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The smallest scale of climate variations can conveniently be termed local climates or microclimates. The spatial range of these varies from a few square centimetres, the conditions around a growing plant to a few square kilometres, the climate of a city. It is the micro-climate which we experience every day that dictates what crops we grow, that determines our home heating and cooling requirements and influences our city drainage system design. It is also on the micro-scale that human beings deliberately modify the climate to help meet our needs for comfort and also the scale upon which the major inadvertent modifications have already taken place.
The local climate/micro-climate depends for its general characteristics upon the regional climate and ultimately upon the global climate system. It is therefore useful to keep in mind constantly that the local climate of a particular place is a variation of the regional climate. Indeed the mechanisms acting to create a local climate are essentially the same as those creating the global climate. The major differences are those of emphasis. In particular, the character of the surface and how it varies spatially and interacts with the overlying atmosphere are the most vital considerations
The character of the surface includes aspects such as; the type of surface, whether it be of grass, forest, concrete, or water; the nature and size of upstanding objects such as fences, trees or tall buildings; the general topography of the area and its overall altitude, all influence the surface characteristics and their variations are the major determinant of local differences in the energy balance. The main physical consequence is that there are spatial temperature variations. These are likely to lead to air density and pressure differences, which can create local winds when the regional atmospheric conditions are favourable. These regional conditions are also greatly influenced by the surface characteristics to produce local cloud and precipitation regimes. These not only influence the local water balance but also the local energy balance thus bringing us full circle.
francis1897 answered the question on January 11, 2023 at 09:29
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