what is a climate map

A climate map is a graphical representation of the distribution of the prevailing weather patterns in a given area that has been observed over a long period of time. It shows the geographic distribution of the monthly or annual average values of climatic variables such as temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, percentage of possible sunshine, insolation, cloud cover, wind speed and direction, and atmospheric pressure over regions ranging in area from a few tens of square kilometers to global. Climate maps provide an overview of the climatic features over a large region and allow for the comparison of the climatic features in different regions. They can represent the climate of a country, region, continent, or the entire globe. Climate maps help scientists track and illustrate climate change in different regions. There are two main types of climate maps: temperature maps and precipitation maps. Temperature maps represent the average monthly temperature of a particular area over a period of time, while precipitation maps show the distribution of precipitation variables such as rainfall and snowfall in a given area. Climate maps may also show specific seasons, illustrating, for example, variability in temperature or precipitation through the year. Lines can be drawn connecting points which have the same value for a given factor to produce a “contour” map showing high and low areas for this factor. For example, lines connecting points of equal temperature are called isotherms, so a map with isotherms can show at a glance the variations in temperature within a region or the planet as a whole.