[Gothos]

So, I've decided to make a seperate thread about the issue of climate in the world of Wu. It would seem that lattitude has little impact on temperatures in the malazan series. In the extreme north, we've got the scorched shores of Seven Cities and the Otataral Island. Down in the middle there's the tropical, almost atol-like shores of Jacuruku. The Wastelands seem to be scorched hot too. Dal Hon, we get a jungle and savannah. Bolkando seems to be subtropical Africa, reminds me a bit of the kingdom of Mali, and it's something of a jugnle thing isn't it? Elingarth seems to be of somewhat warm climate as well.
The only cold places - Fenn Mountains, Stratem, Northern Genabackis, Edur lands in Lether, Perish - they only seem to be that way due to Jaghut glaciers and ice fields. Other than those, the place seems to be rather warm.
This made me think about the Wu climate. Is it supposed to be similar to late mesozoic, with a normally very low global temperature gradient? Is the Jaghut ice the only ice indigenous to the world? Or have the Jaghut glaciers shattered the normal distribution, screwing up air flows and such across the globe, somehow eliminating any "natural" glaciers? If cold places seem to surround Jaghut ice fields, what is the winter that is the source of power for Togg and Fanderay, the cold coming from the frozen earth, as opposed to sorcery?

Are there any / many hints in the books about all this?

[masan's saddle]

Interesting point.

I've struggled to get my head around how Quon Tali can contain environments and racial types ranging from African savannah/jungle (Dal Hon), Native American ( Seti and Wickan plains), Oriental (Itko Kan), European (Unta), ice fields north of Fenn and Smurfs (Napan Isles). Yet the whole of Seven Cities (that we see) is pretty much middle eastern/ north African.

Compared to a lot of places we have seen, Quon appears to be a microcosm. The ice from Jaghut rituals is convenient. But as you say an essentially "warm" planet would explain a lot, but not really explain the apparent random smattering of racial types based on environment.

It does make me think, but compared to other questions this series has thrown up, I try not to let it hurt my head too much.

[Ozymandiac]

I'd say it's not very likely (quite impossible actually) that on a relatively small continent so many different racial types emerged. Even if the differences in climate are very big (i.e., there's potential for some good old Darwinism since there are different environments requiring different qualities) the people living there just aren't isolated enough to significantly differ from their neighbours.

But I'm no biologist, so this is probably nonsense.

To get back on topic: When I looked at the places you called cold (Fenn Mountains, Stratem, Northern Genabackis, Edur lands in Lether, Perish), it occured to me that all the cold parts of Wu are the regions located in the north of a continent, no matter where that continent is located. This would mean that Erikson wanted every continent to be a microcosm.
It'd be nice to see a climatic map of Wu, but I think it will be hard to find any logic in it.

[Sinisdar Toste]

well we don't know for sure as we don't have an official map, but isn't stratem intimated to be the southern part of the korel continent by ereko?

This post has been edited by Sinisdar Toste: 08 February 2010 - 05:19 PM

[rhulad]

I've been wondering about how the climate works in Wu as well, just never really sat down and really thought about it 'cause it would probably make my head explode.

[Mischiefs' Folly]

Sinisdar Toste, on 08 February 2010 - 05:19 PM, said:

well we don't know for sure as we don't have an official map, but isn't stratem intimated to be the southern part of the korel continent by ereko?

There is actually something very close. World Map

[Aptorian]

Mischiefs, on 08 February 2010 - 07:06 PM, said:

Sinisdar Toste, on 08 February 2010 - 05:19 PM, said:

well we don't know for sure as we don't have an official map, but isn't stratem intimated to be the southern part of the korel continent by ereko?

There is actually something very close. World Map

The world map, which is apparently "kind of" okayed by Erikson, only proves how fucked up the climate zones are.

I chalk down the weird climate zones with two things. Jaghuts rituals fuck around with the temperatures in the sea and on land, and also there are gods and ascendants aplenty across the globe who can affect the weather and similar environmental elements. Hell, even a powerfull enough mage can reak havoc with the environment.

[D'rek]

Well some areas could actually be naturally cold - Perish in the north, southern Lether which we know little about (was the Bolkando princess wearing a jacket? I forget. Shurq wouldn't need one obviously). Maybe Bael, what we've heard of that place could just be descriptive of their summer season.

But of course, climate can be pretty weird here on Earth, too. You've got the Gulf Stream bringing warm-ish weather to Europe all the time so it's not as cold as Canada, and even palm trees on southern Ireland (or so I've heard). Maybe Malaziworld has a couple super-Gulf Streams.

Or better yet, a super-warm Jet Stream. After all, the entire 7C continent does match a Jet Stream shape quite well...

[Gothos]

Can we get any Word of God on this? About wether it's inconsequential, will be addressed in a future book or the encyclopedia?

[meili]

My head will definitely explode if I think about Malazan world geography, much less climate. We don't even have an official map from SE.

Quote

But of course, climate can be pretty weird here on Earth, too. You've got the Gulf Stream bringing warm-ish weather to Europe all the time so it's not as cold as Canada, and even palm trees on southern Ireland (or so I've heard). Maybe Malaziworld has a couple super-Gulf Streams.

I hadn't even thought about that. However, surely the places near the equator would be pretty hot, I can't imagine otherwise except of course we have mages, ascendants and gods fooling around with the weather.