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I checked out this map I found on Reddit which purports to show how climates would be like in an alternate version of Earth which spun backwards. I noticed that many of those maps show inner areas of China, such as the Yellow River valley and the Sichuan basin, as having a somewhat Mediterranean climate. Now, I'm not an expert in climate science and there are other versions of this map which show such areas having more arid biomes than the one I'm referencing, but I think it's an interesting feature which I would like to reproduce on a fictional setting, adjusted on the western side of a Continent.

Given that the geography and shapes of landmasses will be adjusted so that it doesn't look exactly like a horizontally flipped East Asia map, what should I take into consideration in order to make it possible to extend the areas with a Mediterranean climate further westward, so that the hot deserts occupy a lower amount of land?

I'll insert some visual examples to better explain what I mean: Unpreferred version Preferred version

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome Rasnth. Could you add a map or diagram to clarify what it is you want to achieve? Also, bear in mind that questions that ask along the lines of "can I X?" are just going to elicit a yes/no answer. If you want an answer that tells you "how can I X?", it'll give you a more helpful response, but you need to be specific about what you want to achieve, thus the need for a map/diagram of your world. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 20 at 16:10
  • $\begingroup$ @Escapeddentalpatient. Hi, I posted some images to better explain myself. In the first image, which is taken directly from the original maps, the hot desert (red) is too widespread. The second one is closer to the proportion I had in mind. The areas within the black shape are the ones I want to put in the final version (after changing the shapes somewhat, ofc). I would like to know some tips on how to change the rest to make the preferred version more possible. $\endgroup$
    – Rasnth
    Commented Nov 20 at 16:31
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    $\begingroup$ I'm mostly done with an answer, but reviewing your question, I'm confused. Is your world rotating in reverse? Are we dealing with Earth's prevailing westerlies or reverse rotation prevailing easterlies? I ask because you say you want a fictional setting on the western side of a continent (prevailing westerlies, normal rotation) but also say you want to push the climate further west (prevailing easterlies). So... which is it? Thanks. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Commented Nov 20 at 16:53
  • $\begingroup$ @JBH The planet rotates just like ours, the western side of the continent somewhat resembles East Asia in shape and latitude, and I want the area I highlighted to be a bit more humid, less desertic. $\endgroup$
    – Rasnth
    Commented Nov 20 at 17:36
  • $\begingroup$ You might consider increasing the obliquity. This generaly increses the total mediterenian area. Example here: worldbuildingpasta.blogspot.com/2022/08/… $\endgroup$
    – sojuz1t1
    Commented Nov 21 at 12:54

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I'm making an assumption about your world: that it's rotating in reverse. Note my comment to your question. However, what I have to say works regardless of rotation, you just need to keep all the directions in mind.

Climate is complex (really complex...) and we must necessarily simplify it to achieve success. Reversing Earth's rotation means, primarily, that the planet has prevailing easterly trade winds rather than prevailing westerly winds. A great deal changes with that, including where rivers and lakes are prominent, how currents flow, etc., and that's messy complex, but let's start with the easterlies.

Your goal is to let warm, moist air deeper into the areas you're interested in. That means mountain chains (and, therefore, tectonic plates... complex!) that favor the western areas of your continent(s), leaving the eastern areas flatter and more prone to letting storms move inland.

But on top of that is the gulf stream. This is an ocean current that draws temperature-moderating water (and wind along with it) to areas that would otherwise bet too hot or too cold. Frankly, a lot of Earth's habitability relies on the gulf stream. As you design your world you'll need an eastern-flowing "gulf stream" that channels warm, equatorial waters into northern areas. This will affect the shape of some of your continents.

Finally, consider continental drainage. The idea of "goldilocks zones" extends from landscaping to astronomy and the phrase describes the "perfect area" for life. You need water drainages that don't drain too fast or too slowly. Geologically, this usually means old basins where rainfall has moderated slopes and increased the amount of sedimentary soil in the basins before water is collected and returned to the ocean. You need some "downhill" to let the water move or you end up with swamps and not too much downhill or you'll end up with canyons. This has a lot to do with the type of rock in various areas (complex!).

Finally, a great deal of what makes the Mediterranean climate the way it is, is, frankly, the Mediterranean sea — a central, somewhat shallow body of water that "holds the heat" and regularly evaporates water for rain in surrounding areas. Oversimplifying to the point angels weep, you can do this in two ways: one is the way Nature developed with a single body of water. Consider the surrounding countries: lush and bountiful, but arid.

The second way to do that is to distribute the sea as a region of lakes. Lush and bountiful, but soggier. Probably a bit cooler, so you'd need to distribute less than the sea to balance it out. The region would need higher rainfall to keep the lakes filled. Thus, soggier.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the answer. So, if I had a lake as large as Lake Victoria located somewhere near that orange zone in the middle of the yellow (Mediterranean) area, it would be enough to generate rains for the surrounding areas, provided that the rivers flowing westward from the mountains feed it constantly with new water such that it does not evaporate too much. Is that correct? $\endgroup$
    – Rasnth
    Commented Nov 20 at 18:26
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    $\begingroup$ @Rasnth The simple answer is yes. Remember, worldbuilding isn't just about embracing all the scientific details, it's also about sensible simplifications that allow for suspension of disbelief. Such a lake would meet that expectation. $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Commented Nov 20 at 20:55

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