LAURENTIAN CLIMATE OR COOL TEMPERATE EASTERN MARINE CLIMATE

• Intermediate type of climate between the British Type Climate (moderate)and the Taiga Type Climate (extreme) of climate.
• It has features of boththe maritime and the continental climates.

DISTRIBUTION OF LAURENTIAN CLIMATE

• Laurentian type of climate is found only in two regions and that too only in the northern hemisphere.

NORTH AMERICAN REGION

• North-eastern North America, including eastern Canada, north-east U.S.A., and Newfoundland. This may be referred to as the North American region.

ASIATIC REGION

• Eastern coastlands of Asia, including eastern Siberia, North China, Manchuria, Korea, and northern Japan.

ABSENT IN SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

• In the southern hemisphere only a small section of continents extends south of 40°S latitude.
• Some of these small sections come under the rain-shadow region of Andes (Patagonia) and hence Westerlies hardly ever reach these regions.
• So, these regions are subjected to aridityrather than continentality.
• In other regions, the oceanic influence is so profound that neither the continental nor the eastern margin type of climate exists.

LAURENTIAN CLIMATE

TEMPERTATURE

• Characterized by cold, dry winters and warm, wet summers.
• Winter temperatures is below freezing point and snow fall is quite natural.
• Summers are as warm as the tropics (~25 °C).

PRECIPITATION

• Rainfall occurs throughout the year with summer maxima[easterly winds from the oceans bring rains]
• Annual rainfall ranges from 75 to 150 cm [two – thirds of rainfall occur in the summer].
• Dry Westerliesthat blow from continental interiors dominate winters.

THE NORTH AMERICAN REGION

• In summer, prolonged heat waves cause discomfort.
• In winter, the temperature drops below freezing and snowfall occurs.
• Precipitation occurs all-round the yeardue to the influence of Atlantic Ocean (summer) and the Great Lakes (winter).
• The warm Gulf Streamincreases the moisture of easterly winds.
• The prevailing Westerlies carry depressions over the Great Lakes towards eastern regions causing wet conditions in winter [vital for the agricultural activities].
• Convergence of the warm Gulf Stream and the cold Labrador Current near Newfoundland produces dense mist and fog and gives rise to much precipitation.
• It is said that Newfoundland experiences more drizzlesthan any other part of the world