Knowra Mediterranean climate Mediterranean climate A climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. It occurs around the Mediterranean Sea and in analogous regions on several continents.
Subtropical ridge : A belt of high atmospheric pressure near 30° latitude where air descends and suppresses cloud formation. Its poleward summer shift blocks rain-bearing storms from many Mediterranean-climate regions.
Mediterranean Basin : The lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant. This region gives the climate its name and contains its largest continuous area.
Mediterranean agriculture : Farming systems adapted to Mediterranean climates, including cereals, vineyards, and olive cultivation. Crops and planting calendars must accommodate summer drought and winter rain.
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub : A biome of drought-adapted forests, woodlands, and shrublands found in several subtropical regions. Its vegetation is shaped by the climate’s long dry summers and mild winters.
Westerlies : Prevailing midlatitude winds that generally blow from west to east. Their winter storm systems bring much of the rainfall to Mediterranean-climate coasts.
California chaparral and woodlands : An ecoregion of California and northern Baja California with shrublands, woodlands, and seasonal drought. Its dry summers and winter rains make it a major North American example.
Olive cultivation : The growing of olive trees for fruit and oil, especially in regions with hot, dry summers. Olives tolerate seasonal drought and have long been central to regional agriculture.
Sclerophyll vegetation : Vegetation with hard, small, often leathery leaves that reduce water loss. These traits help plants endure the recurring summer water deficit.
Hadley cell : A tropical atmospheric circulation in which air rises near the equator and descends in the subtropics. Its descending branch helps create the high-pressure belts behind summer dryness.
Central Chile : The temperate region of Chile around Santiago and Valparaíso, between the Atacama Desert and southern Chile. Its Mediterranean-like rainfall cycle occurs on the Pacific side of South America.
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