The climate of the United States.

Hardly anyone would deny the fact that the climate of the United States is quite diverse, with one part of the country can be so dramatically different from each other that sometimes traveling by plane, willy-nilly, you start to think about what is not thrown if your fateanother State.From mountain peaks, snow-capped sheltered, a few hours of flight, you can find yourself in the desert, where cacti grow, and in particularly dry years is realistic to die of thirst or extreme heat.

Many people mistakenly believe that the climate of North and South America are similar, ie,they are repeated as if in a mirror image.This is nothing more than a delusion.After all, you see, the weather conditions, especially in the framework of the year, formed not only depending on the location of the continent.A huge role in this process belongs also the local vegetation, the presence or absence of cold and warm currents, the height of the mountains and the presence of lowlands.

So what's the climate in the United States as a whole?What to expect from the weather in different seasons?Let's try to understand together.

Section 1. General information

vast territory of the United States have a variety of climatic conditions.Here you can find regions with almost any weather characteristics.

According to experts, a significant impact on the climate of the United States still has a geographical location of a particular part of the country.

Formation type of seasonal weather within a zone depends on the topography, ocean currents and other factors.The main area of ​​the state, located to the south, is located in the subtropical zone, the climate in the north of America has all the features of moderate type.

Hawaii and South Florida are in the tropics, the weather is characterized by Alaska polar regions of the Earth.US foothill plateau typical semi-desert climate, and the California coast - Mediterranean climate.Highlands Great Basin and the area around it is situated in the arid climate.

way, hardly anyone will deny the fact that it is favorable weather conditions played a huge role in the settling of the continent.

Section 2. Climate USA and especially its formation

noticeable effect on the amount of rainfall has a high-rise with a jet stream air currents, bringing moisture from the North Pacific.

Scientists believe that the climate of North America (Table 1) varied primarily due to the following factors mentioned below.

Wet wind irrigate the west coast of the United States.In the northwest, it often rains, and these areas have very snowy winter.In California, most of the precipitation falls in autumn and winter, in summer it is dry and hot.It is therefore considered that the climate of the western United States often have liked it to immigrants from Central Russia.The weather here does not change, and the change of seasons, there is a clear and logical.

absorb any moisture Cascade and Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and the result is a so-called rain shadow affects the weather in the west of the Great Plains.

way, not everyone knows that it is a shadow of rain also affected the occurrence of Death Valley and the Great Basin desert.In the collision of high-altitude jet stream air currents from the Gulf of Mexico causing severe storms and thunderstorms.Depending on the air mass temperature change occurs.It may increase or decrease.

Section 3. Drought

hot weather with low rainfall over a long period leads to droughts, which in the United States - a frequent phenomenon, and have serious consequences.

But much, of course, depends on the location of a particular part of the country.For example, the climate of North America (Table 1), the heat has less impact than the rest of the territory, but it still caused disasters the country is prone to a large extent.

example, drought between 1931 and 1940, called the Dust Bowl, almost destroyed all the farms of the Great Plains.The cataclysm of such magnitude as observed in 1999-2004.

But last drought occurred in California, it was the most powerful and led to the drying up of Lake Folsom, where they found traces of settlements of the gold rush.In some areas of the state of emergency was declared.Dry weather has reduced water reserves in the reservoirs State Water Project, and more than 25 million people were left without water.

Section 4. The most devastating tornado

US leads in the number of tornadoes, which are characteristic of the climate of the state.Such tornadoes cause human and material losses.The approximation of a tornado siren special alert, and all the houses are provided with shelter.The cause of atmospheric vortices is a collision of warm and cold air masses.Most often, tornadoes occur in the so-called Tornado Alley, unifying the areas where these natural phenomena are common.

In April of this year Tyupelo Mississippi struck a powerful tornado, which killed more than 20 people.Element backlog and other US states, killing and injuring dozens of people, destroyed homes and lines of communication.

Section 5 hurricanes in American

Hurricanes - a natural phenomenon that is common in the country.The climate of the United States contributes to their formation.

particularly affected by this disaster areas of the east coast, the Hawaiian Islands and the southern states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.The hurricane season lasts from June until December.The main blow to the period from August to October.The five most powerful hurricanes are: "Katrina", "Ike", "Wilma", "Ivan" and "Charlie."

the lead among them, the hurricane "Katrina".The element of the end of August 2005 was the most destructive in the history of the United States.Most suffered in New Orleans in Louisiana.More than 80% of the city were under water, killed more than 1,800 people, the damage from the disaster amounted to 125 billion US dollars.

fifth hurricane of the 2008 season was "Ike" has received 4 risk scale, "Saffir-Simpson."The storm hit the southeast coast of the United States, the wind speed reached 130 kilometers per hour.The epicenter of the hurricane was located 1150 kilometers southeast of the city of Wilmington (North Carolina).Damage from the disaster amounted to 30 billion US dollars.

sufficient intensity and unprofitable tropical cyclone was a hurricane "Wilma".In 2005, he was the sixth of power and brought serious damage.The main power of the hurricane unleashed on the Yucatan Peninsula and Florida.Killing about 62 people and economic losses amounted to 29 billion US dollars.

Section 6. Floods in the United States

many floods occur during severe storms.Features of the relief the US also affect their appearance.For example, a thunderstorm can quickly fill the canyon and raise the water level.The cause of the floods may become heavy rains, because of which frequent landslides.

biggest flood occurred in May 2011, he suffered from eight US states.The water level in the Mississippi River rose several times, rapidly increasing over.Disaster nearly destroyed the city of New Orleans.The width of the river in Tennessee has increased 6 times and flooded a huge area.And over the banks of the Cumberland River has led to loss of lives and caused huge material damage.

Section 7 where most earthquakes occur?

whole area of ​​the western coast of North America refers to the area of ​​the so-called Pacific fire belt, where there are many earthquakes.This area also includes the area from Alaska to southern California.Particularly active volcanoes in the Cascade Range in the northwest United States.But volcanic activity in Hawaii, famous for its volcanoes, is not dangerous for people.

strong earthquakes in the last century happened recently in Washington.Tremors felt more than 12 million people.The epicenter was the state of Virginia.Special devastation was not.But if the epicenter was located near Washington and New York, the consequences could be much more serious.Seismologists call these mysterious fluctuations and find troubling.

Section 8. Climate change

It is clear from the information provided above, the types of climate in North America are very diverse, but they can not be called stable.Why is that?The fact is that from year to year, experts point out significant changes.

Thus, studies of ice crystals in air have shown that the CO2 content in the atmosphere has increased by 40%.According to scientists, this is due to human activities.While CO2 is a component of the air, the person fossil fuel impair the natural carbon cycle and its surplus fall on Wednesday.Excess CO2 content in the future may lead to a rise in temperature not only within the country but also on the entire surface of the earth as a whole.

compared with the last decade the rate of increase of the average temperature has slowed.But this phenomenon does not cancel the other global changes in terms of temperature.

warming of a few degrees can be a serious cause for alarm.Even a slight deviation affects the territorial change in temperature and precipitation, as well as increase the number of extreme weather events.