Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification System PDF

The Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification System COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature B. Weather and Climate 1. Difference between weather and climate 2. Climate chart and weather chart compared Weather vs Climate Weather describes the state of the atmosphere,...

The Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification System COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature B. Weather and Climate 1. Difference between weather and climate 2. Climate chart and weather chart compared Weather vs Climate Weather describes the state of the atmosphere, the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Weather generally refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity. Most weather happens in the part of Earth’s atmosphere that is closest to the ground—the troposphere. Weather describes the state of the atmosphere at a given point in time and geographic location. Temperature, the amount and form of airborne moisture, cloudiness, and strength of wind are all different components of weather. The interaction between air pressure, humidity, wind, cloudiness and temperature impact weather conditions. Climate is the averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. A region’s weather patterns, usually tracked for at least 30 years, are considered its climate. https://www.australianenvironmentaleducation.com.au/wp- content/uploads/2020/08/Climate-vs-weather-1-768x768.jpg Classification of Climate Earth is divided into climate zones or areas with distinct climate based on the average temperature of the region. 1. TROPICAL. This zone is found near the equator. It is characterized by both high temperatures and humidity levels. The average annual temperature is 180C. 2. TEMPERATE. Found between the arctic and tropics, countries within this zone experience four seasons: summer, fall, winter, spring. 3. POLAR. Most places in this zone are covered with glaciers. The average annual temperature is around 00C. Köppen-Geiger System Wladimir Köppen, a German botanist and climatologist, first developed this system at the end of the 19th century. This is used to denote different climate regions on Earth based on local vegetation. The system divides the world into five climate zones based on criteria, usually temperature and precipitation, which allows for different vegetation growth. The classification scheme includes tropical, dry, temperate, continental and polar zones.  The Koppen-Geiger system has five broad categories, which describe a general pattern and roughly start at the equator and end at the pole. These are always the capital first letter of the shorthand codes that every climate zone has. For the temperate and continental categories, the second letter tells when there is a dry season. “s” means the dry season is in summer, “w” the dry season is winter, and “f” for no dry season. The third letter tells how warm or hot it is. “a” being the hottest “d” being the coldest. https://www.australianenvironmentaleducation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Climate-Types-v2-1024x902.jpg A – Tropical Climate Af (tropical rainforest). Also known as equatorial climate, high precipitation and hot temperature are experienced all year round. There is no dry season. Am (tropical monsoon). This climate zone experiences heavy rain during part or most of the year, but also has a relatively short dry, or longer drier season. There is very little rainfall during the dry season. Aw (tropical savanna). There is an extended dry season during the winter. The dry season is either completely dry, or is dry over a longer period. B – Dry Climate BW (desert) BWh (hot desert). Lying on the border of the tropics, these areas experience very little rain, and searing summer temperatures which hold the records for the highest on Earth. Little or no vegetation exists here, with only bare rock and sand as landscape. BWk (cool desert). Lying deep within the continents far from the ocean, or on the leeward side of mountains sheltering them from moist winds, these areas are as parched and desolate as the hot deserts, but experience winter temperatures that often fall below freezing point. BS (steppe) BSh (hot steppe). Lying next to hot deserts, these areas have a little more rain to support scrub-like vegetation but are still marginal in terms of sustainable human settlement. BSk (cold steppe). Like the cool deserts only with more rain, but not enough to be classified as temperate or continental. Like their Hot Semi-Arid counterparts, they support shrub-like vegetation or hardy grasses.  C – Temperate Climate Cfa (humid subtropical). These areas on the eastern coasts are next to warm oceans that bring in plenty of moisture. They experience tropical summers, but cool winters, and rain all year round. Typical natural vegetation ranges from forest to swamp and grassland, but much of these areas have been given over to farming. Cfb (marine/oceanic). There is mild year round climate which also experiences rain year round. This climate exists next to western coasts, where prevailing westerlies moderate temperatures year round such that warm summers and cool winters are the norm. In both cases, limited seasonal temperature range and year round rain are its defining hallmark. Natural vegetation is mixed woodland, but these areas are heavily farmed. Cfc (subpolar oceanic). Lying in certain areas higher in latitude or elevation to the Oceanic, these areas still have mild winters, but cooler summers.  Csa (Hot Summer Mediterranean). Lying just above the Hot Deserts in latitude, and always on the western fringes of continents, these areas experience the hot and dry conditions of deserts in summer, but significant rain from oceanic westerly winds in winter. Natural vegetation is limited by the desert-like conditions of summer, and is typically shrub-like. Csb (Warm Summer Mediterranean). Always lying above the Csa on the continental western coasts, these areas have warm dry summers instead of hot, and usually even heavier rainfall in winter. With less harsh winters, natural vegetation is usually in the form of coniferous forest, including the Redwoods and Sequoias of California, the tallest in the world.  Cwa (Subtropical Monsoon). A sibling of the Humid Subtropical, and found mainly in Asia at the same latitudes, this varies only in that it has a winter dry season instead of rain year round due to the presence of the Asian Monsoon. Cwb (Subtropical Highland). Occurring in tropical latitudes, the heat of the rainforest and savannah is reduced significantly through being at high altitude. The result is year round mild temperatures, with a pronounced dry season. Natural vegetation is a mix of forest and grassland. Cwc (Cool Subtropical Highland). At even higher altitudes in the tropics, the mild temperatures of Cwb zone gives way to noticeably chilly weather, year round. It is not common.  D – Continental Climate Dfa/Dfb. Occurring only within the great land masses of the Northern Continents, these climates experience high temperature ranges between summer and winter, and have cold winters, falling below freezing. There is rain year round, with Dfa experiencing hot summers, and Dfb experiencing cooler but still warm summers. Natural vegetation is usually grassland, but these areas are heavily farmed. Dfc/Dfd These areas lying to the north have much colder winters. These two zones have rain or snow year round. Like all the subarctic zones, the vegetation is dominated by coniferous forest (Taiga), and farming is almost non-existent. Dwa/Dwb. There is little to no rain during the winter. These occur exclusively in Eastern Asia due to the influence of the Asian Monsoon. Dwc/Dwd. They have dry winters – they occur only in Eastern Siberia. Dsa/Dsb. The summer is dry. These areas usually occur inward from Mediterranean climate areas. Dsc/Dsd. These very rare Subarctic zones are like the others except that the dry season occurs in summer. E – Polar Climate ET (polar tundra). There is no true summer. Even further North than the Subarctic, the true Arctic has the treeless waste of the Tundra, where summer temperatures are just too cold to support tree growth, a situation compounded by the presence of permanently frozen soil just below the surface, known as permafrost. Only hardy grasses and shrubs survive here. EF (polar ice cap). It is characterized by perennial ice. Regions with this climate have a surface that is permanently covered in snow and ice. Below freezing point all year round, these areas produce ice sheets several kilometers thick and are confined to Greenland and Antarctica. Nothing can grow in these harshest of conditions. The Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification System https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsOL9Fafo2w H - HIGHLAND A major climate type often added to the Köppen classification. It contains all highland areas not easily categorized by other climate types. There is high insolation, low temperature, low air pressure, large diurnal ranges of temperature and relatively large amount of precipitation at higher altitudes. This type of climate is found in the Alps, the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, the Rockies, and the Andes. Get in Touch With Us Send us a message or visit us City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines (63) 77-600-0459 [email protected] Follow us for updates facebook.com/MMSUofficial www.mmsu.edu.ph