Earth Scienc 7 - Punta Arenas, Chile
Contents
Climate
Latitude and Longitude
53° 10' S 70° 54' W
Major Bodies Of Water
By the Pacific Ocean
Average Rain Fall
mm in.
Jan. - - - - 35.4 - - - - - - 1.4
Feb. - - - - 28.1 - - - - - - 1.1
Mar. - - - - 39.3 - - - - - - 1.5
Apr. - - - - 41.0 - - - - - - 1.6
May. - - - - 42.4 - - - - - - 1.7
Jun. - - - - 32.4 - - - - - - 1.3
Jul. - - - - 33.8 - - - - - - 1.3
Aug. - - - - 33.1 - - - - - - 1.3
Sept.- - - - 27.5 - - - - - - 1.1
Oct. - - - - 23.6 - - - - - - 0.9
Nov. - - - - 28.8 - - - - - - 1.1
Dec. - - - - 31.5 - - - - - - 1.2
Total. - - - 397.4 - - - - - 15.6
Average Monthly Highs and Lows
Jan.High-13.89 Low-7.22
Feb.High-13.89 Low-7.22
Mar.High-12.22 Low-5.56
Apr.High-9.44 Low-3.33
May.High-6.67 Low-1.67
Jun.High-3.89 Low-0
Jul.High-3.33 Low- -.56
Aug.High-5 Low-0
Sep.High-7.78 Low-1.67
Oct.High-10 Low-3.33
Nov.High-11.67 Low-4.44
Dec.High-13.33 Low-6.11
Elevation
121 feet and 37 meters above sea level
Climate Zone
Punta Arenas is in the south of Chile therefore the climate zone is cool. Punta Arenas is by the Pacific Ocean so it gets a nice breeze so it is cooler there. Punta Arenas is so close to the Antarctic shelf that its influence, the Antarctic accent, is evident in the climate. The area is receives strong westward winds almost year-round, which is a factor in the topography of the Patagonian steppes, which have little flora. Due to the fact that Punta Arenas is in the rain shadow of the lower Andes, the city is one of the driest in Chile. Punta Arenas is a BSk type climate on the Koppen Climate Classification List. BSk type climates are semi-arid type climates and are moderated by the ocean.
Vegetation
Mostly Broadleaf evergreen forests, plus boardleaf deciduous, and evergreen coniferous.
Winds
Punta Arenas has Prevailing westerly winds
Ocean Current
The west wind drift is the closest current to Punta Arenas.
Geology
Plate Boundary
Punta Arenas lies near the South American plate and is about 340 miles away from the boundary between it and the Antarctic Plate.
Geology in Chile
Since Punta Arenas is close to the edge of the plate boundary there are new rocks form right by it and gets older as the rocks get farther away from the plate boundary. South of Antofagasta the old rocks form a nearly continuous band along the coast, extending as far as Cape Horn and Staten Island, and occupying the greater part of t he islands of southern Chile. Lithologically they are crystalline schists, together with granite, diorite, gabbro and other igneous rocks. They are known to be pre-Jurassic, but whether they are Palaeozoic or Archaean is uncertain.
Resources
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g297401-s208/Punta-Arenas:Chile:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html
I also used the earth science text book.
