Climate. How climate is determined. Climate is important because it provides resources for humans. Climate classification. The Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Scheme. The Major Climate Groups. Subclassifications of climate. Climate map. Climographs. Climates, climographs, examples, details: A Climates. B Climates. C Climates. D Climates. E Climates. H Climates.

1. Global Climates
Chapter 7

2. What is Climate?
 Climate is the condition of the lower
atmosphere in a particular region on
Earth that is the average of at least
30 years worth of weather conditions
in that place.

3. How is Climate Determined?
 Climatic elements considered when
determining the climate of a region:
• Temperature
• Moisture
 Precipitation, humidity, cloudiness, surface
water, evaporation conditions
• Related to temperature
• Vegetation and soil conditions
 May be used to determine climatic conditions
where unclear

4. Additional Conditions Considered:
• Air pressure, wind, air mass movements,
and global atmospheric circulations are
also considered
 These are related to latitude, altitude, ocean
circulation, topography, and spatial
distribution of land and sea
Also factored in:
• Extreme weather conditions (flooding,
drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.)

5. Why do we care?
 Climate and vegetation influence animal
habitats
 Climate, vegetation, and animals together
provide usable resources for humans
 These conditions influence (but do not
ultimately determine) the manner in which
people may inhabit a region

6. Aristotle and Climate Classification
What about the Incas/Mayas/Aztecs? What about Murmansk, Russia?

7. Köppen-Geiger
Climate Classification (1900-1940)

8. (Köppen only had five original categories—the Highland classification
was added later)

9. Characteristics of the Major
Climate Groups
A Tropical Humid—Avg. temp. of each month is > 64ºF
(18ºC)
B Dry—Evaporation exceeds precipitation
C Mild Mid-Latitude—Average temperature of the coldest
month is between 27ºF (-3ºC) and 64ºF (18ºC)
Average temp. of the warmest month is > 50ºF (10ºC)
D Severe Mid-Latitude—The warmest month is > 50ºF
(10ºC)
The coldest month is < 27ºF (-3ºC)
E Polar—No month has an average temp. > 50ºF (10ºC)
H Highland—Significant climatic changes within short
horizontal distances due to altitudinal variations

10. 24 Subclassifications
of the Climate Groupsf No dry season [German feucht, or “moist”]
m Monsoon; a short dry season is opposed by heavy rains in other
months
w Winter dry season (low-sun season)
a Hot summers
b Warm summers
c Cool summers
d Very cold winters
W Desert [German wüste, or “desert”]
S Steppe (semiarid)
h Low-latitude (subtropical) dry climate [German heiss, or “hot”]
k Midlatitude dry climate [German kalt, or “cold”]
s Summer dry season (high-sun season)
T Tundra climates
F Ice cap climates (frost)

11. The Modified Köppen
Classification System

12. Would you want to live here?
 This place exhibits a Csb climate
 The C = mild midlatitudes
• temperatures above 50ºF (10ºC) in summer
• winters are short and mild, with little frost
 The s = summer dry season (winter
precipitation)
 The b = warm summer
• warmest summer months below 72°F (22°C)
Welcome to the lovely Mediterranean climate of
Santa Barbara, California!

13. Modified Köppen Climate Map

14. Climograph
Temperature
Precipitation
Location
Climate
classification

15. A Climates—In Brief

16. A Climates: Tropical Humid
Avg. temperature of each
month exceeds 64ºF (18ºC)
Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Monsoon
Tropical Savanna

17. Typical Daily Precipitation for
Tropical Rain Forest (Af) Climates

18. Tropical Monsoon (Am) and
Tropical Savanna (Aw)

19. B Climates—In Brief

20. B Climates: Dry
Evaporation exceeds precipitation
Arid Desert
Midlatitude Desert
Subtropical Steppe
Midlatitude Steppe

21. Influence of the Subtropical Highs
on Dry (B) Climates

22. The Atacama Desert: A Double Whammy
of Ocean Currents andTopography

23. BSh—Subtropical (hot) Steppe (semi-arid)

24. BSk—Midlatitude (cold) Steppe (semi-arid)

25. BWh—Subtropical (hot) Desert

26. BWk—Midlatitude (cold) Desert

27. The Four Dry Climate Types
Subtropical
(hot) Desert
Subtropical
(hot) Steppe
Midlatitude
(cold) Desert
Midlatitude
(cold) Steppe

28. C Climates—In Brief

29. C Climates: Mesothermal
Avg. temp. of coldest month between 27ºF (-3ºC) and 64ºF (18ºC)
Avg. temp. of warmest month > 50ºF (10ºC)
Humid Subtropical—no dry season, hot summer
Humid Subtropical—dry winter, hot summer
Humid Subtropical—dry winter, warm summer
Marine West Coast—no dry season, warm summer
Marine West Coast—no dry season, cool summer
Mediterranean—dry, hot summer
Mediterranean—dry, warm summer

30. Csb—Mediterranean
(dry, warm summer)

31. Csa—Mediterranean
(dry, hot summer)

32. C-climates

33. Cfa—Humid Subtropical

34. Cfc—Marine West Coast

35. D Climates: In Brief

36. D—Microthermal Climates
Humid Continental
(hot or warm summers)
Subarctic
(cool summers or very cold winters)

37. D—Humid Continental

38. Winter In A Humid Continental Climate

39. D—Subarctic

40. Summer in Subarctic Climate Zone:
Taiga (Eurasia)/Boreal Forest (Canada)

41. E—Polar Climates
Polar—tundra
Polar—ice cap

42. E Climates—Tundra

43. Tundra: Lowland and Alpine

44. E Climates—Ice Sheet/Ice Cap

45. Ice Cap—The Arctic

46. Ice Sheet—The Antarctic

47. H—Highland Climates

48. Highland Climates

50. Tropical
Deserts
Mesothermal
Microthermal