Aviation Climates: Tocumen International Airport
Located in the tropics, Panama's climate is highly influenced by both its latitude and the surrounding oceans. Perhaps the climatic features most significant to aviation include the region's prevailing winds, precipitation, and temperatures. Such factors may interact to create adverse flying conditions.
The Central American country of Panama is located on a land
bridge between North and South America (Andrew A-10). This narrow strip of ground, or isthmus, runs approximately northwest to southeast. It separates the Caribbean Sea in the north from the Pacific Ocean to the south. Panama is flanked by Costa Rica to the west, and Columbia to the east. The country is up to 480 miles long. Moreover, its width varies from 35 miles to 110 miles (Benton 49).
Panama's surface topography is highly variable. Its geomorphology, for example, ranges from mountains to swamps. The mountain systems consist of an assortment of various "loosely-connected" ridges (Benton 49). Approximately 63% of the country's terrain consists of hills less than 3,200 feet in height. Much of this terrain is covered by rain forests. However, western Panama's Volcßn Bar· rises to an elevation of over 11,300 feet (Moreno 130-131). Formerly known as the Volcßn de Chiriquf, the volcano has been inactive for thousands of years (Meditz & Hanratty 72-74). The geomorphology of Panama is also greatly influenced by its surrounding oceans. Indeed, the coastline on the Atlantic side is 478 miles long; whereas, in the west, the Pacific coastline is 767 miles in length (Green 78).
In the central part of Panama, the isthmus curves to form an arc. The arc's convex side faces northward, while its convex border delineates the Gulf of Panama. Panama City lies along the coast towards the northern end of this gulf. This urban center contains roughly 30% of the nation's population and also serves as...