Climate of Colombia
The Climate of Colombia is characterized for being
Climate zones
The climates in Colombia are characterized for having
Tropical rainforest
The tropical rainforest climate is characterized by hot and high humidity climate along with heavy rainfall mostly present in the jungles of the Catatumbo, the Amazon river basin the central region of the Magdalena River, the Pacific coast, the paru and others.
Tropical savanna
Steppe
Tropical desert
Tropical mountain climate
Mountain climate is one of the unique features of the Andes, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and other high altitude reliefs where climate is determined by elevation. (Spanish: Pisos termicos), a classification used in some countries but with variations in the classification of each floor.[4]
- Warm climate altitudinal zone
The warm altitudinal zone oscillates between sea level and 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level with a temperature over 24 °C (75.2 °F). Climate in this step is characterized for its similarities with the equatorial and tropical plains, heavy rains and high temperatures. Temperatures can reach over 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) as it is the case of the Magdalena river valley, which has many areas with jungles. This altitudinal zone is present in the cities like Santa Marta, Neiva, Cali, and Cúcuta.
- Temperate climate altitudinal zone
Between 1,000 and 2,000 meters (3,281 and 6,562 ft) above sea level the temperature drops oscillating between 17 and 22 °C (62.6 and 71.6 °F) defining it as a temperate climate. Rainfall becomes variable at 1,700 meters (5,577 ft) above sea level and rains between 2,000 and 2,500 mm (78.7 and 98.4 in) . This climate is a characteristic in the cities like Pereira, Armenia, Ibagué, Popayán, and Medellín.
- Cold climate altitudinal zone
The cold climate is present between 2,000 and 3,000 meters (6,562 and 9,843 ft) above sea level and is characterized for having Andean or
- Páramo climate altitudinal zone
The Páramo climate is present between 3,000 and 4,000 meters (9,843 and 13,123 ft) above sea level and the temperature is lower than 10 °C (50 °F) with icy winds, rare rainfall but frequent snowfall. Colombia has one of the largest páramo areas in the world; the Sumapaz Páramo located in central Colombia, over the Andean Cordillera Oriental branch. In Colombia páramos are further classified as subpáramo, páramo and superpáramo. Most of the rivers in Colombia are born here since páramos tend to hold water from precipitations and deglaciations coming from the peaks.[5]
- Glacial climate altitudinal zone
The
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Ice cap climate in the Nevado del Ruiz
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Sumapaz Paramo
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Tota Lake
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Amazon Rainforest
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San Andrés y Providencia
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Mountain climate in the Cordillera Occidental
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tepuys of the Serranía de Chiribiquete
References
- ^ (in Spanish) International Universia: Climate of Colombia Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine International Universia Accessed 23 August 2007.
- ^ "Climate of Colombia" Encyclopædia Britannica Accessed 23 August 2007
- ^ "Colombian Embassy in Tokio: Climate of Colombia". Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
- ^ TodaColombia.com: Thernal Floors in Colombia todacolombia.com Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ (in Spanish) Memo.com.co: Páramos of Colombia memo.com.co Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ 63rd Eastern Snow Conference: Retreat of Tropical Glaciers in Colombia and Venezuela from 1984 to 2004 as Measured from ASTER and Landsat Images Archived 2007-09-26 at the Wayback Machine easternsnow.org Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ The Guardian: Cities in peril as Andean glaciers melt guardian.co.uk Accessed 24 August 2007.
- ^ USGS: Glaciers of Colombia Archived 2008-08-21 at the Wayback Machine USGS Accessed 24 August 2007.