(6) Moist Subtropical Climate Type (Köppen Cfa)

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Eastern Hemisphere: SE China, S Japan
thin strip in SE Australia 

Think about mT air masses during the warm season with convectional, Thunderstorm based precipitation and mid latitude cyclonic storms bringing winter precip.  Mild winters; hot, humid summers.

 

Western Hemisphere: SE South America
SE United States

Think about mT air masses during the warm season with convectional, Thunderstorm based precipitation and mid latitude cyclonic storms bringing winter precip.  Mild winters; hot, humid summers.  This is a rather small region of South America, but an important one in terms of human activity.  This climate region occupies a very significant U.S. region in terms of both the historic "South" and its contemporary economic and cultural prominence.

Charleston, South Carolina  

  • Temp Range = 36 ° F [misprint in illustration] (17° C)

  • Precipitation  = 47 in (120 cm)

Charleston, South Carolina

The f in Köppen's Cfa stands for moist all year and the a for a hot summer.  Every month has significant precipitation.  Summer precip comes from convectional Thunderstorms and perhaps Tropical Cyclones, even Hurricanes on occasion.  Winter precip is frontal in origin, same as in the higher, mid latitudes.  No month averages below freezing.

 
This climate type includes much of the southeastern USA, a major part of the country

Distinctive climatic characteristics:

  • Strong annual temperature cycle

  • No monthly average temperature below freezing !!

  • Humidity high; can be very uncomfortable in Spring and Summer

  • Abundant rainfall, every month

  • Precipitation convectional in summer

  • Precipitation cyclonic in winter

Natural vegetation WAS forest

  • Much forest has been cut

  • Now may be plantations  

    • Warm, humid climate produces much faster commercial forest growth than in the traditional region for forest products, the U.S. Pacific Northwest

  • Cleared land is important for other agricultural cropping

    • Citrus

    • sensitive fruits and vegetables for "off-season", northern markets

Commercial "Plantation"

Notice the orderly arrangement of the trees:  neatly planted in rows.  This is NOT a replacement for the "natural ecology!"

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