Florida Panhandle: A Geographic Analysis

This analysis compares the precipitation patterns of six different Florida locations: Marathon Shores, Pensacola, Daytona Beach, Tavernier, Chipley, and Libson. All of these locations vary geographically, ranging from the Florida Keys to the Florida Panhandle. Based on the many physical geography theories learned in class so far, it can be asserted that precipitation varies throughout the state of Florida. Indeed, there are many factors that influence precipitation levels: convection, cold fronts, proximity to the ocean, and frequency of hurricanes. Of course, these are not the only factors that influence precipitation levels, but they are a major part of the process. According to Christopherson and Birkeland (2015) “When an air mass is lifted, it cools adiabatically. When the cooling reaches the dew-point temperature, moisture in the saturated air can condense, forming clouds and perhaps precipitation” (p. 193). During the summer months, on average, most of Florida receives much rainfall due to convection. It is worth noting, the Florida Keys are an exception to this concept. In short, convectional lifting occurs when an air mass passes to a warmer continental region from a maritime source region; the warmer land surface causes convection and lifting in the air mass. Because the Florida Keys have much less land mass …show more content…
In short, frontal lifting occurs when an area of warm air meets and area of cold air and the warmer air lifts up over the cooler air. This process creates clouds and precipitation. Indeed, as a result from frequent cold fronts, north Florida receives much precipitation during winter months. Hurricanes and tropical storms can also impact precipitation patterns in Florida. These storms can produce, amongst other things, very heavy rainfall. The frequency of hurricanes and tropical storms can affect precipitation in regions that are prone to being hit by