Europe

Group members: Arlo Houston & Brenda Bonanno
(with advice from Ela Czyzowska)

	Political Map		Circulation Controls
	Climate Regions		Physical Setting & Vegetation

Trewartha Classification and climographs from selected cities within Europe-

Western Europe is the most maritime of all the continents. Large areas are affected by maritime influences as seen by the temperature ranges in the climographs.

As shown by the DEM of the physical setting of Europe there are no north-south aligned mountain ranges to affect westerly flow. Europe is affected by the North Atlantic Drift current which is the extension of the Gulf Stream and as a result experiences relatively warm sea surface temperatures for such a northerly latitude. There are also large inland seas that have an effect on the weather of Europe. The large mountain ranges in the north in Finland and in the south have a more local impact on those areas and to not tend to affect Europe as a whole when considering the circulation pattern is dominantly west-to-east.

Omega Blocking that can affect synoptic patterns for long periods
North Atlantic Drift influence on a mid to high latitude area
Most maritime of all the continents
There is a strong and persistent westerly circulation leading to a predominant pattern of European weather systems

The Icelandic Low and Azores high are two main contributors to climate controls in Europe with the Icelandic Low strongest in winter and the Azores High weakest in March and strongest in July. The western end of the Siberian High can reach out and have an influence during colder months on Europe. The Mediterranean Sea is an area of almost constant cyclogenesis except in summer and affects much of the area. Omega Blocking occurs mainly in the North Atlantic but the effects are felt across Europe as synoptic weather patterns are disturbed.