The thermal floor is a type of relief that can change the climate conditions of a region.
A thermal floor is a type of relief that acts as an agent capable of modifying the climatic conditions of a territory. Its modifying action is linked to altitude , rainfall level, humidity and other factors.
Before moving forward with the meaning of the term at hand, it is necessary to know the etymological origin of the two words that give it shape: floor comes from the Latin pinsare , which can be translated as "grind" , while thermal derives from Greek, being formed with the sum of thermos (synonymous with “hot” ) and the suffix -ico (used to indicate “relative to” ).
It should be noted that floor is a notion with several uses. In general, it is the pavement or soil that constitutes the base of a piece of land or a construction. It can even be earth or other elements of nature. Thermal , on the other hand, is something that is linked to temperature or that has the ability to preserve it.
What is a thermal floor
It can be understood that a thermal floor is the climate related to a certain altitude. The notion highlights the link that exists between living organisms and the environment based on the altitude of the relief.
Thermal floors, therefore, are key to determining what type of plants can be grown in a region. According to the characteristics of the thermal floor, it will be possible to develop a certain type of agriculture .
There are different types of thermal floors.
Classification according to type
In the intertropical regions, different types of thermal floors have been distinguished. Between sea level and 900 meters high, with an average temperature that exceeds 24 degrees Celsius, is the macrothermal floor . Between 900 and 1,800 meters, the subtropical floor is found; between 1,800 and 2,500, the mesothermal floor , between 2,500 and 3,400, the cold floor ; from 3,400 to 4,800, the paramero floor ; at and more than 4,800 meters above sea level, the icy floor .
In addition to everything stated above, it is worth knowing other interesting information regarding thermal floors:
- The subtropical has temperatures that range between 17º and 24º.
- The mesothermal , for its part, registers temperatures between 12º and 17º.
- The cold floor has a temperature that ranges between 6º and 12º.
- The paramero or paramo floor , for its part, has temperatures between 6 and 0º.
- And finally the frigid one , with more than 4,000 meters above sea level, comes to record the lowest temperatures of any that exist. Specifically, they are those below 0º. This also means that snowfall, frost, rain and strong icy winds are frequent. What is known as perpetual snow occurs.
- When it comes to crops, we can say, for example, that in the warm climate banana or rice crops are grown while in the moorlands beans or corn are grown.