TROPICAL CLIMATE: CHARACTERISTICS, LOCATION, TYPES AND FAUNA - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The tropical climate, or non-arid climate, is a variety of climate that is common in areas of the planet with inter-tropical characteristics. It is located on the equator from 23 degrees north latitude to 23 degrees south latitude.

Wladimir Peter Köppen, a Russian meteorologist who developed the Köppen Climate Classification, gave a concrete definition to this type of climate. According to Köppen, the tropical climate means that the countries that are in the intertropical zone have average temperatures that exceed 18 degrees Celsius during the 12 months of the year.

Dense Tropical Rainforest (in Merída). German Robayo, from Wikimedia Commons

However, other meteorologists define this climate as one in which temperatures do not drop below 0 degrees at any time of the year.

This type of climate is produced mainly by the incidence of the sun's rays on the earth's surface. In these areas, the solar effect reaches the Earth in an almost perpendicular way throughout the year, which causes temperature variations to be high.

characteristics

alt = Location of tropical climates by subtypes: * Af-Tropical jungle or equatorial climate. * Am-Tropical monsoon climate. * Aw and As-Savanna tropical climate. Köppen World Map High Resolution.png: Peel, MC, Finlayson, BL, and McMahon, TA (University of Melbourne) derivative work: Me ne frego, via Wikimedia Commons

Temperatures

One of the determining characteristics to establish the presence of a tropical climate in a place is the annual temperature in which the area is located.

When the average temperature of the year is 20 degrees Celsius, some meteorologists describe an area as tropical; however, others assure that the annual average is approximately 18 degrees centigrade. This last figure has been the most accepted over the years.

This characteristic causes that approximately half of the earth's surface experiences this climate. The lack of annual variation in temperature means that the areas that are in the equatorial strip, located between 23 degrees north and south latitude, do not have winter periods.

Despite this, during the day different varieties of temperatures usually develop, which makes the nights colder than the days.

Influence of the winds

The constant rainfall in these areas is common in tropical climates. This is because the tropics are in the area of ​​the equator, where winds from both the northern and southern hemispheres converge. These hemispheres also have different seasons.

This situation generates intertropical convergence zones, which are characterized by their low pressures. The arrival of solar rays to the surface of the Earth can cause constant rainfall depending on the time of year, as a result of winds and rain clouds.

The high temperatures of these climates also affect the evaporation of the liquids that are on the earth's surface. These liquids rise in the form of gas and then precipitate in the form of rain.

Despite the fact that winds influence the appearance of rainfall in tropical climates, they can also cause periods of drought in areas with these climates.

Location

Equatorial line

The tropical climate generally occurs between 23 degrees north latitude and 23 degrees south latitude, so it is located on the entire line of the equator.

However, the tropical climate has various variations that lead to other subtypes of climate, which occur in specific areas depending on the typology. In this way, the different types of tropical climate develop in countries of South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Types

Humid tropical climate

The humid tropical climate, also known as the tropical jungle climate or the equatorial climate, is characterized by a high level of humidity. Places that have this type of climate experience warm temperatures and regular rainfall that exceed 150 centimeters annually.

For its part, the temperature tends to undergo more variations during a day than during the current year: the coolest is between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius, while the warmest can reach 33 degrees Celsius.

With little variation in temperature and rainfall, areas with this climate tend to have few seasonal changes. These are located between 10 ° north latitude and its equivalent in south latitude.

The difference in location between the different areas in which this climate is characteristic also has a slight impact on humidity, as some humid tropical climates remain constant throughout the year. However, others tend to generate more rainfall during the winter or summer time.

Despite this, the seasons never get dry. Some of the localities that experience this type of climate are Hawaii, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Brazil.

Tropical monsoon climate

Another type of tropical climate arises from the presence of monsoon winds, which consists of an air current that changes its direction every six months; generally its movement is from land to sea or vice versa. Changes in wind direction bring rain or drought.

The winds that come from the sea have a high level of humidity, which causes heavy rainfall when they reach the continent.

The areas that present this type of climate usually experience high temperatures, a great thermal amplitude and the concentration of rains in a specific period of the year; particularly when they are near an intertropical convergence zone.

The atmospheric conditions that derive from this type of climate allow the supply of water to the crops that require rainfall to grow; one of them is rice, which requires high humidity to grow.

This climate is generated in specific areas located between 5 and 25 degrees latitude. In addition, it usually develops in the east of the continents; the areas with the highest incidence are: Southeast Asia, the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and Madagascar.

Savanna tropical climate

The tropical savanna climate is one that has three seasons: the first is cool and dry; the second hot and dry; the third is warm and humid. The dry season of this type of climate is usually longer than the rest.

It is known as a climate that serves as a transitional period between two other climates. One of the main characteristics of the tropical savanna climate is that it causes a rise in temperature.

The localities that experience this type of climate face numerous climatic changes that lead them to suffer periods of drought during one time of the year; however, they can also register floods at other times.

This type of climate is classified as "savanna" because of the defined grasslands that the wet and dry periods leave in their wake. On the other hand, the high speed of the winds causes certain difficulties for the flora to develop easily.

The main localities in which the tropical savanna climate occurs are: Africa, Arabia and some regions of South Africa, South America and Mexico.

Sub Equatorial

When making a classification of climate types, some authors establish the sub-equatorial climate as a subtype of the humid tropical climate or equatorial climate.

Despite its similarity to the equatorial in terms of the uniformity of temperatures, this variation has different rain periods, since the dry season is short and the rainy season lasts for a longer time. This type of climate is ideal for the formation of abundant forests.

Sahelian

Qualified as a variation of the tropical savanna climate, the Sahelian climate is characterized by presenting a dry season that expands approximately two-thirds of the year and has little rainfall. This situation causes that the areas that share this type of climate have a marked tendency towards aridity.

The continental winds from the east contribute to a drought situation. The countries with the highest incidence of the Sahelian climate in the world are those that belong to Africa, specifically the area located between the Sudan and the Sahara desert.

Sudanese

Classified as another of the variations of the tropical savanna climate, the Sudanese climate is characterized especially by having short periods of rain that have a significant force.

Some cities in which this type of climate occurs, among which are Asunción and Miami, tend to be classified as tropical due to their temperatures.

However, some incorporate them into the semi-tropical category due to the absolute minimum temperatures they present. This is due to the frosts of low proportions that they experience on rare occasions, which means a risk for the cultivation of crops that depend clearly on a tropical climate.

Vegetation

Equatorial climate - humid tropical forests

The vegetation typical of the tropical climate varies depending on the types of climate in which the flora is found.

In the case of the equatorial climate, for example, the vegetation is characterized by humid tropical forests, whose species are made up of wide, evergreen leaves; in addition, epiphytes abound. This type of vegetation provides human beings with food, medicine and some substances used for industrial purposes.

It is estimated that more than 50% of the animal and plant species are contained in this type of forest. For this reason, deforestation of this type of ecosystems significantly affects the living beings that inhabit there.

Monsoon climate - dry forests

The flora capable of being produced in an environment with a monsoon climate is characterized by dense or semi-dense wooded vegetation.

This type of ecosystems can be found both in tropical and subtropical latitudes; in addition, they occupy approximately 11.5 million square kilometers of the surface of planet Earth.

The vast majority of dry forests are mainly made up of deciduous trees that lose their leaves during periods of drought.

This loss of foliage allows them to conserve water, as these are used as a perspiration mechanism. The ability to store moisture allows them to stay alive during dry seasons.

On the other hand, the lack of leaves also allows the sun's rays to reach the earth's surface more easily, which favors the formation of understory (forests that grow close to the ground).

Furthermore, the wood produced by the trees in these forests is of great commercial benefit to humans. Some of the most valuable products for man are found in these areas, such as mahogany, jabillo and saman.

Dry tropical - savanna

The characteristic vegetation of the tropical savanna climate is the same vegetation found in the savannahs: a bioclimatic landscape that has trees of a reduced size or low density. These characteristics facilitate the formation of a continuous stretch of grass that is usually tall.

This type of vegetation shares characteristics with forests and grasslands. Savannas generally have low humidity levels.

Herbaceous vegetation is one of the types of flora found in tropical climates. It stands out for exceeding two meters in height, which causes it to be confused with other plant species. In addition, there are various types of trees and shrubs scattered about.

Fauna

Variety depending on the types

The fauna existing in the tropical climate experiences variations depending on the different subtypes of climates. An example of this are the dry forests, typical of monsoon climates, which are home to an abundance of monkeys, felids, deer, parrots, rodents and birds.

This subtype of climate has a lower biodiversity than that of rainforests. However, it is home to a large number of mammals; especially in forests like those of Asia and Africa.

The species that live in tropical climates tend to have striking colors. Among these species are parrots and macaws; reptiles, such as anacondas or pythons; and felines such as tigers, leopards, and jaguars.

On the other hand, this type of climate also has aquatic species such as piranhas, toads, dolphins or frogs.

References

1. Climate, National Geographic Portal, (nd). Taken from nationalgeographic.org
2. The tropical climate, Web Meteorology Portal, (2016). Taken from meteorologiaenred.com
3. Tropical climate, Wikipedia in English, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org
4. What is the meaning of tropical climate ?, Portal Sciencing, (2017). Taken from sciencing.com
5. The climate of tropical regions, Portal The British Geographer, (nd) Taken from thebritishgeographer.weebly.com
6. Equatorial climate, Spanish Wikipedia, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org
7. Monsoon weather, Spanish Wikipedia, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org