Deserts
Comparing Climatographs
Subtropical deserts, are the driest and hottest, temperate deserts, which have sufficient precipitation to
support some plantlife, and polar deserts, which are equally dry but frozen much of the year.
For this assignment, you will be given data from three specific locations on the Earth. For each location,
construct a climatograph, a combined chart showing the precipitation and temperature levels across an
average year.
Doha, Qatar
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
High Temperature (F)
72
73
81
91
102
108
108
106
102
95
86
77
High Temperature (C)
22
23
27
33
39
42
42
41
39
35
30
25
Precipitation (inches)
0.6
0.2
0.4
0.1
0.2
0.0
0.0
0.1
0.2
0.0
0.4
0.4
Precipitation (mm)
15
5
10
2
4
0
0
3
4
1
11
11
Source: www.myweather2.com
1. Does the data suggest this location is a subtropical desert, temperate desert, or polar desert?
Explain.
2. Define when each season occurs during the year based on this data. Define spring, summer,
autumn, and winter for temperature-based seasons, or dry season and we season for precipitationbased seasons.
Las Vegas, Nevada
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
High Temperature (F)
60
64
73
81
91
100
106
104
97
82
68
59
High Temperature (C)
15
18
23
27
33
38
41
40
36
28
20
15
Precipitation (inches)
0.6
1.0
0.5
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.4
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.5
Precipitation (mm)
15
25
13
4
2
2
9
9
7
8
8
12
Source: www.myweather2.com
3. Does the data suggest this location is a subtropical desert, temperate desert, or polar desert?
Explain.
4. Define when each season occurs during the year based on this data. Define spring, summer,
autumn, and winter for temperature-based seasons, or dry season and we season for precipitationbased seasons.
McMurdo Station
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
High Temperature (F)
27
16
0
-6
-8
-9
-15
-15
-13
-2
14
27
High Temperature (C)
-3
-9
-18
-21
-22
-23
-26
-26
-25
-19
-10
-3
Precipitation (inches)
0.6
0.8
0.9
0.7
0.9
0.9
0.6
0.4
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.6
Precipitation (mm)
15
21
24
18
23
24
16
11
12
10
9
16
5. Does the data suggest this location is a subtropical desert, temperate desert, or polar desert?
Explain.
6. Define when each season occurs during the year based on this data. Define spring, summer,
autumn, and winter for temperature-based seasons, or dry season and we season for precipitationbased seasons.