Earth Science 7 - Russia, China, and Japan - 8

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Russia

Countries in Russia

Russia is a single country.

Latitude and Longitude Ranges

Latitude: about 50 degrees North to about 75 degrees North

Longitude: about 28 degrees East to about 160 degrees West

Elevation Range

The range is 5,661 meters from the highest spot to the lowest spot.

• Highest Spot: Mt. Elbrus = 5,633 meters

• Lowest Spot: Caspian Sea = -28 meters

Large Bodies Of Water

Rivers: There are over 100,000 rivers with a length of 7 miles or greater, and even more streams, brooks, creeks, etc.

Major rivers:

• Volga

• Dnieper

• Dvina

• Lena

• Ob

• Yenisey

• Amur

Major Lakes: Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world (1,620 meters).

Major Topographic Features

• Ural Mountain Range

• The broad European Plain extends from the Ural Mountains to its western borders with Europe.

• The Caucasus Mountains include the country's highest point, Mt. Elbrus.

• The Central and Southern areas include large fertile areas, marsh, steppes (plains without trees) and massive coniferous forests.

• A few mountain ranges on the Kamchatka Peninsula contain active volcanoes.

Bordering Oceans

• Arctic Ocean

• North Pacific Ocean

Climate (using Koppen Scale)

Dwd: Subarctic with bitterly cold and dry winters and brief, cool summers.

Monthly Highs and Lows

• January- High: 24°, Low: 17°

• February- High: 25°, Low: 16°

• March- High: 36°, Low: 24°

• April- High: 51°, Low: 36°

• May- High: 65°, Low: 46°

• June- High: 71°, Low: 54°

• July- High: 75°, Low: 58°

• August- High: 71°, Low: 54°

• September- High: 60, Low: 46°

• October- High: 47°, Low: 37°

• November- High: 32°, Low: 26°

• December- High: 25°, Low: 18°

Average Monthly Rainfall

• January- 1.57 in

• February- 1.28 in

• March- 1.07 in

• April- 0.95 in

• May- 1.54 in

• June- 2.33 in

• July- 2.19 in

• August- 2.22 in

• September- 1.81 in

• October- 1.96 in

• November- 1.5 in

• December- 1.41 in

Average Precipitation

• January- 1.7 in

• February- 1.4 in

• March- 1.3 in

• April- 1.7 in

• May- 2 in

• June- 3 in

• July- 3.7 in

• August- 3 in

• September- 2.6 in

• October- 2.3 in

• November- 2.3 in

• December- 2.2 in

How These Things Affect Russia's Climate

Latitude: The latitude of Russia affects the climate because it is near the North Pole. This basically means that Russia's climate is mainly cold. Almost all of the top part of Russia is Dfc, the most common subarctic climate. Locations in the Dfc area, such as Siberia, have cold, long winters and brief cool summers. The Caspian Sea, a low elevation point, is going to be warmer because air at lower points is denser and therefore holds more heat. Climate is also changed by Russian locations’ proximity to water. Locations near water such as: Rostov-Na-Donu, Sochi, and Astrakhan have a higher precipitation level than places farther away from water such as: Surgat, Tomsk, and Nizhniy Tagil. Ocean currents play a part in affecting climate as well. A cold ocean current from the Sea of Okhotsk could cool off a high temperature area near it, and a warm ocean current from the Caspian Sea could warm up a low temperature area near it. Prevailing winds can also change climate. Prevailing winds can change water’s surface temperature which can easily change the temperature of cities on the coast such as Okhotsk, Maykhop, and Tumany. Vegetation also changes the climate. Places with forests such as Pechora Ylych will warm slower than places with meadows or no trees which warm fast. High and low pressure zones also affect climate. In winter an intense high pressure system causes winds to blow from the south and southwest and in the summer a low-pressure system brings winds from the north and northwest. High pressure zones tend to have sunny weather while low pressure zones mostly have cloud, rainy weather. Since wind flows from a high pressure area to a low pressure zone if there is a high and low next to each other the location would be extremely windy.

Elevation:In Russia, high elevation places (such as Mount Elbrus, a tall mountain) is cold because air at higher points is less dense, therefore holding less heat.

Topography: Mountain ranges, like the Ural Mountain Range LOOK AT MAP, can act as barriers to wind and rainfall, so areas on the leeward side of mountains (such as BLANK) will have drier climates. The Ural Mountains can have a cooler temperature because temperature decreases with altitude.

Proximity to Water:Locations near water in Russia (like BLANK) have a higher precipitation level than places farther away from water.

Prevailing Winds: BLANK

Vegetation: BLANK

Russia is a High/Low Pressure Zone: BLANK

Ocean Currents: Cold ocean currents, like the BLANK current, can cool off nearby areas (like BLANK), while warm ocean currents like the BLANK current can warm up nearby areas (like BLANK).

China

Countries in China

China is a single country.

Latitude and Longitude Ranges

Approximate latitude: 18°15′N to 53°30′N

Approximate longitude: 74°E to 134°30′°E

Coordinates of its capital, Beijing:

Latitude: 39°54′50″N

Longitude: 116°23′30″E

Elevation Range

Highest Spot: JASMINE! FILL THIS IN!!!!!

Lowest Spot: Turpan Pendi (the Turpan Depression) 700 meters

Major Topographic Features

Major Rivers:

• Hong Ze Hu

Volcanoes:

• Baekdu Mountain

• Honggeertu

• Holocene Jingbo

• Keluo Group

• Holocene Kunlun Volcanoes

• Leizhou Bandao

• Holocene Longgang Group

• Tengchong

• Tianshan Volcanic Group

• Turpan

• Holocene Wudalianchi

Mountains:

• Tai Shan

• Heng Shan Bei

• Hua Shan

• Heng Shan Nan

• Song Shan

Bordering Oceans

The Pacific Ocean,the Mediterranean Sea, and the China Sea border China.

=Climate (using Koppen Scale)

Using the Koppen Climate Scale, the climate is very arid and dry and humid subtropical in the country china. China's Year Average Temperature 11.8 °C, Year Average High Temperature 17.5 °C, Year Average Low Temperature 6.1 °C. The average annual rainfall 578 mm

Monthly Highs and Lows

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Average Monthly Rainfall

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Average Precipitation

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How These Things Affect China's Climate

Latitude:

Elevation:

Topography:

Proximity to Water;

Prevailing Winds:

Vegetation:

China is a High/Low Pressure Zone:

Ocean Currents:

Japan

Countries in Japan

Although it is a chain of islands, Japan is a single country.

Latitude and Longitude Ranges

• Latitude Range: about 24 degrees North to 44 degrees North

• Longitude Range about 123 degrees East to 145 degrees East

Elevation Range

Highest Spot: Fujiyama(3,776 meters)

Lowest Spot: Hachiro-gata (-4 meters)

Large Bodies Of Water

• Sea of Japan

• Philippine Sea

• East China Sea

Major Topographic Features

Volcanoes:

• Aso

• Bandai

• Fuji

• Iwo-Jima

• Kikai

• Kirishima

• Unzen

• Sakura-jima

• AsamaKomaga-take

• Oshima

• Suwanosejima

• Tokachi

• Yake-dake

• Usu

Japan contains four main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) and numerous smaller islands to the north and south, all prone to earthquakes.

Bordering Oceans

• North Pacific Ocean

Climate (using Koppen Scale)

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Monthly Highs and Lows

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Average Monthly Rainfall

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Average Precipitation

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How These Things Affect Japan's Climate

Latitude: Japan’s latitude is located in the temperate zone, a very similar latitude to that of Eastern United States. Because it is in this zone, the temperatures are usually warm and mild.

Elevation: Japan ranges in elevation from 500 feet, to around 5,000 feet. In the areas closer to sea level, like BLANK, it is generally warmer than those at the mountaintops, like Mount Fuji, where snow is common.

Topography: Japan is rugged and mountainous in most areas. On these mountains, precipitation is common and temperatures are colder. Once past a mountain, the air tends to be less saturated, and precipitation is less common.

Proximity to Water; Japan is a string of islands completely surrounded by water, which brings many rainy days and lots of typhoons (5-6 a year)

Prevailing Winds: In winter months, prevailing winds coming from the northwest provide large amounts of rainfall in cities such as Niigata, on the western side of Japan. In summer months, prevailing winds coming from the southeast lead to great amounts of rain in eastern cities, such as Tokyo.

Vegetation: Since the maritime location brings steady amounts of rain and constant humidity, rice, an essential food staple in many Asian countries, thrives in the area.

Japan is a High/Low Pressure Zone: BLANK BLANK BLANK.  :(

Ocean Currents:Major ocean currents in Japan including the warm Kuroshio current and the cold Oyashio Current. These currents affect Japan's climate by BLANK BLANK BLANK.

http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/kimmel/GRG301K/grg301kkoppen.html Cwa, Dfa, and Dfb zones Cwa: Humid, onshore movement in summer, cyclonic storms in winter Dfa: Humid continental hot summers with year round precipitation Dfb: Humid continental mild summer with year round rainfall

http://fairweatherfashion.wordpress.com/category/fashion-and-lifestyle/

Japan is a low pressure system

Average temperature of city in Dfa zone (Aomori): Jan: 34(high)-23(low), Feb: 35-22, Mar: 41-27, Apr: 55-36, May: 65-46, Jun: 70-55, July: 77-63, Aug: 81-66, Sept: 73-57, Oct: 63-44, Nov: 51-35, Dec: 39-28 Average precipitation (In order January through December): 6.7, 4.8, 3.2, 2.7, 2.8, 3.4, 4, 5.5, 5, 3.9, 5.3, 6.4

Average temp of Asahikawa (Dfb): 24/7, 26/8, 35/18, 50/31, 64/42, 72/52, 78/60, 79/61, 70/50, 57/38, 42/28, 30/17 Average precip: 2.9, 2, 2, 2, 2.6, 2.8, 3.8, 6.3, 5.2, 4.4, 4.6, 3.7

Average temp of tokyo (Cwa): 49/34 49/35 54/39 64/50 73/58 77/65 83/72 87/75 80/68 70/57 61/48 53/39 Average precip:1.8 2.4 3.9 4.9 5.4 7.3 5 5.8 7.1 6.5 3.5 1.8

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/