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<b>El
Sur del Sur <br>
The Southernmost South<br>
</b> <a href="indexingles.html" target=_top>Our
Land<b><br>
</b></a><b>CLIMATE</b>
<b>D</b>ue
to its vast territory, Argentina presents a remarkable <b>climatic diversity</b>.
In this sense, various geographic factors have a direct bearing, determining
the climatic characteristics of the different regions.<br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">One
of these factors is latitude: the <b>Argentine Republic</b> is characterized
by its great latitudinal development: from <b>21º 46'</b> to <b>55º
58' S</b>. This is basically the origin of the <b>climatic variation</b> in
the country. <br>
<br>
Otherwise, the mountain
ranges extending from north to south in the Argentine west are a relief factor
facilitating the circulation of air masses in the east of the country and determining
<b>different kinds of winds</b>.<br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">Furthermore,
relief influences temperatures insofar as the higher the altitude, the lower
the temperature.<br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">The
presence of the <b>sea</b>, which, in the case of the <b>Argentine territory</b>,
constitutes a natural boundary to the east, exercises a moderating action, diminishing
the thermal range. <br>
<br>
Different <b>meteorological
factors</b> act on the Argentine territory, some of them are local, whereas
the others originate beyond the Argentine boundaries, such is the case of the
warm and humid winds coming from the <b>Atlantic anticyclone</b> and affecting
the regions located to the north of <b>Patagonia</b> or the west winds coming
from the <b>Pacific anticyclone</b>, as well as the cold winds from the <b>Antarctic
anticyclone</b>. These three winds affect the Argentine climate in a permanent
way, unlike the local winds, which include: <br>
<br>
<b>The
Zonda,</b> which is warm and dry, generally blowing between May and October
and originating to the east of the pre-cordillera in <b>La Rioja, San Juan and
Mendoza</b>; <br>
<b>The Sudestada,</b>which originates in the <b>Pampa
littoral </b>and is characterized by its high humidity content; <br>
<b>The Pampero,</b> coming from the south-west, is
cold and dry, and blows mainly in summer, after several days of constant increase
of temperature and humidity; <br>
<b> Tornadoes,</b> Tornadoes, which consist in an
air mass in the form of a vertical funnel reaching a rotating movement of about
310 mph (500 kmph), originate between October and March in the <b>Plata Basin</b>.
<br>
Besides, there
are also frequent <b>snowfalls</b> in the <b>Andean area</b>, as well as<b>
frosts</b> (if only coincidentally with the advance of cold winds from the
South Pacific or in high mountain areas and the Patagonian plateaus) and <b>hail</b>,
which can fall in the whole territory, especially between September and December.
KINDS
OF CLIMATE<br>
<b>Warm:</b><br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">It
is found in the north-eastern angle of Argentina. Due to the decrease of the
oceanic influence towards the west and to the modifications of the mountainous
relief, there are three varieties of this kind of climate: <b>sub-tropical
without dry season</b>, <b>sub-tropical with dry season</b> and <b>sub-tropical
of the sierras</b>.
<b>
Mild:</b><br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">The
amount and distribution of rainfalls determine two varieties of mild climate:
to the east, the <b>"Pampeano" (of Pampa) or humid</b> and to the west,
there is <b>a transition band towards arid climate</b>. The average temperature
is 59º F (15º C).
<b>
Cold:</b><br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">There
are two kinds: the <b>humid or oceanic cold</b>, with an average temperature
of around 45º F (7º C), and the <b>nival cold</b> prevailing in
Antarctica.
<b>Arid:
</b><br>
<IMG WIDTH=15 HEIGHT=10 vspace=0 hspace=0 border=0 align=BASELINE src="../../iconos/b88p.gif">According
to the altitude and latitude, this climate shows four varieties: <b>"high-mountain"
arid</b>, with a temperature depending on altitude and a very wide thermal range;
<b>"sierras-and-fields""arid</b> with an average temperature of about 18º
C; the <b>"steppe" arid</b>, with an average temperature of around 18º
F (15º C) and presenting frequent frosts, which occur even in summer; and
<b>cold arid</b>, with an average temperature of about 50º F (10º
C), a fairly wide thermal range and frosts occurring the whole year.
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