Regions having a subarctic climate (also called boreal climate) are characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and brief, mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N. Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the No such places exist in the Southern Hemisphere, so this climate does not exist outside the Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' These climates represent Koppen climate classification Dfc, Dwc, Dfd and Dwd. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist
This type of climate offers some of the most extreme seasonal temperature variations found on the planet: In winter, temperatures can drop to −40°C (also −40°F) and in summer, the temperature may exceed 30°C (86°F). However, the summers are short; no more than three months of the year (but at least one month) and must have a 24-hour average temperature of at least 10°C (50°F) to fall into this category of climate. The subarctic climate is a subset of the continental climate. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year The subarctic climate is found in the following areas:
- Northern North America, Europe and Asia not in United States (with the exception of Alaska)
- Much of Siberia
- The Western Alps between 1600 and 2100 meters (5,249 and 6,890 feet), Eastern Alps between 1450 and 1800 meters (4,757 and 5,905 feet) - France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Austria. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich
- Most of the Northwestern Federal District, Russia
- Much of northern Mongolia
- The northern half of Scandinavia (milder winters in coastal areas)
- Most of Alaska
- Much of Canada from about 50-55°N to the tree line, including:
- Southern Labrador
- Certain areas within Newfoundland interior and along its northern coast
- Northern Quebec except for the far north
- Far northern Ontario
- The northern Prairie Provinces
- Most of the Yukon
- Most of the Northwest Territories
With 5-7 consecutive months where the average temperature is below freezing, all moisture in the soil and subsoil freezes solidly to depths of many feet. Northwestern Federal District (Се́веро-За́падный федера́льный о́круг tr Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The tree line or timberline is the edge of the habitat at which Trees are capable of growing Modern Labrador Just like its island neighbour Newfoundland early settlement in Labrador was tied to the sea as demonstrated by the Montagnais, Innu and Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The Canadian Prairies is a region in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions natural or political Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. The Northwest Territories (ˌnɔrθˌwɛstˈtɛrɨtɔriz ( NWT or NT; French, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is a territory Summer warmth is insufficient to thaw more than a few surface feet, so permafrost prevails under large areas. Seasonal thaw penetrates from 2 to 14 ft (0. 6 to 4 m), depending on latitude, aspect, and type of ground. [1] Some northern areas with subarctic climates located near oceans (southern Alaska and the northern fringe of Europe), have milder winters and no permafrost, and are thus more suited for farming. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent
The frost-free season is very short, varying from about 45 to 100 days at most, and a freeze can occur during any month in many areas. Vegetation in a subarctic climate is generally of low diversity, as only hardy species can survive the long winters and make use of the short summers. Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region it refers to the Ground cover provided by plants Trees are mostly limited to ferns and evergreen conifers, as few broadleaved trees are able to survive the very low temperatures in winter. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or This type of forest is also known as taiga, a term which is sometimes applied to the climate found therein as well. Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests Even though the diversity may be low, numbers are high, and the taiga (boreal) forest is the largest forest biome on the planet, with most of the forests located in Russia and Canada.
Agricultural potential is generally poor, due to the natural infertility of soils and the prevalence of swamps and lakes left by departing ice sheets, and short growing seasons prohibit all but the hardiest of crops. An ice sheet is a mass of Glacier Ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50000 km² (20000 mile²) (Despite the short season, the long summer days at such latitudes do permit some agriculture. ) In some areas, ice has scoured rock surfaces bare, entirely stripping off the overburden. Elsewhere rock basins have been formed and stream courses dammed, creating countless lakes. [1]
There is very little precipitation, no more than 15 inches (38 cm) over an entire year and, away from the coasts, occurs mostly in the warmer months. Low precipitation, by the standards of more temperate regions with longer and warmer winters, is typically sufficient in view of the very low evapotranspiration to allow a water-sogged terrain in many areas of subarctic climate. Evapotranspiration (ET is a term used to describe the sum of Evaporation and Plant Transpiration from the earth's land surface to Atmosphere
Should one go poleward or even toward a polar sea, one finds that the warmest month has an average temperature of less than 10°C (50°F), and the subarctic climate grades into a tundra climate even less suitable for trees. In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons
Sample locations with such climates[2]:
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Whitehorse, Yukon
- Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
- Thompson, Manitoba
- Moosonee, Ontario
- Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Rovaniemi, Finland
- Kiruna, Sweden
- Luleå, Sweden
- Røros, Norway
- Hammerfest, Norway
- Murmansk, Russia
- Arkhangelsk, Russia
- Irkutsk, Russia
- Chita, Russia
- Livigno, Italy
- Saint Moritz, Switzerland
- Trepalle, Italy - some areas ET
- Samedan, Switzerland
- Santa Caterina di Valfurva, Italy
Sample locations with the extreme Dfd climate include:
- Oymyakon, Russia
- Verkhoyansk, Russia
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