KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Altitude
Altitude is height above mean sea level and its major influence on climate manifests itself in its effect on temperatures - Within the troposphere, temperature decreases with increasing altitude at an average rate of 1 C per 150 metres (or approximately 6.5º C per 1000 metres) of ascent. Water molecules, dust particles, carbon dioxide (all of which absorb heat) are concentrated in the lower atmosphere. Therefore, the lower atmosphere is warmer than the increasingly higher atmosphere. Furthermore, air is heated by the ground with which it is in contact. The atmosphere is therefore said to be warmed from below rather than from above.
Mount Kilimanjaro has very different climates at the top and bottom.
Within Africa the slopes and tops of "high mountains have cold climates even if they are within equatorial regions. Only altitude can explain 'temperate' climate right at the equator. Altitude justifies the saying that although East Africa lies astride the equator, it does not have a typical equatorial climate but rather a modified equatorial type.
Altitude also affects atmospheric pressure which is the force exerted by the weight of air on the Earth's surface. Atmospheric pressure decreases when altitude increases implying that the tops of mountains have lower pressure than the foot hills. Atmospheric pressure at low altitude is higher than at higher altitudes because there is a bigger column of air at ground level which presses down with great force.
On the other hand, on high mountains, the pressure is lower due to less weight of air pressing down on the f surface of the Earth. The tops of mountains like Kilimanjaro and Rwenzori experience much less pressure than coastal locations like Dar es Salaam, Tanga or Mombasa.
Altitude also affects the climatic element of rainfall because as the land elevation increases, temperature is lowered and moisture condenses into clouds on the wind ward side. The slopes of mountains are therefore wet. However, as altitude rises above the snow-line (4,800 metres in the tropics), the corresponding low temperature influences the formation of snow.
Distance from the Sea.
Distance from the sea or continentality also explains climate in various places on the surface of the earth. Coastal areas experience periodic rainfall as a result of land and sea breezes. Secondly the coastal areas receive rainfall released by prevailing winds blowing over the ocean.
Coastal areas therefore tend to be wetter than their continental interior counterparts. In contrast, land areas farther away from the coast tend to have generally dry conditions since prevailing winds lose their moisture the farther away they blow from the coast. By the time they reach continental interiors, they are dry or almost dry. This is partly why central and northern Tanzania are much drier than the coast lands. It may also explain why the interior of the Sahara Desert is a lot drier than the coastal locations.
Distance from the sea also affects temperatures. Land surfaces heat and cool more quickly than the sea surfaces. In other words, water heats more slowly but it retains its heat for longer periods than does land.
In Africa, coastal areas may have uniformly high temperatures while those further inland may experience extremes of temperatures; getting hot during day time but becoming significantly cool during the night. Similarly, the continental interiors of North America and Siberia heat up excessively during summer but cool down significantly during winter resulting in high temperature ranges-
Mount Kilimanjaro has very different climates at the top and bottom.
Within Africa the slopes and tops of "high mountains have cold climates even if they are within equatorial regions. Only altitude can explain 'temperate' climate right at the equator. Altitude justifies the saying that although East Africa lies astride the equator, it does not have a typical equatorial climate but rather a modified equatorial type.
Altitude also affects atmospheric pressure which is the force exerted by the weight of air on the Earth's surface. Atmospheric pressure decreases when altitude increases implying that the tops of mountains have lower pressure than the foot hills. Atmospheric pressure at low altitude is higher than at higher altitudes because there is a bigger column of air at ground level which presses down with great force.
On the other hand, on high mountains, the pressure is lower due to less weight of air pressing down on the f surface of the Earth. The tops of mountains like Kilimanjaro and Rwenzori experience much less pressure than coastal locations like Dar es Salaam, Tanga or Mombasa.
Altitude also affects the climatic element of rainfall because as the land elevation increases, temperature is lowered and moisture condenses into clouds on the wind ward side. The slopes of mountains are therefore wet. However, as altitude rises above the snow-line (4,800 metres in the tropics), the corresponding low temperature influences the formation of snow.
Distance from the Sea.
Distance from the sea or continentality also explains climate in various places on the surface of the earth. Coastal areas experience periodic rainfall as a result of land and sea breezes. Secondly the coastal areas receive rainfall released by prevailing winds blowing over the ocean.
Coastal areas therefore tend to be wetter than their continental interior counterparts. In contrast, land areas farther away from the coast tend to have generally dry conditions since prevailing winds lose their moisture the farther away they blow from the coast. By the time they reach continental interiors, they are dry or almost dry. This is partly why central and northern Tanzania are much drier than the coast lands. It may also explain why the interior of the Sahara Desert is a lot drier than the coastal locations.
Distance from the sea also affects temperatures. Land surfaces heat and cool more quickly than the sea surfaces. In other words, water heats more slowly but it retains its heat for longer periods than does land.
In Africa, coastal areas may have uniformly high temperatures while those further inland may experience extremes of temperatures; getting hot during day time but becoming significantly cool during the night. Similarly, the continental interiors of North America and Siberia heat up excessively during summer but cool down significantly during winter resulting in high temperature ranges-