Climate of Colombia: Difference between revisions
Tetrarca85 (talk | contribs) |
Tetrarca85 (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{short description|Tropical and isothermal}} |
{{short description|Tropical and isothermal}} |
||
[[File:Colombia Köppen-Geiger mapsvg.png|thumb|300px|Colombia map of [[Köppen climate classification]]. {{Legend|#0000FF|[[Tropical rainforest climate]]}}{{Legend|#0078FF|[[Tropical monsoon climate]]}}{{Legend|#46AAFA|[[Tropical savanna climate]]}}{{Legend|#FF0000|[[Hot desert climate]]}}{{Legend|#F5A500|[[Hot semi-arid climate]]}}{{Legend|#C8C800|[[ |
[[File:Colombia Köppen-Geiger mapsvg.png|thumb|300px|Colombia map of [[Köppen climate classification]]. {{Legend|#0000FF|[[Tropical rainforest climate]]}}{{Legend|#0078FF|[[Tropical monsoon climate]]}}{{Legend|#46AAFA|[[Tropical savanna climate]]}}{{Legend|#FF0000|[[Hot desert climate]]}}{{Legend|#F5A500|[[Hot semi-arid climate]]}}{{Legend|#C8C800|[[Highland temperate climate|Highland equatorial climate]] (dry summer)}}{{Legend|#64FF50|[[Highland temperate climate|Highland humid temperate climate]] (not dry season)}}{{Legend|#32C800|[[Subpolar climate]]}}{{Legend|#B2B2B2|[[Alpine climate]] ([[Páramo]])}}]] |
||
[[Image:Bogota hailstorm.jpg|thumb|An uncommon [[hail]]storm in [[Bogotá]] on March 3, 2006 product of a combination of altitude (low temperature at an altitude of 2640 meters above sea level) and precipitation.]] |
[[Image:Bogota hailstorm.jpg|thumb|An uncommon [[hail]]storm in [[Bogotá]] on March 3, 2006 product of a combination of altitude (low temperature at an altitude of 2640 meters above sea level) and precipitation.]] |
||
[[Image:IntertropicalConvergenceZone-EO.jpg|thumb|The thunderstorms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone form a line across the eastern Pacific Ocean and over <.> [[Colombia]].]] |
[[Image:IntertropicalConvergenceZone-EO.jpg|thumb|The thunderstorms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone form a line across the eastern Pacific Ocean and over <.> [[Colombia]].]] |
||
| Line 50: | Line 50: | ||
===Dry climates=== |
===Dry climates=== |
||
[[Image:Foto 2004 1017(046).JPG|thumb|The [[Tatacoa Desert]] (It is |
[[Image:Foto 2004 1017(046).JPG|thumb|The [[Tatacoa Desert]] (It is reality a semi-desert).]] |
||
The [[dry climate]] is divided in: [[desert]] ''BW'' and [[semi-arid]] or steppe ''BS'', but only the hot variant of both is presented in the country, ''hot desert BWh'' and ''hot semi-arid BSh''. They are climates where precipitation are below 700 mm. |
The [[dry climate]] is divided in: [[desert]] ''BW'' and [[semi-arid]] or steppe ''BS'', but only the hot variant of both is presented in the country, ''hot desert BWh'' and ''hot semi-arid BSh''. They are climates where precipitation are below 700 mm. |
||
====Hot semi-arid==== |
====Hot semi-arid==== |
||
| Line 147: | Line 147: | ||
The [[glacier]]s in Colombia are located at {{convert|4000|m|ft|0|sp=us}} above sea level and up and with average temperatures ranging between {{convert|10|°C}} and less. Glaciers in Colombia began retreating in the 20th century due to [[global warming]] and are in danger of disappearing, if this occurs water supply would be scarce in the near future.<ref name=ESNOWORG>[http://www.easternsnow.org/proceedings/2006/morris_et_al.pdf 63rd Eastern Snow Conference: Retreat of Tropical Glaciers in Colombia an Venezuela between 1984 to 2004 as measured by ASTER and Landsat images] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926135853/http://www.easternsnow.org/proceedings/2006/morris_et_al.pdf |date=2007-09-26 }} easternsnow.org Accessed 24 August 2007.</ref><ref name=GUARDIAN>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/aug/29/glaciers.climatechange The Guardian: Cities in peril as Andean glaciers melt] guardian.co.uk Accessed 24 August 2007.</ref> Most of the glaciers are located in the Andes mountains and are inhabited by very few living species due to its severe weather.<ref name=USGS>[http://pubs.usgs.gov/prof/p1386i/colombia/intro.html USGS: Glaciers of Colombia] USGS Accessed 24 August 2007.</ref> |
The [[glacier]]s in Colombia are located at {{convert|4000|m|ft|0|sp=us}} above sea level and up and with average temperatures ranging between {{convert|10|°C}} and less. Glaciers in Colombia began retreating in the 20th century due to [[global warming]] and are in danger of disappearing, if this occurs water supply would be scarce in the near future.<ref name=ESNOWORG>[http://www.easternsnow.org/proceedings/2006/morris_et_al.pdf 63rd Eastern Snow Conference: Retreat of Tropical Glaciers in Colombia an Venezuela between 1984 to 2004 as measured by ASTER and Landsat images] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926135853/http://www.easternsnow.org/proceedings/2006/morris_et_al.pdf |date=2007-09-26 }} easternsnow.org Accessed 24 August 2007.</ref><ref name=GUARDIAN>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/aug/29/glaciers.climatechange The Guardian: Cities in peril as Andean glaciers melt] guardian.co.uk Accessed 24 August 2007.</ref> Most of the glaciers are located in the Andes mountains and are inhabited by very few living species due to its severe weather.<ref name=USGS>[http://pubs.usgs.gov/prof/p1386i/colombia/intro.html USGS: Glaciers of Colombia] USGS Accessed 24 August 2007.</ref> |
||
===Temperature=== |
|||
Temperatures in Colombia is defined by its ''pisos térmicos'' as seen above. Much of territory is located below 1000 m, what makes being in the tropics these areas exced 23°C. However, it decrease with altitude, being able to find areas below 10°C. Regardless of this, the highest temperatures happen at midday and early afternoon, while the low temperatures appears at early morning. The areas with most high temperature are [[Caribbean region of Colombia|Caribbean Region]], ''Magdalena Medio'' and ''Los Santanderes'' Region. In [[Puerto Salgar]], at the Magdalena Valley the highest temperature was recorded in the country, 41°C in 2016. While [[Vetas]], in [[Santander Department]] is the coldest municipality on the country, with 9°C mean temperature. |
|||
====Termic range==== |
|||
Anual termic range is insignificant (less than 4°C in all regions). However the daily termic range is around 10°C bewteen day and night. |
|||
===Precipitation=== |
|||
Colombia is the rainiest country in the world, with 3240 mm of rain yearly (although unevenly distributed in the territory). The highest levels of precipitation in Colombia occur in [[Pacific Region (Colombia)|Pacific Region]] because of the big volume of moist air masses coming from [[Pacific Ocean]]. It come in to the country from the West and accumulate in the ''[[Cordillera Central (Colombia)|Cordillera Central]]'' generating between 5000 and 12000mm rainfall. In the [[Amazonas Region]] precipitations are quite high, almost never less of 2500mm. This areas contrast with dry places like [[La Guajira]], where precipitations are just from 261 mm. The rainiest municipality in the country is [[López de Micay]] in [[Cauca Department]], it has 15000 mm annual rainfall. The driest city is [[Uribia]] in La Guajira, with 269 mm annual rainfall. |
|||
===Air humidity=== |
|||
Hot places, except for jungle areas, generally have lower relative humidity than colder areas, between 70% and 80% approximately. In the Andean region, depending on the altitude, the humidity of the atmosphere increases, between 75% and 90%. The highest humidity is found in the Pacific, where it is around 90%, as well as in the Amazon, the Magdalena Valley and the Llanos. The places with the lowest humidity, around 70% or less, are in the Caribbean, La Guajira, and some areas of the [[Altiplano Cundiboyacense]]. |
|||
===Solar radiation=== |
|||
[[File:Radiación Solar en Colombia.png|250px|thumb|Solar radiation in Colombia.]] |
|||
The areas that receive the highest intensity of global solar radiation in Colombia, greater than 5.0 kWh/m² per day, are: the Caribbean Region, northeast of the Orinoquía (or Llanos), large sectors of Meta and Casanare and small sectors of the departments of Cauca, Huila, Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Los Santanderes, Antioquia and the islands of San Andrés and Providencia. The highest values (between 5.5 and 6.0 kWh/m² per day and in some places with values higher) occur in the department of La Guajira, north and south of Magdalena, north of Cesar and small sectors of Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre and Valle. |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 19:30, 7 July 2022
The Climate of Colombia is determined for geographic and atmospheric elements: temperature, precipitations, solar radiation, wind, latitude, altitude, atmospheric. This generate a large number of climate variants in Colombia, from more hottest (30°C in coasts and plains), until the more cold with temperatures of 0°C in high mountains. Generally is tropical and temperate as a result of its geographical location near the Equator presenting variations within five natural regions and depending on the altitude, being all isothermal (under less 5°C termic variation between hot and cold months). Because it has a very low latitude, there are no four seasons.
Each zone maintains an average temperature throughout the year only presenting variables determined by precipitation during a rainy season caused by the Intertropical Convergence Zone.[1][2]
The climates in Colombia are characterized for having tropical rainforests, savannas, steppes, deserts and mountain climate, climate in Colombia is divided into tierra caliente (hot land) tierra templada (temperate land) tierra fría (cold land), tierra helada (frozen land) and Páramo.[3] Sometimes the weather of Colombia is altered by the seasons in northern hemisphere, for example, from March to June, the weather is mild Spring, from June to August the weather is hot Summer, From September to December the weather is cool Autumn, and from December to March the weather is cold Winter. This happens very rarely, and it is usually a slight difference.
Köppen climate classification in Colombia
According to Köppen climate classification in Colombia appears from tropical climates until cold climates, including temperate and dry climates with the total absence of continental climates.
Tropical climates
Tropical climates are located in areas of less than 1500 m altitude. All months have a temperature over 18°C.
Tropical rainforest
The tropical rainforest climate Af is characterized by hot (all months over 23°C) and high humidity climate along with heavy rainfall, bewteen 2000 mm and 12.000 mm. Mostly present in the jungles of the Catatumbo, the Amazon Region the central region of the Magdalena River and the Pacific coast.
Cities:
Monsoon tropical
The tropical monsoon climate Am is characterized by having less rainy periods than the previous one, with temperatures from 20°C. It is located on the border between Af and Aw/As climates, border bewteen Andean Region and Caribbean Region and some interandean valles.
Cities:
Tropical savanna
The tropical savanna climate Aw/As is very common in Caribbean Region and Llanos, in lowlands on de Andean Region as well. Dry season is very strong and wet season have torrential rainfalls. Temperatures from 23°C.
Cities:
Dry climates
.JPG)
The dry climate is divided in: desert BW and semi-arid or steppe BS, but only the hot variant of both is presented in the country, hot desert BWh and hot semi-arid BSh. They are climates where precipitation are below 700 mm.
Hot semi-arid
The hot semi-arid climate BSh, it is found in La Guajira and a few other areas in Caribbean Region, also in small areas of Andean Region. Precipitation below 700 mm.
Cities and places:
Hot desert
It is exclusive of Alta Guajira. The hot desert climate BWh has precipitation below 400mm.
Cities and places:
Temperate climates
Temperate climates is characterized by have at least four months below 18°C and annual mean temperature bewteen 10°C and 20°C. In the country they appear over 1500 m altitude.
Highland temperate climate
It is a mountain climate located in the Andes, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and other high altitude reliefs where climate is determined by elevation. Also called, Highland temperate climate (Cfbi/Cwbi/Csbi), appears because of altitude, but unlike the standard temperate climate it is isothermal. Precipitations normally are bewteen 700 mm and 2500 mm and mean temperatures from 11°C until 19°C.
Cities:
Polar climates
Polar climates are at locations where mean temperatures is below 10°C.
Tundra climate
The alpine tundra climate ETH is located in Andean Páramo of mountains over 3500 m altitude.
Places:
Ice cap climate
The ice cap climate EFH is founded at 4500 m altitude, in Nevados (Spanish: Snowy mountains)
Places:
- Climate of Colombia
-
Ice cap climate in the Nevado del Ruiz -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
.jpg)
.jpg)
Climate elements
Latitude
Colombia has a very low latitud in all its territory. 12°N is the most boreal place at Punta Gallinas. While 4°S the most southern place, at Leticia. Entire territory is indoor tropical zone.
Altitude
Altitude plays a fundamental importance in the climate, mainly in tropical zone where temperature decreases 5,6°C every 1000 m. (Template:Lang-es), a classification used in some countries but with variations in the classification of each floor.[4]
- Warm climate altitudinal zone
The warm altitudinal zone oscillates between sea level and 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level with a temperature over 24 °C (75.2 °F). Climate in this step is characterized for its similarities with the equatorial and tropical plains, heavy rains and high temperatures. Temperatures can reach over 29 °C (84.2 °F) as it is the case of the Magdalena river valley, which has many areas with jungles. This altitudinal zone is present in the cities like Santa Marta, Neiva, Cali and Cúcuta.
- Temperate climate altitudinal zone
Between 1,000 and 2,000 meters (3,281 and 6,562 ft) above sea level the temperature drops oscillating between 17 and 22 °C (62.6 and 71.6 °F) defining it as a temperate climate. Rainfall becomes variable at 1,700 meters (5,577 ft) above sea level and rains between 2,000 and 2,500 mm (78.7 and 98.4 in) . This climate is a characteristic in the cities like Pereira, Armenia, Ibagué Popayán and Medellín.
- Cold climate altitudinal zone
The cold climate is present between 2,000 and 3,000 meters (6,562 and 9,843 ft) above sea level and is characterized for having Andean or cloud forests. This altitudinal zone is characterized for presenting an average temperature ranging between 10 and 17 °C (50.0 and 62.6 °F) while rainfall reaches a yearly average of 2,000 mm (78.7 in). The Colombian capital city Bogotá is located within this altitudinal zone. Other cities like San Juan de Pasto and Tunja are in this location.
- Páramo climate altitudinal zone
The Páramo climate is present between 3,000 and 4,000 meters (9,843 and 13,123 ft) above sea level and the temperature is lower than 10 °C (50 °F) with icy winds, rare rainfall but frequent snowfall. Colombia has one of the largest páramo areas in the world; the Sumapaz Páramo located in central Colombia, over the Andean Cordillera Oriental branch. In Colombia páramos are further classified as subpáramo, páramo and superpáramo. Most of the rivers in Colombia are born here since páramos tend to hold water from precipitations and deglaciations coming from the peaks.[5]
- Glacial climate altitudinal zone
The glaciers in Colombia are located at 4,000 meters (13,123 ft) above sea level and up and with average temperatures ranging between 10 °C (50 °F) and less. Glaciers in Colombia began retreating in the 20th century due to global warming and are in danger of disappearing, if this occurs water supply would be scarce in the near future.[6][7] Most of the glaciers are located in the Andes mountains and are inhabited by very few living species due to its severe weather.[8]
Temperature
Temperatures in Colombia is defined by its pisos térmicos as seen above. Much of territory is located below 1000 m, what makes being in the tropics these areas exced 23°C. However, it decrease with altitude, being able to find areas below 10°C. Regardless of this, the highest temperatures happen at midday and early afternoon, while the low temperatures appears at early morning. The areas with most high temperature are Caribbean Region, Magdalena Medio and Los Santanderes Region. In Puerto Salgar, at the Magdalena Valley the highest temperature was recorded in the country, 41°C in 2016. While Vetas, in Santander Department is the coldest municipality on the country, with 9°C mean temperature.
Termic range
Anual termic range is insignificant (less than 4°C in all regions). However the daily termic range is around 10°C bewteen day and night.
Precipitation
Colombia is the rainiest country in the world, with 3240 mm of rain yearly (although unevenly distributed in the territory). The highest levels of precipitation in Colombia occur in Pacific Region because of the big volume of moist air masses coming from Pacific Ocean. It come in to the country from the West and accumulate in the Cordillera Central generating between 5000 and 12000mm rainfall. In the Amazonas Region precipitations are quite high, almost never less of 2500mm. This areas contrast with dry places like La Guajira, where precipitations are just from 261 mm. The rainiest municipality in the country is López de Micay in Cauca Department, it has 15000 mm annual rainfall. The driest city is Uribia in La Guajira, with 269 mm annual rainfall.
Air humidity
Hot places, except for jungle areas, generally have lower relative humidity than colder areas, between 70% and 80% approximately. In the Andean region, depending on the altitude, the humidity of the atmosphere increases, between 75% and 90%. The highest humidity is found in the Pacific, where it is around 90%, as well as in the Amazon, the Magdalena Valley and the Llanos. The places with the lowest humidity, around 70% or less, are in the Caribbean, La Guajira, and some areas of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense.
Solar radiation
The areas that receive the highest intensity of global solar radiation in Colombia, greater than 5.0 kWh/m² per day, are: the Caribbean Region, northeast of the Orinoquía (or Llanos), large sectors of Meta and Casanare and small sectors of the departments of Cauca, Huila, Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Los Santanderes, Antioquia and the islands of San Andrés and Providencia. The highest values (between 5.5 and 6.0 kWh/m² per day and in some places with values higher) occur in the department of La Guajira, north and south of Magdalena, north of Cesar and small sectors of Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre and Valle.
References
- ^ (in Spanish) International Universia: Climate of Colombia Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine International Universia Accessed 23 August 2007.
- ^ "Climate of Colombia" Encyclopædia Britannica Accessed 23 August 2007
- ^ "Colombian Embassy in Tokio: Climate of Colombia". Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ TodaColombia.com: Thernal Floors in Colombia todacolombia.com Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ (in Spanish) Memo.com.co: Páramos of Colombia memo.com.co Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ 63rd Eastern Snow Conference: Retreat of Tropical Glaciers in Colombia an Venezuela between 1984 to 2004 as measured by ASTER and Landsat images Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine easternsnow.org Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ The Guardian: Cities in peril as Andean glaciers melt guardian.co.uk Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ USGS: Glaciers of Colombia USGS Accessed 24 August 2007.