Page 103 - ICSE GEOGRAPHY
P. 103
hot air which prevails over the land rises and of climates. Th is climatic variation can range
creates an area of low pressure. Th is makes from hot, wet and equatorial type to cold
the winds from the high pressure regions that arctic type depending on which latitude the
are surrounded by seas and oceans, move region lies in.
over the land, carrying with them moisture-
bearing clouds. Th ese winds then cause heavy Distance from the Sea
rainfall in the countries which are located
in the southern part of the continent such Regions near the coast experience maritime
as India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Th ailand, climate which is infl uenced by land breeze
Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, China and sea breeze. On the other hand, areas that
and parts of Japan. are located far away from the sea experience
extreme temperatures, i.e., very hot summers
Winter Monsoon
and very cold winters.
From October to March, the Northern
Hemisphere receives the slanting rays of the Alignment of the Mountain Ranges
sun as the rays are directly over the Tropic of
Capricorn. Th erefore, there is a drop in the Most of the mountain ranges in Asia have an
temperature. Th e air over the land becomes east-west alignment. Due to this alignment,
heavy and this leads to the creation of high winds bearing cold air or rain are obstructed
pressure zones over the land. A large amount by the mountains. For example, the Himalayas
of cold dry air blows out from the continent stop the cold Siberian winds from entering
towards the seas because the surrounding regions to its south. Th e Himalayas also
seas and oceans have higher temperatures obstruct the moisture-bearing winds travelling
and therefore lower air pressure. Since from the south to cross over to Central Asia.
the winds are dry, most of Asia does not At the same time, Rajasthan receives very
experience rainfall. However, some of the scanty rainfall as the Aravalli Hills are aligned
cold dry winds absorb water vapour when with the monsoon winds and do not
they reach the ocean surface far from the land obstruct their path, which lets the monsoon
and cause parts of South-East Asia, Japan, winds pass without precipitation.
south-eastern India and parts of northern Sri
Lanka to receive winter monsoons as they lie Ocean Currents
in the path of these winds. A few regions of Th e temperature of the ocean currents also
South and West Asia receive winter rainfall
play a role in aff ecting the region’s climate.
from the temperate cyclones that originate
over the Mediterranean Sea. For example, warm currents like the Kuroshio
raise the temperature along the Japanese
Factors Aff ecting the Climate of Asia coast while cold currents like the Oyashio
Asia is a huge continent and its climate varies lower the coastal temperature along Japan.
across its regions. Th e factors that infl uence
these diff erences in climate are discussed below. Let’s Discuss
What kind of climate does your region
Latitudinal Extent and Size experience? What do you think are the
Since the continent of Asia has a vast latitudinal factors that are infl uencing the climate of
extent (10°S to 80°N), it experiences a variety your location?
101
