Latitude is considered the primary influence on climate, and latitudinal lines mark Earth's major climate zones. The latitude of a location determines how the sun affects it and its overall climate. Earth is divided into four major climates: equatorial, subtropical, intermediate and polar. Each of these regions has climatic norms, with the intermediate zone being most affected by secondary climatic influences.
Secondary influences on climate include topography, altitude, prevailing winds, ocean currents and cyclonic storms. These influences work with the latitudinal climate, giving different areas their specific climate, especially in intermediate zones. These secondary climate influences create sub-climates, such as marine, littoral and continental, each of which has unique climate patterns. Topography, such as mountain ranges, also affects climates by blocking weather patterns, as well as creating separate climates in higher elevations.
According to "Infoplease," marine climates influence the surrounding area by having less temperature fluctuation and heavier rainfall, mostly on the windward side of coastal highlands and mountainous islands. Also, littoral, or coastal, climates are mainly influenced by prevailing winds, causing eastern coasts to have more rainfall in trade-wind areas and west coasts to have heavier rain in areas dominated by westerly-wind belts.
The continental climate, most commonly located in interior regions, is mostly influenced by altitude and topographical factors in addition to latitude. Areas influenced by these factors normally have extreme seasonal temperature variations with sunny weather and low humidity. The Sahara Desert and Siberia are two extreme continental climate examples.
