Climatic geomorphology
23
/I>2000
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600- looo
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%
6o- 6oo
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,,,
Figure 1.9. World distribution of fluvial erosion (Fournier, 1960).
Chorley et al. (1984) pointed out that a simple morphoclimatic classification may be
developed considering parameters such as mean annual temperature, mean annual
precipitation and seasonality, expressed by the temperature of the warmest month or by the
number of months with precipitation up to 50 mm (Fig. 1.10). The diagram of this figure
is composed of eight different regions that may be divided in two main groups:
'900 O
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TROPICAL
@a"o
LATiTU D E'~"X,~/~ IUMID~ %
..,eo
TEMPERATURE WARMEST MONTH (~
I NUMBER OF MONTHS
COLD - WARM
> 50 mm RAINFALL
DRY - WET
SEASONALITY
Figure 1.10. Main present morphoclimatic zones classified according to mean annual temperature (~
mean annual precipitation (mm), mean number of wet months (> 50 mm) and mean temperature of
warmest month (~ (Chorley et al., 1984).