Tundra climate (ET)
Topic: World Climate Classification: Koeppen's Scheme · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 11 "World Climate and Climate Change"
Meaning
The tundra climate (ET) is a polar climate in which the warmest month is between 0°C and 10°C. There is no true summer, but summer days are very long. The climate takes its name from its vegetation of mosses, lichens and low flowering plants. The ground below is permafrost, meaning ground that stays frozen for at least two years in a row. Only a thin top "active layer" thaws in summer. Water cannot drain through the frozen ground below it, so the surface gets waterlogged and only low plants can grow.
Example
Northern Canada, Alaska, Siberia and coastal Greenland have a tundra climate. Thawing permafrost there releases methane and carbon dioxide, which add to warming. The thaw also damages roads, buildings and pipelines, as in the 2020 Norilsk fuel spill.
Don't confuse with
- Ice cap climate (EF): EF stays below 0°C all year and is covered by ice sheets. Tundra has a short thaw and plant cover over permafrost, not an ice cap.