Background Lessons for Journey North

Global Climates and Seasons
A Look at Temperature and Precipitation

How many seasons are there? Many people in the United States and Canada wouldn't hesitate to say "four"! But not every region on the globe has four distinct seasons. Many only have two, a wet and a dry season.

Several factors affect a region's climate and the number of seasons it experiences. On these animated maps, you can see and explore how two important factors change globally during a year, temperature and precipitation.

Animations of Earth's Climate
Temperature
Click for larger animated map of global air temperatures during one year. As you watch the animation several times, answer the questions that follow it.
Precipitation
Click for a larger animated map of global precipitation during one year. As you watch the animation several times, answer the questions that follow it.