Physical Geography: Koppen Classification Climates

Severe Midlatitude Climates (Group D)

Only in the Northern Hemisphere. Continentality: remoteness from oceans. Four recognizable seasons: long, cold winter and short summer. Subdivided into two types based on temperature.

Tropical Humid Climates (Group A)

Precipitation influenced by ITCZ. Moisture is prevalent. Winterless climates with little temperature change. Located in tropical latitudinal regions. 3 subtypes.

Humid Subtropical Climate (Cfa, Cwa)

Precipitation reaches summer maximum then drops off a bit in the winter. Warm to hot summers with high humidity. Cfa summer days are hot and humid. Winter temperatures in Cfa regions are mild and typically cooler than Mediterranean climates. Example: Sydney, Australia.

Polar Climates (Group E)

Receive little insolation. No average temperature above 50 degrees F. Extremely dry but classified as non-arid. Two primary groups.

Tropical Monsoonal Climate (Am)

Regions with prominent monsoonal wind pattern. Extensive rainfall during high-Sun season (Cherrapunji, India averages 425 inches). Cloud cover reduces temperature slightly in summer versus spring.

Tropical Savannah Climate (Aw)

Seasonal alteration of wet and dry periods due to position changes of ITCZ. Smallest rainfall amount out of the tropical regions. Lies north and south of Af climates.

Koppen Classification System

System based on annual temperature and precipitation. All but one group classified by precipitation. Separated by Major Climate groups, Climate Type, and Subtype.

Koppen Letter Code System

Three letters: 1st describes group, 2nd describes precipitation, 3rd describes temperature.

Subtropical Steppe Climate (BSh)

Typically surrounds BWh climates. Separates desert climates from humid climates. Extremes are muted in these regions. There are cooler temperatures and more rainfall. Rainfall concentrated by season. Examples: Kayes, Mali (West Africa) and Cloncurry, Australia (northern portion).

Ice Cap Climate (EF)

Very limited precipitation: essentially, polar deserts. Permanent cover of ice and snow. Ice plateaus: high latitude with high altitude. Permanent cover of ice and snow. Located in mainly Greenland and Antartica.

Subarctic Climate (Dfc, Dfd, Dwc, Dwd)

Coldest temperatures and little precipitation. Winters are long, dark, and bitterly cold. Summers are short. Spring and fall pass quickly. Largest annual temperature ranges. Example: Verhoyansk, Siberia T range is -90 degrees to 98 degrees F.

Midlatitude Desert Climate (BWk)

Far removed from oceanic influence. Meager and erratic precipitation. Most precipitation occurs in summer. Cold winters and overall cooler temperatures. Greater annual temperature range. Examples: Astrakhan, Russia (near Crimea) and Lovelock, Nevada.

Marine West Coast Climate (Cfb, Cfc)

Frequently cloudy with precipitation. Occurs when no topographic boundaries exist to inhibit flow of maritime air inland. Temperate climate. Influenced by onshore flow from midlatitude westerlies. Wettest of the midlatitude climates. Example: Sika, Alaska.

Humid Continental Climate (Dfa, Dfb, Dwa, Dwb)

Generally low precipitation but higher amount of precipitation near coasts. Winter precipitation associated with cyclones and summer precipitation with convection. Warm summers and cold winters. Dominated by westerlies and associated with frequent weather changes. Example: Chicago, Illinois.

Tropical Wet Climate (Af)

High solar angle year round, ITCZ influences rainfall. Rainfall multiple times a day. Monotonous climate. Daily temperature range exceeds annual range. Equatorial.

Subtropical Desert Climate (BWh)

Lie near subtropical highs. Precipitation is scarce and highly variable. Precipitation that occurs is short-lived and intense. Hot temperatures. Large diurnal (or daily) range of temperature. Examples: Alice Springs, Australia (middle/southern portion) and Yuma, Arizona.

Tundra Climate (ET)

Little precipitation. Long, dark winters and brief, cool summers. Winters not as severly cold as subarctic climate region. Southern boundary called the tree line.

Midlatitude Steppe Climate (BSk)

Located in areas of transition between desert and humid climates. Greater precipitation than midlatitude deserts. Less temperature extremes than midlatitude deserts. Examples: Denver, Colorado and Semey, Kazakhstan.

Mild Midlatitude Climates (Group C)

Located in areas of transition between warmer tropical climates and colder, sever midlatitude climates. Hot summers and mild winters. High variable precipitation. Three primary groups.

Dry Climates (Group B)

Make up approximately 30% of land area worldwide. Lack of uplift (of warm air in front of a cold front that leads to condensation and clouds) or lack of moisture. Typical in subtropics. Marine deserts. 2 main types and 2 subtypes.

Mediterranean Climate (Csa, Csb)

Modest annual precipitation in winter, summer is virtually rainless. Hot summers and mild winters. Clear skies, especially in summer. Csb climates have mild summers and are more costal. Csa have notably hot summers. Examples: LA, California and Capetown, South Africa.

Highland Climate (Group H)

Nearly infinite changes from place to place because altitude is more significant than latitude. High diurnal temperature variations due to thin, dry air. Whether a slope is windward or leeward (downward from a point of reference).