Georgaphical Essay Example
I grew up in Maple Heights, Ohio which borders Cleveland, Ohio on the Southeast Side. The coordinate system which consists of intersecting lines on a map show the latitude 41.404703 and longitude -81.557493 represents Maple Heights 1.
The Köppen system is the use of climate designation established on local patterns of recurrent temperature and rainfall. The system breaks down the world into six main climate classes. The first four are established on temperature components and include acceptable annual moisture. These classifications are represented by capital letter symbols: A – Tropical Moist Climates, B – Dry Climates, C – Moist Mid-Latitude Climates with Mild Winters, D – Moist Mid-Latitude Climates with Cold Winters, E – Polar Climates, and H – Highland Climates2. Maple Heights would be included in the D classification (Dfa) found on page 158 in our text book3 and the natural vegetation would be Broad-Leaf and Mixed Middle-Latitude Forest found on page 162 in our text book4.
“Maple Heights lies on 282m above sea level. Generally, it is cold and temperate in Maple Heights. There is a great deal of rainfall in Maple Heights, even in the driest month. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Dfa. The temperature here averages 9.5 C | 49.1 F. The annual rainfall is 966 mm | 38.0 inch5”. Maple Heights also gets lake effect snow6 which is snow that happens when bitter air, frequently beginning in Canada, blows over the open waters of the Great Lakes.
Maple Height got its name from the many Maple trees that are located within the city limits. In fact many species of trees are found in Maple Heights including oak, birch, poplar, ash trees, and pine trees. I grew up on the last street in Maple Height before entering Walton Hills; my house was not on the park side, but we grew up in the woods. The satellite map allows you to put in an address 16007 Woodbrook Avenue, Maple Heights, Ohio 44137 which is the address where I grew up. On the other side of the street the houses back onto to Bedford Reservation and Tinkers Creek runs through the park.
Maple Heights is located in Northeast Ohio so the climate would be considered a Humid Continental Climate per the “Köppen Climate Classification System” where our summers are hot and humid and are winters are cold and dry8.
The vegetation that would thrive and survive in a Dfa climate and the vegetation biomes9 that reflect Northeast Ohio need to be hardy10 because of our bitterly cold winters, but many animals thrive in a Dfa climate due to the many trees (berry trees included), shrubs, flowers and grasses found in the region.
The seven controls of climate are Latitude, Elevation (Altitude), Ocean Currents, Topography, Vegetation, Prevailing/Seasonal Winds, and Bodies of Water.
Latitude – The distance measured North or South of the equator. Latitude affects climate by proximity to the equator; closer to the equator the warmer the climate and the opposite if farther away.
Elevation – Distance of a place above sea level or ground level. The higher up you go the atmosphere becomes less dense, moisture declines, and temperatures lower.
Ocean Currents – Is a constant flow of ocean water from a one place to another. Ocean currents involve wind, water temperatures, salt content, and the moons gravity.
Topography – The natural appearance of an area of land; mountains and valleys affect flow of air, rain and temperature.
Vegetation – Plant life of an area or region; it affects the rays of solar energy from the surface of the Earth and the amount of water vapor in the air.
Prevailing Winds – The flow of air with respect to the surface of the Earth; prevailing winds affect the climate by the quantity of rain an area gets. Winds have different names depending on the direction or area they come from. The Coriolis Effect also influences winds.
Bodies of Water – Whether they are oceans, seas or large lakes all affect the climate because water cools and warms at a slower pace than do landmasses.