Knowing the type of climate in each area of the planet is important for human life, since this conditions the lifestyle and the necessary infrastructures. The best-known climate classification is that of Köppen, let’s get to know it.
For all these reasons, throughout history attempts have been made to classify the types of existing climates in different ways. In this sense, one of the best known classifications is the one carried out by Wladimir Köppen in 1884. The author himself reviewed his proposal some time after having published it, although it was also analyzed by other authors such as Rudolf Geiger.
One of the reasons why this classification has been extended and generalized is its simplicity. The author starts from the premise that climate and vegetation are closely related , so climatic zones have been delimited according to the distribution of plant species.
The system created by Köppen consists of five groups (tropical, dry, temperate, continental and polar), so that each of them is identified using a capital letter. In turn, each of these groups is divided into subgroups. This means that for each large group several different types of climates can be distinguished, which are identified with a three-letter code.
Although it may seem somewhat confusing, this classification is very simple. If you want to understand it in depth, continue reading, because we are going to know the different types of climate according to Köppen .
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How are climates classified according to Köppen?
As we have been commenting, Köppen developed a classification of climate types based on the distribution of vegetation. Next we are going to see the groups and types of climate that this author identified.
1. Group A: Tropical climates
Tropical climates are those in which average temperatures never drop below 18 degrees Celsius . In addition, annual rainfall is abundant, which makes the difference compared to dry climates. Within this category, there are, in turn, three types of climates, which differ in the distribution of their rainfall:
1.1. Ecuatorial (f)
This type of climate is characterized by being warm and rainy in equal parts . It is the climate that characterizes the jungle, where there are no defined seasons. These climatic conditions occur in the area of the equator up to 25º latitude. The entire Amazon region, the Congo basin and the Asian Indo-Malay region are the most representative of this type of climate.
1.2. Monsoon (m)
The monsoon climate is characterized by being, like the previous one, warm all year round. The difference with respect to the equatorial is that in this case there is a dry season of short duration, which is followed by a humid phase full of intense rains. As its name suggests, this climate is located in the monsoon forests of West Africa and Southeast Asia.
1.3. Sabana (w)
The savannah climate is a warm climate throughout the year, with an annual dry season . This climate begins to predominate in those areas farthest from the equator, such as Cuba, Brazil or India.
2. Group B: Dry climates
Dry climates are characterized by low rainfall , so that these are less than the amount of evaporation that occurs annually. This type of climate is typical of environments such as steppes or deserts.
Using a mathematical formula, a threshold can be calculated to determine whether or not the mean annual total precipitation corresponds to such a climate. Only when precipitation falls below this threshold can a climate be considered truly dry. Within what are called dry climates, several types can be differentiated depending on the degree of aridity:
2.1. Steppen(s)
In this type of climate, the total annual precipitation is less than the threshold, although greater than half of said threshold. It is a very typical climate in some dry areas of the Mediterranean, where there is a kind of transition between the desert climate and the Mediterranean.
2.2. Desert (w)
The only difference between this climate and the previous one is that the desert climate has rainfall less than half the threshold . Steppe and desert climates can, in turn, be cold (k) or hot (h). The cold ones have an average annual temperature below 18 degrees centigrade, while the warm ones have an average annual temperature above this figure. In this way, there would be four different types of climates in this group B.
2.2.1. Warm steppe (bsh)
This climate is characterized by mild winters and hot or very hot summers, with very limited rainfall. It is a time typical of the tropics and subtropics, so areas such as the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco or the southern coast of California are good examples of places with these climatic characteristics. In this case the base of its vegetation is the steppe.
2.2.2. cold steppe (bsk)
In this type of climate, summers are mild or hot, but winters can become especially cold . Precipitation, as in the warm steppe, is conspicuous by its absence. As its name suggests, in this case the steppe is the characteristic vegetation. This climate is more common in areas far from the sea, such as the interior of North America or the Ebro valley.
2.2.3. Hot desert (bwh)
Hot desert climates have mild winters on the coasts, although temperatures can be very low inland. Summers are very hot, to the point that some of the highest figures on the entire planet have been reached. As expected, it is a climate with almost non-existent rainfall, so there is hardly any vegetation. This climate is prevalent in the Sahara desert, the deserts of the southern United States, and Australia.
2.2.4. cold desert (bwk)
In this climate we will find very cold winters and mild or hot summers . Being a desert climate, its rainfall is very scarce. We can find this climate in areas such as Patagonia Argentina or the interior of Asia.
3. Group C: Temperate climates.
Temperate climates are those in which the coldest months reach, as a minimum temperature, -3ºC, with a maximum of 18ºC at these times of the year. In the warm season of the year, temperatures rise above 10ºC. According to the rains, temperate climates can be:
3.1. Mild climates with dry summer, with little rainfall (s)
They are those in which, as their name suggests, the summers have little rainfall. The dry season, then, is summer .
3.2. temperate climates with dry winter (w)
They are those in which the dry season is not summer, but winter. Thus, it is in the winter months that the lowest rainfall rates are recorded.
3.3. Humid temperate climates, with abundant rainfall throughout the year, without any dry season. (F)
As its name suggests, they are those in which the rate of rain is stable throughout the year . There is no season (neither summer nor winter) that is particularly dry.
3.4. Subtropical temperate climate (a)
It is a temperate climate with the hottest summer, exceeding 22ºC on average in the hottest month.
3.5. Temperate climate (b)
It is the most prototypical temperate climate, with cool summers with an average temperature that does not exceed 22ºC .
3.6. Cold weather (c)
It is the temperate climate that has cold summers, not exceeding the average temperature of 10ºC.
3.7. West Coast Maritime Temperate Climate (cfb)
Climate with cold or mild winters and rather cool summers. Precipitation is distributed evenly throughout the year.
3.8. Subarctic maritime climate (cold oceanic)
Climate with cold winters, without a summer season and rains throughout the year.
3.9. Mediterranean climate (csa)
Climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers. The rains are concentrated in the winter and the transition times between seasons.
3.10. Mediterranean climate with cool summers
Climate with cold or temperate winters and dry and cool summers. As in the previous one, the rains are concentrated in winter and in times of transition.
3.11. Humid subtropical climate (cfa)
Climate with cold or mild winters and hot and humid summers . Precipitation is uniform throughout the year.
3.12. Subtropical climate with dry winter (cwa)
Climate with cold or mild winters and hot summers. There is a reduction in rainfall in winter, since this is the driest season.
3.13. Mild climate with dry winters (cwb)
Climate with cold or mild winters and cool summers. The dry season is winter, while the rains are concentrated in the summer.
Conclusions
In this article we have reviewed the classification of climate types proposed by Köppen. This typology is the most widely used and widespread due to its simplicity . The author decided to classify the types of climate based on the idea that meteorology and vegetation are closely linked. To facilitate the differentiation between the different types, he used a letter code that allows each of them to be identified.
The essential characteristics that make the difference between one climate or another are temperatures and rainfall. Knowledge of the climatic conditions of each area of the planet is especially important. The climate determines the vegetation and fauna of the ecosystem, and also conditions the lifestyle in human settlements and the way of building infrastructure in each place.
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