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UNITS 9-10. RIVERS, CLIMATE AND VEGETATION A) CLIMATE WEATHER AND CLIMATE ARE NOT THE SAME
Weather is the condition of the atmosphere in a specific place and time over a short period. Weather refers to temperature, wind, precipitation, etc.
Climate is the condition of the atmosphere in a specific place during a long period of time.
Is this a weather or a climate map?
CLIMATIC ZONES The world is divided into three climatic zones. The tropical zone is located near the equator. The heat is intense all year long. The temperate zones are located in both hemispheres. These zones experience big differences in temperatures and in rainfall during the year. The polar zone is located in the polar areas. These areas are extremely cold.
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THE CLIMATES OF SPAIN There are four types of climates in Spain: The Atlantic climate is typical of the Cantabrian coast and Galicia. Mild temperatures and heavy rains all year long are the norm. The Mediterranean climate is typical of inland Spain and the regions near the Mediterranean Sea. Hot summers and mild winters are the norm. There is little precipitation. There are two types of Mediterranean climate: Mediterranean typical and Mediterranean interior or continental. The subtropical climate is typical of the Canary Islands. High temperatures with little variation are the norm. Precipitation is limited to a few months a year. The mountain climate is typical of elevated areas. Cold winters, mild summers and heavy precipitation are the norm.
B) ANDALUSIA’S CLIMATE HOW IS OUR CLIMATE? Andalusia has a Mediterranean climate. The summers are long and hot and the winters are not very cold. There are many droughts in Andalusia because of how little rain falls.
TEMPERATURES In Andalucía there is a large contrast between temperatures: In the coastal and lower areas of the Guadalquivir Valley, the summers are hot and the winters are soft. In the interior regions, the summers are very hot and the winters are very cold. In the mountainous areas, the high altitudes cause very cold temperatures in the winter, and soft summers.
PRECIPITATION In Andalucía the seasons with the most rainfall are spring and autumn. In winter it rarely rains, and summers make the land very dry. In the mountainous areas, the rainfall is high during the whole year and in the winter it snows very much. Sección bilingüe CEIP COLÓN Córdoba , 5º Primaria
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UPPER COURSE
C) RIVERS Rivers are moving bodies of water. They originate in the mountains, and flow into a sea, a lake or another river.
RESERVOIR
The course is the route which a river takes from its source to the mouth.
MIDDLE COURSE
We can distinguish three elements in a river:
TRIBUTARY MEANDERING
LOWER COURSE
The flow is the amount of water that a river carries. The flow regime is the flow pattern during the year. It can be regular or irregular.
RIVERS IN SPAIN
DELTA
Most rivers in Spain are short and have their source in the mountains. The river Ebro and the river Tagus are the longest rivers. Many rivers have relatively low flows because there is little precipitation. The rivers in Spain belong to three watersheds.
THE WATERSHEDS OF SPAIN Rivers that flow into the same sea belong to the same watershed. The rivers in Spain flow into three different seas, so they belong to three watersheds. The Cantabrian watershed has short, swift river. They have a regular regime and an abundant flow. The most important are the Nervion, the Saja, the Navia and the Nalon. The Mediterranean watershed occupies about a third of Spain. With the exception of the Ebro, the rivers are short and have irregular flow regimes. During rainy seasons, the may overflow. In the summer, they may dry up. The most important rivers are the Ebro, the Jucar, the Segura and the Llobregat.
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The Atlantic watershed occupies more than half the area of Spain. The rivers have abundant flows and regular flow regimes. In the summer they carry less water. The most important are the Mino, the Duero, the Tagus, The Guadiana and the Guadalquivir.
ANDALUSIAN RIVERS The Andalusian rivers are similar to the rivers that cross the Meseta. They are usually long and have a low volume of water. The main rivers are: The Guadalquivir. Its main tributaries are the Guadalimar, the Jándula, the Guadiana Menor and the Genil. The Tinto and the Odiel.
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