Question

For your chimera’s largest city, respond and address how each of these seven makes its climate the way it is.

My Chimera is Occitania

1. Insolation (solar radiation received) (two to three sentences)

2. Continental vs. Maritime (Marine) location (two to three sentences)

3. Global Atmospheric Circulation and Prevailing Winds (two to three sentences)

4. Ocean Currents (two to three sentences)

5. Position in relation to Source Regions (three to four sentences)

6. Surrounding Terrain (two to three sentences)

7. Elevation (two to three sentences)

2. Continental vs. Maritime (Marine) location (two to three sentences)

3. Global Atmospheric Circulation and Prevailing Winds (two to three sentences)

4. Ocean Currents (two to three sentences)

5. Position in relation to Source Regions (three to four sentences)

6. Surrounding Terrain (two to three sentences)

7. Elevation (two to three sentences)

Answer 1

The Insolation of a place depends on the latitude of the place due to the curved shape of the earth.The Insolation is more in equatorial region and less in polar region, leading to a hotter equatorial region and a cool polar region. Occitania is in 44⁰ N latitude. This means that the place is neither too hot , nor too cold.

The proximity to the sea is also a good factor for the temperature of Occitania. The difference in heating of land and water helps the marine locations have a better climate than a land-locked place. In summer, it lowers the temperature of the coastal place and in winter, keep the place warmer.

Winds usually moderates the temperature of a place. At 45⁰ latitude, wind blows from the hotter sub tropical high pressure belt. This wind will help to increase the temperature of the place in a moderate way.

Ocean currents also influence the temperature of a place. Depending on whether the current is hot current or cold current, it may raise or lower the temperature of the place. Since Occitania has no proximity to ocean currents, the temperature of this place do not depend on the currents.

Source regions are the regions that provide heat to a place. The main source regions are high pressure regions in the sub tropic region. Since Occitania is very close to such regions, their influence on the temperature of the region is high. But the presence of sea in between the place and the heat source reduces the effect of heat source.

Surrounding terrain influences the temperature of a place in temperate areas. The sun's angle is lower in winter. This will affect the places that have a slope from north to south in the northern hemisphere. Since the northern region of Occitania is hilly, this means that the temperature is slightly higher than the surrounding regions.

Elevation of a place is one of the most important factors that influence the temperature. Higher regions are colder and lower regions are hotter. Occitania, being almost 1000 meters above sea level is higher than the average height of the land on earth. This means that the place will be colder than sea level.