continentality
Far from oceans
Continentality is a climate term describing how much a region's weather is influenced by being far from oceans or other large bodies of water.
Areas with high continentality, like central Asia or the American Midwest, experience extreme temperature swings between seasons—scorching summers and brutal winters—because land heats and cools faster than water.
Coastal regions have low continentality, with milder, more moderate temperatures year-round.
Extent of heat variation
- seasonalityDependence on annual cycles
- extremesOutermost ends of range
- aridityAbsence of moisture
- precipitationAtmospheric water deposit
humidity · frost · snowfall · insolation · fluctuation · dryness · windiness · barometric pressure
Away from the coast
- landmassContinuous area of ground
- interiorInside area or region
- isolationComplete separation from others
- plateauFlat highland area
steppe · prairie · taiga · tundra · desertification · rain shadow · elevation · topography
temperature range
Extent of heat variation
- seasonalityDependence on annual cycles
- extremesOutermost ends of range
- aridityAbsence of moisture
precipitation · humidity · frost · snowfall · insolation · fluctuation · dryness · windiness · barometric pressure · heat waves
inland
Away from the coast
- landmassContinuous area of ground
- interiorInside area or region
- isolationComplete separation from others
plateau · steppe · prairie · taiga · tundra · desertification · rain shadow · elevation · topography · Siberia
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