Climate

Liberia's climate is influenced by large bodies of air with homogoneous properties of temperature and moisture known as air masses. The air mass found in Liberia is maritime Tropical (mT) with warm and humid climate all year round and unstable air.

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Unstable air rises because is warmer and less dense than the surrounding air producing clouds, rain or thunderstorms.

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According to Koeppen-Geiger Climate Classification Scale

 Liberia has a climate of Af- Tropical Wet Rainforest

A: Tropical Humid at low latitudes; warm and wet f: wet all year

This scale does not take in consideration cloud coverage, winds or sunshine.

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Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

Near the equator a belt of precipitation known as the Intertropical convergence zone or the equatorial low affects the climate of Liberia, Costa Rica.  ITCZ is a belt of low pressure that drives the Hadley Cells where ascending moisture, hot air and precipitation is found. This belt moves poleward or equator-ward base on season depending on the amount of solar energy. The maximum amount of solar energy causes the ITCZ to be stronger.

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Seasons

Rainy Season: Winter (May-November)

During May the ITCZ gets close to Costa Rica, marking the start of raining season. Between July and August the ITCZ moves to the north causing some weeks of dry weather.

Dry Season: Summer (December- April)

During December the ITCZ start to move south marking the start of dry season.

Trade Winds

North-easterly trade winds flow towards the ITCZ deflected to the right on the northern hemisphere due to the Coriolis effect. North-easterly trade winds affect the amount of precipitation where air converges from April to October blown from the Caribbean.

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Hadley Cell

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Warm moist air rises, cooling and  forming cumulus clouds causing precipitation as rain or thunderstorms. Warm air has a greater saturation quantity to hold more vapor water than cold air. When the air rises and cools the water vapor has to be release due to amount of water cold air can hold releasing the water vapor as precipitation.

Orographic Lifting

Liberia is in the lowlands of the Guanacaste Cordillera, when air comes from the North-easterly trade winds the air is force to rise on the wet windward side and descend in the leeward side that is Liberia causing a dry climate.

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1. mT 
2. SOURCE
3. Unstable air