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Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 12:22 am
by Orion
This is picking up where I left off with the previous lists and working on some new ideas. The first approach to this will be to classify the major areas and landmasses on Micras (as listed below already - unless I've missed something) and then provide some detailed climatological analyses of each area.

The first step in determining climate is to base the proposed data on the Köppen climate classification system. This divides climates into a few groups, listed as follows:

GROUP A: Tropical/megathermal climates
GROUP B: Dry (arid and semiarid) climates
GROUP C: Temperate/mesothermal climates
GROUP D: Continental/microthermal climate
GROUP E: Polar climates
GROUP H: Alpine climates

Using this information, we can then loosely place regions of a selected continent or area within its corresponding group. See the example of Benacia below.

Benacia

Region: Southern Benacia
Climate: Group C

Region: Northern Benacia
Climate: Group E

Region: Western Benacia
Climate: Group D

Region: Central-Eastern Benacia
Climate: Group C

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:38 pm
by Henzelli
I will definitely be interested in this endeavor. :D

I'm familiar with the classification system, though I would like to ask before we get too far involved, would the tropics still be calculated at the +/- 15* latitudes?

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:38 pm
by Orion
Since Micras mimics Earth in nearly all respects, I imagine such matters as the equator and tropics will also remain the same.

They may be slightly different based on ocean currents, which is something else I'd like to map out. Given the distribution of islands and continents, the flow of currents will be different than that of Earth, which will affect climate distribution to some extent.

I'm also waiting to hear the final verdict on the pixel-size amendment, which may change the diameter of Micras somewhat. Other data, such as distance from the sun, also needs to be considered. But I need to locate that data first - I know Spangle worked that stuff out, but I'm not sure where he put it!

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:06 pm
by Duke_J
Henzelli wrote:would the tropics still be calculated at the +/- 15* latitudes?
I was about to ask for the same thing, in order to know how can we distribute the climate areas... I believe I can help a little on this as well

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2011 5:20 am
by Shyriath
*Starts knocking together some basic sketches of possible atmospheric and oceanic circulation*

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:03 am
by Shyriath
Okay, I've come up with a basic chart of prevailing winds and major ocean currents. They've almost certainly got flaws; the prevailing winds (in black) are extremely idealized, and I'm not sure where the boundary between the polar- and mid-latitude- atmospheric cells should be. That, in turn, has an effect on exactly how the ocean currents (red for warm, blue for cold) very close the poles behave. But for most of the map, it should at least give an idea as to how things should go.

I already have a very strong suspicion that central Apollonia is really damn dry.

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:54 am
by Duke_J
NIce warm see on Hamland and Taeland!

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:27 am
by Orion
Wonderful! This will certainly help with determining climate distribution. I'd say it's a fairly accurate representation. The border between polar and mid-latitude atmospheric cells should be at about 60 degrees or thereabouts. Central Benacia, Apollonia, and Keltia are all going to be fairly arid (Apollonia definitely so). Keltia, due to the additional lakes, may get some reprieve and be more like Siberia.

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:46 pm
by Shyriath
Wonderful! This will certainly help with determining climate distribution. I'd say it's a fairly accurate representation. The border between polar and mid-latitude atmospheric cells should be at about 60 degrees or thereabouts.
I had thought so, but the reason I'm worrying is that, although I based the polar ocean currents on the way they seem to work on Earth, many of them nonetheless seem to be going against what I would expect to be prevailing winds.

Ah well... Maybe better not to worry about it.
Central Benacia, Apollonia, and Keltia are all going to be fairly arid (Apollonia definitely so). Keltia, due to the additional lakes, may get some reprieve and be more like Siberia.
It's going to depend a lot on the latitude, too. For example, Siberia, being far from most major sources of water, doesn't get all that much precipitation, but because it's in a region where evaporation is even lower, it can still hold on to enough water to sustain taiga growth.

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:41 pm
by Duke_J
I've been trying to set the tropics and the polar circles, in order to get to determinate the polar zones and the inter-tropical zone. I'm no specialist on this, so here are my two cents:

Image

Maybe this will help. I will also try to extrapolate earth to micras to get an idea of the climate zones and how they could be here

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:28 pm
by SaiKar
Amity is the most tropical island evah!

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:40 pm
by Craitman
We have a polar capital... Cool...

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:36 am
by Orion
Shyriath wrote:I had thought so, but the reason I'm worrying is that, although I based the polar ocean currents on the way they seem to work on Earth, many of them nonetheless seem to be going against what I would expect to be prevailing winds.

Ah well... Maybe better not to worry about it.
Don't over-analyze it. ;) It is never going to be a perfect system. The most we can do is our best and let it be at that. I think, if anything, we need to look at continental distribution and make sure flow takes into account obvious channelization of the wind streams.
Shyriath wrote:It's going to depend a lot on the latitude, too. For example, Siberia, being far from most major sources of water, doesn't get all that much precipitation, but because it's in a region where evaporation is even lower, it can still hold on to enough water to sustain taiga growth.
Yes and no. Latitude certainly plays an important factor, but Siberia is also traversed by several major rivers (Ob, Irtysh, Lena, Selenga, etc). It also has a major aquifer under it and the largest source of freshwater in the world (Lake Baikal). Mid/northern Keltia is more apt to be like Siberia because it has the latitude and the water sources - which is what I should have said rather than generalizing the whole thing.


Duke_J's map seems pretty good for starters and I think the ITCZ and polar zones are fairly accurately mapped.

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:21 am
by Shyriath
True, but having big rivers and lakes around isn't necessarily enough. Take the Aral Sea (at least, before it started drying up) and its main tributaries; aside from the fertile land immediately adjacent to them, they sit in the middle of desert, and that's even with the Caspian Sea not all that far away.

...I think I just overanalyzed again. :P Either way, you're likely right about Keltia.
Craitman wrote:We have a polar capital... Cool...
Cold, rather. :mrgreen:

Re: Climate Data (Working thread)

Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 5:20 am
by Brian Barry
Ooh I like this a lot :) A1 can has tropical climate :D