical climate, which
1134-517: The northernmost mediterranean climates are found along the Italian Riviera , at 44° latitude. Parts of southwestern Australia around Perth have a Mediterranean climate as do areas around coastal South Africa. According to Köppen , arid subtropical climates are characterized by an annual average temperature above 18 °C (64.4 °F), the absence of regular rainfall, and high humidity. Tropic of Capricorn The Tropic of Capricorn (or
1176-1205: The number of livestock on grasslands rather than fencing them off for conservation. Such practices in this area have seen success and won generous awards; he gave the keynote speech at UNCCD's Land Day in 2018, and later that year a TED (conference) address, widely re-broadcast. In Australia , areas around the Tropic have some of the world's most variable rainfall . In the east advanced plants such as flowering shrubs and eucalyptus and in most bioregions grasses have adapted to cope with means such as deep roots and little transpiration . Wetter areas, seasonally watered, are widely pasture farmed. As to animals, birds and marsupials are well-adapted. Naturally difficult arable agriculture specialises in dry fruits, nuts and modest water consumption produce. Other types are possible given reliable irrigation sources and, ideally, water-retentive enriched or alluvial soils, especially wheat; shallow irrigation sources very widely dry up in and after drought years. The multi-ridge Great Dividing Range brings relief precipitation enough to make hundreds of kilometres either side cultivable, and its rivers are widely dammed to store necessary water; this benefits
1218-587: The settled areas of New South Wales and Queensland . Behind the end of the green hills, away from the Pacific , which is subject to warm, negative phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (colloquially this is an "El Niño year/season") is a white, red and yellow landscape of 2,800 to 3,300 kilometres of rain shadow heading west in turn feature normally arid cattle lands of the Channel Country ,
1260-462: The southeast sides of continents) have hot and wet summers with frequent (but brief) convective rainfall ( tropical cyclones can also contribute to annual rainfall). Areas bordering cool oceans (typically on the southwest sides of continents) are prone to fog, aridity, and dry summers. Plants such as palms , citrus , mango , pistachio , lychee , and avocado are grown in the subtropics. The tropics have been historically defined as lying between
1302-640: The southern end of the Mexican Plateau and in Da Lat of the Vietnamese Central Highlands. The six climate classifications use the term to help define the various temperature and precipitation regimes for planet Earth . A great portion of the world's deserts are within the subtropics, as this is where the semi-permanent subtropical anticyclone resides (typically inland on the southwest sides of continents). Areas bordering warm oceans (typically on
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1344-584: The southernmost declination it reaches for the year. (Due to the precession of the equinoxes the Sun currently appears in Sagittarius at this solstice.) The Tropic of Capricorn is the dividing line between the Southern Temperate Zone to the south and the Tropics to the north. The Northern Hemisphere equivalent of the Tropic of Capricorn is the Tropic of Cancer . The Tropic of Capricorn's position
1386-571: The subtropical anticyclones and thus receives warm and humid air from the Atlantic Ocean . As a result, areas in Brazil adjacent to the Tropic are impressively productive agricultural regions, producing large quantities of crops such as sugarcane , and the natural rainforest vegetation has been almost entirely cleared, except for a few remaining patches of Atlantic Forest . Further south in Argentina ,
1428-466: The subtropics or tropics. It has characteristically mild temperatures year-round, featuring the four seasons in the subtropics and no marked seasons in the tropics, the latter usually remaining mild to cool through most of the year. Subtropical highland climates under the Cfb classification usually have rainfall spread relatively evenly in all months of the year similar to most oceanic climates while climates under
1470-473: The subtropics. Japan receives over half of its rainfall from typhoons. The Mediterranean climate is a subtropical climate, usually found on the western side of continents, with a wet season in winter and a dry season in the summer. Regions with this type of climate include the rim lands of the Mediterranean Sea , southwestern Australia , parts of the west coast of South America around Santiago and
1512-641: The subtropics. Pest control of the crops is easier than in the tropics, due to the cooler winters. Tree ferns ( pteridophytes ) are grown in subtropical areas, as are dracaena and yucca , and trees in the Taxaceae . Apple , pear and pomegranate also grow well in the subtropics. The humid subtropical climate is a subtropical climate type characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters. This climate can be found in northern Middle East , northern South Asia , northern Indochina , eastern Australia , southern and southeastern China , southern Japan ,
1554-552: The temperate grasslands of the Pampas region is equally influential in wheat , soybeans , maize , and beef , making the country one of the largest worldwide agricultural exporters, similar to the role played by the Prairies region in Canada . West of the Andes, which creates a rain shadow , the air is further cooled and dried by the cold Humboldt Current which makes it very arid, creating
1596-454: The tropical Pacific. The low-level surface trade winds , which normally blow from east to west along the equator, either weaken or start blowing from the other direction. In South America , whilst in the continental cratons soils are almost as old as in Australia and Southern Africa, the presence of the geologically young and evolving Andes means that this region is on the western side of
1638-501: The warmest subtropical climates and the less warm tropical climates as defined by the Köppen-Geiger or Trewartha climate classifications. However Wladimir Köppen has distinguished the hot or subtropical and tropical (semi-)arid climates ( BWh or BSh ) having an average annual temperature greater than or equal to 18 °C (64.4 °F) from the cold or temperate (semi-)arid climates ( BWk or BSk ) whose annual temperature average
1680-470: The white Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park , the mainly red Mamungari Conservation Park , then the Gibson Desert , after others the dry landscape settlement of Kalbarri on the west coast and its rest, northward. The Channel Country features an arid landscape with a series of ancient flood plains from rivers which only flow intermittently. The principal rivers are Georgina River , Cooper Creek and
1722-417: The winter (dry season) the monsoon retreats, and the drier trade winds bring more stable airmass and often dry weather, and frequent sunny skies. Areas that have this type of subtropical climate include Australia, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America. In areas bounded by warm ocean like the southeastern United States and East Asia, tropical cyclones can contribute significantly to local rainfall within
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1764-511: Was at exactly 23° 27′S in 1917 and will be at 23° 26'S in 2045). Therefore, the distance between Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn is essentially constant moving in tandem. See under circles of latitude for information. There are approximately 10 hours, 41 minutes of daylight during the June solstice (Southern Hemisphere winter). During the December solstice (Southern Hemisphere summer), there are 13 hours, 35 minutes of daylight. The length of
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