Climatology intro

1. INTRODUCTION
Climate means a region with a certain condition of
temperature, dryness, wind, light, etc..
It is rather an integration in time of physical states of
atmospheric environment, characteristics of geographical
location.
Weather is the momentary state of atmospheric
environment at a certain location .
Climate can be called the integration of time of weather
condition.
Climate has 4 major elements:-
EARTH – soil
WATER – humidity
FIRE – sun and temperature
AIR – wind

2. ARCHITECTURAL CLIMATOLOGY
Architecture is all about ART and
TECHNOLOGY.
It includes public services, water supply and
drainage, air conditioning, ventilation, lighting,
etc.
it is the basic science a designer is concerned
about.
It involves majorly on:-
climatic elements how they are behaving on us
how to be benefited by these climatic elements
how to protect ourselves from the adverse effect of
climatic elements
The major steps in architectural climatology
are:-

4. Site planning in landscape architecture and architecture refers to the organizational
stage of the design process.
It involves the organization of land use zoning, access, circulation, privacy, security,
shelter, land drainage, and other factors.
This is done by arranging the compositional elements of landform, planting, water,
buildings and paving and building.
Site planning generally begins by assessing a potential site for development through site
analysis.
Information about slope, soils, hydrology, vegetation, parcel ownership, orientation, etc.
are assessed and mapped.
By determining areas that are poor /better for development, the architect can assess
optimal location and design a structure that works there.
So the major concerns of planning are:-
Topography
Air temperature
Humidity
Precipitation
Air movement
Vegetation and local factors

5. TOPOGRAPHY
 topography is concerned with local
detail in general, including not only
relief but also vegetative and human-
made features, and even local
history and culture.
 TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING
 In its contemporary definition,
topographic mapping shows relief. In
the United States, USGS topographic
maps show relief using contour lines.
 These maps show not only the
contours, but also any significant
streams or other bodies of water,
forest cover, built-up areas or

6. The Elements of Climate :-Climatology is the study of the long-term state of the atmosphere, or
climate.
The long-term state of the atmosphere is a function of a variety of interacting elements.
They are: -
1. Solar radiation
2. Air masses
3. Pressure systems (and cyclone belts)
4. Ocean Currents
5. Topography
1. Solar radiation :-
• Solar radiation is probably the most important element of climate.
• Solar radiation first and foremost heats the Earth's surface which in turn determines the
temperature of the air above.
• The receipt of solar radiation drives evaporation, so long as there is water available.
• Heating of the air determines its stability, which affects cloud development and
precipitation.
• Unequal heating of the Earth's surface creates pressure gradients that result in wind.
2. Air masses :-
• Air masses as an element of climate subsumes the characteristics of temperature, humidity,
and stability.
• Location relative to source regions of air masses in part determines the variation of the day-
to-day weather and long-term climate of a place.
• For instance, the stormy climate of the mid latitudes is a product of lying in the boundary
zone of greatly contrasting air masses called the polar front.

7. 3.Pressure systems :-
•Pressure systems have a direct impact on the precipitation characteristics of different climate
regions.
•In general, places dominated by low pressure tend to be moist, while those dominated by high
pressure are dry.
•The seasonality of precipitation is affected by the seasonal movement of global and regional
pressure systems. Climates located at 10o to 15o of latitude experience a significant wet period
when dominated by the Intertropical Convergence Zone and a dry period when the Subtropical
High moves into this region.
•Likewise, the climate of Asia is impacted by the annual fluctuation of wind direction due to the
monsoon.
• Pressure dominance also affects the receipt of solar radiation. Places dominated by high
pressure tend to lack cloud cover and hence receive significant amounts of sunshine, especially
in the low latitudes.
4.Ocean Currents :-
•Ocean currents greatly affect the temperature and precipitation of a climate.
•Those climates bordering cold currents tend to be drier as the cold ocean water helps stabilize
the air and inhibit cloud formation and precipitation.
•Air traveling over cold ocean currents lose energy to the water and thus moderate the
temperature of nearby coastal locations.
•Air masses traveling over warm ocean currents promote instability and precipitation.
Additionally, the warm ocean water keeps air temperatures somewhat warmer than locations
just inland from the coast during the winter.

8. 5.Topography :-
•Topography affects climate in a variety of ways.
•The orientation of mountains to the prevailing wind affects precipitation.
•Windward slopes, those facing into the wind, experience more precipitation due to orographic
uplift of the air.
• Leeward sides of mountains are in the rain shadow and thus receive less precipitation.
•Air temperatures are affected by slope and orientation as slopes facing into the Sun will be
warmer than those facing away.
•Temperature also decreases as one moves toward higher elevations.
•Mountains have nearly the same affect as latitude does on climate.
•On tall mountains a zonation of climate occurs as you move towards higher elevation.

9. climate classification system.
The system is based on the concept that native vegetation is the best expression of
climate. Thus, climate zone boundaries have been selected with vegetation
distribution in mind. It combines average annual and monthly temperatures and
precipitation, and the seasonality of precipitation.
1 .1 GROUP A: Tropical Climate
1.2 GROUP B: Dry (arid and semiarid) Climate
1.3 GROUP C: Mild Temperate Climate
1.4 GROUP D: Continental Climate
1.5 GROUP E: Polar Climate

13. ORIENTATION:-
•A buildings orientation is important to its
overall energy efficiency, this article explains
this in detail and describes the steps you need
to take to get best benefit from the correct
orientation. This could save you thousands
whilst reducing your impact on
the environment.
•A correctly orientated building can save a lot of
money in no longer required heating and cooling
costs expenditure - in effect the building itself
maintains a comfortable environment for you
with little additional costs. This is especially
relevant with rising fuels bills and the increasing
costs of electricity. By simply building this way, a
house can reduce its heating and cooling costs
by 85%.
•An extra benefit is that there is nothing as such
to break down or fail with the orientation, hence
it being called 'Passive Solar', so nearly zero
maintenance costs to incur during the lifetime of
the building.
The ideal house solar orientation for
Passive Solar benefit is that the main
long axis of the building runs East-West,
i.e the ridge line. You can move this by as
much as 20 degrees without ill effect, but
the most glass on the building must be
facing towards the Sun.
When deciding the building orientation
also take into account the location of
landscape features on your plot , i.e.
trees and walls, etc which will impact on
how you harness the Sun. Ideally you do
not want them blocking the Sun light as
the Sun tracks across the sky in Winter.
So trees with high branches as especially
beneficial if placed to the East or West of
the building, as they will shade in
Summer let allow the Sun light through
in Winter.
Ideal Building orientation

14. Orientate your building to use the Sun to your advantage
•The fact the Sun is lower in the sky in
Winter than in Summer allows us to plan
and construct buildings that capture that
free heat in Winter and reject the
unneeded heat in Summer. The solar
orientation of the whole building plays an
important part in ensuring such a 'passive'
process works consistently. Please refer to
the diagram below for an explanation.
•The 'trick' with Passive Solar is in
Summer to use shade to block the Sun
heating up the interior of the property,
but do so that is just enough to to stop it;
then when the Sun goes lower in the
Winter that shade is no longer enough to
prevent the Sun coming into the property
and you get free heat just when you need
it.