KOPPEN CLIASSIFICATION OF CLIMATE 

KOPPEN CLASSIFICATION OF CLIMATE

Köppen Climate Classification Definition Koppen first climatic classification 1900 and after that second classification 1918.vegetation, temperature, and precipitation are the three main components involved in defining the Köppen Climate Classification. Wladimir Koppen (1846-1940), a Russian born German climatologist and botanist attempted he classification of world climates. Climate classification was first published as ‘thermal zones of the earth’ in 1884 in Russian language. Scholars E. Volken and S. Bronnimann translated the work in German. With several modifications, Koppen improved his classification later on, in 1918 and 1936. German climatologist Rudolf Geiger (1954, 1961) collaborated with Koppen on changes to the scheme of classification. Thus, the classification of world climates is also known as the Koppen- Geiger’s climate classification, as the two scholar’s co-authored the work, and was widely adopted. Classification is based on the empirical study of the distribution of vegetation across the world.

Koppen used five vegetation zones of the world as identified by CANDOLLE in 1874 (e.g megatherms, xerotherms, mesotherms,microtherms and hekistotherms etc. According to the Köppen Climate Classification, the global climate can be divided into five primary zones. These climate zones are based on regional vegetation and defined by the temperature and precipitation that is responsible for its formation. The zones are defined by the capital letters A, B, C, D, and E. The climate zones defined by each letter are:

A) Tropical Climates

B) Dry Climates

C) Temperate Climates

D) Continental Climates

E) Polar Climates

Each of the five major climate zones covers a vast region and is divided into smaller categories to describe the more specific climate types within each zone.

 

SL NO	LETTER	CLASSIFICATION	CHARACTERISTICS
1	A	Tropical Climates	Monthly average temperature is always above 18 degree, no winter season , warm and moist conditions throughout the year.
2	B	Dry Climates	It represents dry climates where evaporation exceeds precipitation and there is constant water deficit throughout the year
3	C	Temperate Climates	It represents humid mesothermal or middle latitudes warm temperate climates having mild winters, average temperature of the coldest and warmest months between 8 degrees and 18 degrees and below 18 degrees respectively.
4	D	Continental Climates	It included humid microthermal or cold forest climates characterized by severe winters , average temperature of coldest and warmest months being 3 degree and above 10 degree respectively
5	E	Polar Climates	It includes polar climates characterized by summerless seasons, average temperature of the warmest months below 10 degree.

 

Besides these capital letters, koppen has used the following small letters in the scheme for specific meaning

f	Full year precipitation
m	Monsoon climate
w	Winter dry season
S	Summer dry season

 

A) Tropical Climates

Tropical (also known as equatorial) climates occur in regions situated around the equator and expand to latitudes of 15° to 25° to the north and south.

It can be defined by the following characteristics:

•It is the warmest of all the climate zones.

•Regions in this zone have an average monthly temperature of higher than 18° Celsius (64.4° Fahrenheit.)

•Annual precipitation exceeds 1 500 millimeters in this zone.

•High humidity levels and warm temperatures result in a frequent, almost daily occurrences of cumulus or larger cumulonimbus cloud formations.

This zone is divided into three subcategories, which are classified according to temperature and dryness.

Af= Tropical rainforest climate: The climate is characterized by rainfall throughout the year with average precipitation of at least 60 mm in every month. Because of hot and wet conditions throughout the year, tropical rain forests occur in this part of the earth. Towns such as Kishangani in (Congo), Singapore and Hawai (USA) are the typical examples of the climate.

Am= Tropical monsoon climate: This type of climate is characterized by short dry season registering less than 60 mm precipitation in driest month. Rainfall occurs excessively during summer rainy season making land surface moist throughout the year. Consequently, it supports the growth of dense forests which shed their leaves in dry season. It is typical of monsoon climate. Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Jakarta (Indonesia), Yangon (Myanmar) and Chittagong (Bangladesh) are typical examples of the climate.

Aw or As = Tropical wet and dry or savanna climate: This type of climate is known as tropical Savana or Grassland. Winter season in (Aw) climate is usually dry while summer season is dry in (As) climate. The amount of precipitation in driest month is less than 6 cm. The water balance remains in deficit during dry season and surplus during wet season. In terms of vegetation, tall grasses with scattered trees around are the common sight in this type of climate. Mumbai (India), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Dar es Salam (Tanzania), Darwin (Australia) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) are typical examples of winter dry (Aw) climate and Chennai (India) is a typical example of summer dry (As) climate

 

B) Dry Climates Dry (or arid)

Climates occur in regions situated at latitudes between 20° to 35° north and south of the equator.

It can be defined by the following characteristics:

•The main feature of this climate zone is the complete absence or extremely low levels of annual precipitation.

•The very dry atmospheric conditions are the result of the combined evaporation and transpiration levels exceeding the total amount of precipitation.

•Vegetation is sparse or completely absent as a result of the dry climate with very little precipitation.

 

This climate zone is divided into desert (BW) and semi-arid (BS) regions, according to vegetation type. It is further categorized into hot (h) and cold (k) zones:

BWh: These are low latitude hot deserts. Atmospheric conditions are hot and dry with an average annual temperature above 180 C. Khartoum (Sudan), Doha (Qatar), and Death Valley (USA) are examples of the climate.

 

BWk: These are mid latitude cold deserts. Atmospheric conditions are cold and dry with average annual temperature less than 180 C. Turpan (China), and Nukush (Uzbekistan) are typical examples of the climate.

BSh: These are semiarid tropical steppe climates where average annual temperature is more than 180 C. These climates are usually found in the neighborhood of hot desert. Lahore (Pakistan), Odessa (USA) and Niamey (Niger) are the examples of the climate.

BSk: These are temperate steppe climates where average annual temperature is less than 180 C. These climates are usually found in the proximity of cold deserts. Baku (Azerbaizan), Denver (USA), Lhasa (China) and Ulanbaatar (Mongolia) are examples of the climate.

C) Temperate Climates Temperate (or mesothermal)

climates occur in regions situated at latitudes between 30° to 50° north and south of the equator.

It can be defined by the following characteristics:

•Regions in this climate zone typically experience warm summers with high levels of humidity and mild winter seasons.

 •During the year, the warmest month is at least 10° Celsius (60° Fahrenheit) or higher, while the coldest month is lower than 18° Celsius (64.4° Fahrenheit) but higher than -3° Celsius (26.6° Fahrenheit).

•These climate zones are typically located on the edges of continents, along the eastern and western coastlines.

Temperate climate zones are divided into three main categories according to precipitation: mild temperate dry winters (Cw), mild temperate dry summers (Cs), and mild temperate humid (Cf) climates. All three subcategories are further divided according to temperatures:

Cfa: These are subtropical wet climates. Precipitation occurs throughout the year. It is characterized by long and hot summer season. The average temperature of the hottest month is 220 C and above and at least four months averaging above 100 C. As compared to it, winter season is shorter and temperatures do not reach the extreme. Buenos Aires (Argentina), Srinagar (India), Shanghai (China) and Osaka (Japan) are examples of the climate.

 

Cfb: It is a temperate marine climate with adequate precipitation in all the seasons. Summer season is usually warmer. However, temperature of the hottest month is less than 220C. Coldest month averaging above 0 0 C. Winter season is marked with normal temperature conditions. Paris (France), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Port Elizabeth (South Africa) and Melbourne (Australia) are examples of the climate.

 

Cfc: This is a sub polar marine climate which is relatively cold in winter season. Summer season is short. The average temperature for a minimum of four months is around 100C. No significant precipitation difference between seasons. Unalaska (USA), Punta Arenas (Chile), and Reykjavik (Iceland) are examples of the climate.

 

Csa: This type of climate is found in the interior areas of Mediterranean Sea. Summer season is hot and dry but winter season is normal and wet. Madrid (Spain), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Perth (Australia) and Beirut (Lebanon) are the representative stations of the climate.

 

 Csb: This type of climate is found in the coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea. It has a short summer season which is dry and hot. The winter season is usually favorable as it receives rainfall. The average temperature of the hottest month is less than 220C. Santiago (Chile), Cape Town (South Africa) and San Francisco (USA) are representative stations of the climate.

Cwa: This is subtropical monsoonal climate. Summer season is hot and wet. Temperature rises to more than 220C for at least one month. Winter season is normal and dry. Islamabad (Pakistan), New Delhi (India), Kathmandu (Nepal) and Hong Kong are the representative stations of the climate.

Cwb: It is a highland type of climate where temperature remains less than 220 C in hottest month. Winter season is cold and dry while summer season is warm and wet.

 

(D) Continental Climates

 Continental climates typically occur in regions situated at latitudes between 40° and 75° north and south of the equator. (Although this type of climate is rare in the Southern Hemisphere.)

 It can be defined by the following characteristics:

•The average temperature of the warmest month is above 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit), while the coldest month is below -3° Celsius (26.6° Fahrenheit).

•This climate type is usually found in the interior of continents.

•Regions in this zone experience summers with warm to cool temperatures, while the winters are generally cold.

 Continental climate zones are divided into three main categories according to precipitation: continental dry summer (Ds), continental dry winter (Dw), and continental humid (Df) climates. Like temperate climates, they are further divided according to temperature:

Dfa: This climate is located in the continental areas close to the polar front zone. The annual range of temperature is high and weather is highly variable. Summers are warm and winters are cold. Precipitation occurs in all the months. It is found in central and eastern parts of Eurasia between forty to fifty-five-degree north. New York City (USA), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Beijing (China) and Seoul (South Korea) represent the climate.

Dfb: This type of climate is found in eastern Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. More rainfall occurs in summer season and there is a drier winter. The climate is generally found between 450 to 600 North latitudes. Sapporo (Japan) is a typical example of the climate.

Dwa: This is a monsoon influenced hot- summer humid continental climate. It is commonly found in north eastern U.S.A. and south Eastern Canada. Both coniferous and deciduous forests are found in this belt. The climate is characterized by moist continental with short period of summer dryness. Pyongyang (North Korea) and Tianjin (China) are the typical examples of the climate.

Dwb: This type of climate is found along oceanic margins of the continents in higher latitudes. It is wet climate with long dry and severe cold winter season, short and cold summer season. Vladivostok (Russia), and Pembina (USA) are representative stations of the climate.

Dwc: It is a sub- arctic climate characterized by long cold and dry winter season. Summer season is short and mild. Moron (Mongolia) and Yushu City (China) are examples of the climate.

Dwd: This type of climate is found in the proximity of Sub-Arctic region. It is characterized by long dry and extreme cold winter season. Summer season is short and mild warm. Yakutsk (Russia) and Oymyakon (Russia) are examples of the climate.

Dsa: This type of climate exists only at higher elevations adjacent to areas with hot summer Mediterranean (Csa) climates. Sanandaj (Kurdistan-Iran), Hakkari (Turkey) are examples of the climate.

Dsb: It is warm, dry- summer continental climate. Temperature recorded in coldest month averaging < 00 C, all months with average temperature 100 C. There is at least three times as much precipitation in wettest month of winter as in driest month of summer. Sivas (Turkey), Roghun (Tajikistan), Dras (India) and Bridgeport (CaliforniaUSA) are examples of the climate.

Dsc: It is warm dry summer subarctic climate. Temperature recorded in coldest month averaging < 0 0 C and 1-3 months averaging >100 C. There is at least three times as much precipitation in wettest month of winter as in driest month of summer. Homer (Alaska, USA), Mount Olympus (Greece) and Handud, (Badkhshan Province, Afghanistan) are examples of this type of climate.

 Dsd: Places with this type of climate have severe winters, with temperatures in their coldest month lower than -380C. Seymachan, (Magadan Oblast, Russia) is a typical example of the climate.

E) Polar Climates

Polar climates are located at latitudes above 70° over the Arctic, Greenland, and Antarctica. It is characterized by its all year-round cold temperatures and little to no vegetation.

 The following characteristics define it more precisely:

•The warmest month of the year is below 10° Celsius (50° Fahrenheit).

•Polar climate regions are extremely dry, with annual precipitation of less than 25 cm (10 inches).

 

Polar climates are divided into two categories according to vegetation:

ET: It is a Tundra type of climate. It is characterized by short a summer season. The normal temperature of warmest month ranges between 0 0C to 100C. Stanley (Falkland Islands), Mount Wellington (Australia) and La Rinkonada (Peru) are examples of the climate.

ETf: This is a polar climate. It experiences glaciations throughout the year and temperature remains below freezing point. Mount Fuji (Japan), Nuuk (Greenland) and Esperanza Base (Antarctica) are examples of the climate.

EF: This type of climate occurs in Antarctica and inner Greenland. It is also experienced in extremely high altitudes on mountains. Temperatures never exceed 0 0 C (320 F). Mount Everest (Nepal), Mount Ararat (Turkey), Vostok station (Antarctica) and Summit Camp (Greenland) are examples of the climate.

 

CLASSIFICATION OF KOPPEN IN INDIA 

Advantages:

I. Koppen used the temperature and precipitation statistics in his classification of the climate. These two weather elements are easy to measure. Because of this quality, these elements are most widely and most frequently used. Since Koppen's classification is based on statistical parameters, each climatic region can be precisely defined.

II. Besides, the temperature and precipitation are the two most effective weather elements that exhibit the effects of climatic controls more clearly than any other weather elements.

 III. These elements affect other aspects of our physical environment more directly than any other element. Obviously, the system of classification devised by Koppen is directly related to those aspects of environment which are clearly visible to us.

 IV. His climatic classification system is based on the relationship between the types of plants at a particular place and the climatic characteristics of the place. Thus, his scheme is not a mere abstraction.

Limitations:

 I. There are, of course, certain drawbacks from which this classification scheme suffers. Despite the fact that the author himself revised and modified his system several times, he always felt it to be imperfect. II. Koppen based his classification on the mean monthly values of temperature and precipitation. By these statistics the most potent factor of precipitation can only be estimated, rather than measured accurately.

III. This makes comparison from one locality to another rather difficult. Further, Koppen did not take into account such weather elements as winds, precipitation intensity, amount of cloudiness, and daily temperature extremes only for the sake of making his classification generalized and simple.

 IV. Another major drawback is that it is empirical and, therefore, is based on facts and observations. The causative factors of climate have been totally ignored. Thus, the air masses, which form the very basis of modern climatology, could not find any place in Koppen's classification.

V. Lastly, the letter symbols used by Koppen in his climatic classification provide international shorthand describing climatic regions that are rather difficult to characterize in words.

 

Conclusion:

 As clearly illustrated throughout this article, several smaller climate regions exist within each of the five major climate zones. Vegetation, temperature, and precipitation have been the key factors used in determining each subcategory. Most countries throughout the world experience multiple sub-climates, and many larger regions are influenced by five or more different climate types at any given time. To explain all the climate zones affecting every country/region, though, will fill an encyclopedia. This post provided a broad and thorough overview of the five climate regions as defined by the Köppen Climate Classification. It highlighted the characteristics of each one, as well as laying out their subcategories and how they were defined.