What causes climatic differences around the Tropics and what impact does this have on people and the environment?

Authors Avatar

What causes climatic differences around the Tropics and what impact does this have on people and the environment?

The Hadley Cell as shown below demonstrates how the three different climate types around the tropics are created from the high and low pressure in the area.

On either side of the equator the pressure is low and the air is rising due to the heat. This causes humid conditions with a lot of rain (Clouds can always be seen from the satellite map) and very high temperatures due to the proximity to the Sun. These are the best conditions for tree and plant life to grow and this is why rainforests are abundant in this area.

Join now!

In Savannah grasslands winds are high as the air is cooler and rushing back to the equator. These areas experience varying pressure from low to high producing a wet season and a dry season at different intervals of the year. This causes the vegetation to die back in the dry season due to lack of precipitation and flourish as soon as the wet season arrives due to the fact that the plants have adapted themselves to do this.

Outside of this area the Desert is located where conditions are harsh and vegetation rarely grows other than the cacti, which conserve ...

This is a preview of the whole essay