Weather refers to the atmospheric conditions at a certain time or over a certain short period in a given area. It is described by a number of meteorological phenomena that include atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, sunshine, cloudiness, and precipitation. In contrast, climate refers to long-term, cyclic or seasonal patterns of temperature, precipitation, winds, etc.

Climates are often defined in terms of area, latitude, altitude, or other geophysical features. Although there are thousands of microclimate variations, climates can essentially be broken down into four basic types. Hot, moist climates feature high rainfall with often intense and rapid chemical weathering. Cold, moist climates still feature chemical weathering but because of the lower temperature, the rates are dramatically reduced from those encountered in hot, moist climates. Cold, dry climates feature the least weathering but mechanical weathering (e.g., ice wedging) does produce slow...