A reflection on the Differences between Weather Phenomena in Mayo Village, YT and Tehran, IR

Graphic Source:http://www.nationsonline.org/maps/political_world_map3000.jpg Accessed and Edited: 2011 Nov 13

NSS Geography. Air Masses. Accessed: 2011 Nov 12. http://www.nssgeography.com/physical%20web/Unit%20Climate%20and%20Weather/Air%20Masses2.htm

Mayo, Yukon and Tehran, Iran are located in very different places of the earth. Contrasting weather phenomena such as noticeable differences in temperature, precipitation, and received solar insolation are attributed mostly to the latitudinal difference.  Mayo, YT is located at a high, polar latitude and is a source region for continental polar air masses. Tehran, IR is located on the 35th parallel, commonly known as the horse latitude, and is primarily effected by the continental tropical air mass that originates in the vast expanse of northern central Africa.

As observed on the charts, Mayo Village experiences substantially lower temperatures throughout the year than Tehran, IR. Majority of precipitation in Tehran falls during winter/spring months whereas Mayo experiences a majority of it's precipitation during summer/autumn months. Orographic cyclogenesis occurs in Tehran during the winter bringing lots of precipitation to the coastal areas in the form of both rain and heavy, wet snow. This phenomena does not occur in Mayo Village. Mayo Village experiences orographic blocking on the lee side of the St Elias mountain range, and precipitation is lowest in the winter with snow conditions being dry and powdery. Sunlight during the winter months for Tehran is at max of ~10 hours, whereas sunlight in Mayo is at a max of ~2 hours. Sunlight during the summer months in Tehran is at a max of ~16 hours whereas in Mayo sunlight is at a maximum of ~23 hours. The lack of sunlight in Mayo during the winter is another factor driving intensely low temperatures in comparison to Tehran's fairly mild winter temperature. The contrasting temperature and sunlight data between the two regions can be directly attributed to differing latitudinal locale. 

Graphic Sources: Mayo A., YT  Canada: Climate, Global Warming and Daylights Charts and Data. 2010 Climate-charts.com Accessed: 2011 October 16.http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/c/CN71965021007000.php , Tehran-Mehrabad, Iran: Climatre, Global Warming and Daylight Charts and Data. 2010. http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/i/IR40754.php

  In addition, latitudinal differences cause Mayo and Tehran to be effected by different jet streams. Polar front jet activity is greater in the Yukon than Iran and characteristically Mayo Village’s winters are much longer with intensely low temperatures. Winters range from mid September - mid May in Mayo, three months longer than Tehran whose winters last from mid November- mid March.  The subtropical jet stream effects weather in Tehran and summers are characteristic of an area close to the equator and ITCZ. Tehran is fairly warmer than Mayo, and some areas near the Persian Gulf can experience such extreme temperatures that heat exhaustion is plausible, while others near the Caspian coast experience high humidity.  The intense heating of land causes expansion of the lower air column and some of the lowest recorded troughs occur within Tehran. Mayo does not experience intense heating at the surface nor major disruptions to the stable air column above the village. This accounts for Mayo Village's fair summers, with only weak cyclonic activity and enhanced hydrologic activity that intensifies precipitation.

Graphic SourceL Valeriani, M. Travel Tips, Discover Real England. http://www.england-travel-tips.com/england/weather-in-england.html Accessed: 2011 Nov 13

TEHRAN 

Graphic Source: Iran Travel and Tourism Guide. http://www.tourismguide.ir/tehran/tehran-sanatsq-00-12/

In addition to being more infrastructurally developed Tehran, IR contains a substantially larger populous than Mayo Village, and is therefore anthropologically effected to an extent that Mayo Village is not. The higher concentration of pollution/particulates in lower atmosphere, numerous tall buildings, and modification of the vegetation for development instigates disruption in the local energy balance of Tehran. The result of the disruption in the local energy balance drives warmer temperatures in Tehran and subsequent urban heat island phenomena is apparent. Mayo Village is a very conserved area in Canada that has not been anthropologically effected in any extreme ways and therefore does not experience urban heat island effects. 

MAYO VILLAGE

Graphic Source:  Thomas, M. 2011, May 25. Mayo is melting. Yukon News. Accessed: 2011 Nov 12. http://www.yukon-news.com/news/23161/

Sources:

 Erfani E, Mohebalhojeh A, Farahani MM. 2010 Oct 28. 13^th Annual and 2^nd International Fluid Dynamics conference. Shiraz University. Accessed: 2011 Nov 13. https://3990261459179749950-a-1802744773732722657-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/ehsanerfanihomepage/pub/Erfani_Paper.pdf?attachauth=ANoY7coE-IlIL2yNRGtKDUz9MWAEKgHNbXxWlTL7YLZMvB5mbDsDb1hKzdLpIp_ClAqEDcbS7qokuUmADVIJ3HQysX1ze1TvnihuXRiBbBUn5LxNLphpellUNg77jWXUwEkTy62podDLzl4kt6ToWCNasMFKwWIznlYccq0VlwhCMINi-6CdIKWxlHP6kdDNFAG2knB96zHimp7XjPz4ZBOJ8aNKpSkspA%3D%3D&attredirects=0

Sigman, S. Weather in Iran. 2011. Accessed: 2011 Nov 13. http://havatoiran.blogspot.com/