World - Climate
Koeppen’s Climate Classification
The most widely used classification of climate is the climate classification scheme propounded by V. Koeppen.
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- Koeppen identified a close relationship between the distribution of vegetation and climate.
- Therefore, he selected certain values of temperature and precipitation and related them with the distribution of vegetation and used the values for classifying the world climates.
- Likewise, Koeppen’s world climate classification is based on mean annual and mean monthly temperature and precipitation data.
- Koeppen used symbolic (alphabetic) letters (i.e. use of capital and small letters) to designate climatic groups and types.
- Koeppen broadly categorized five major climatic groups; four of them are based on temperature and one on precipitation.
The following table describes the division of Koeppen’s climate −
| Symbol |
Descriptions |
Characteristics |
| A |
Tropic |
Average temperature of the coldest month is 18° C or higher. |
| B |
Dry Climates |
Potential evaporation exceeds precipitation. |
| C |
Warm Temperate |
The average temperature of the coldest month of the (Mid-latitude) climates years is higher than minus 3°C but below 18°C. |
| D |
Cold Snow Forest Climates |
The average temperature of the coldest month is minus 3° C or below. |
| E |
Cold Climates |
Average temperature for all months is below 10° C. |
| H |
High Land |
Cold due to elevation. |
The following table describes Koeppen’s World Climate Classification in details −
| Group |
Type |
Letter Code |
Characteristics |
| A-Tropical Humid Climate |
Tropical wet |
Af |
No dry season |
| Tropical monsoon |
Am |
Monsoonal, short dry season |
| Tropical wet & dry |
Aw |
Winter dry season |
| B-Dry Climate |
Subtropical steppe |
BSh |
Low-latitude semi-arid or dry |
| Subtropical desert |
BWh |
Low-latitude arid or dry |
| Mid-latitude steppe |
BSk |
Mid-latitude semi-arid or dry |
| Mid-latitude desert |
BWk |
Mid-latitude arid or dry |
| C-Warm temperate (Midlatitude) Climates |
Humid subtropical |
Cfa |
No dry season, warm summer |
| Mediterranean |
Cs |
Dry hot summer |
| Marine west coast |
Cfb |
No dry season, warm and cool summer |
| D-Cold SnowForest Climates |
Humid continental |
Df |
No dry season, severe winter |
| Subarctic |
Dw |
Winter dry and very severe |
| E-Cold Climates |
Tundra |
ET |
No true summer |
| Polar ice cap |
EF |
Perennial ice |
| H-Highland |
Highland |
H |
Highland with snow cover |
The following map shows the world’s climatic regions as classified by Koeppen −
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