The document discusses climate classification systems. It describes how climate is determined based on temperature, moisture, vegetation/soil conditions, and atmospheric conditions. It then summarizes the Köppen climate classification system which categorizes climates into five main groups (A, B, C, D, E) based on these factors. Each group has additional subclassifications, resulting in over two dozen total climate classifications. Examples of different climate types are provided and explained.

1. Global Climates
Chapter 7

2. Trivia of the Day

3. What is Climate?

4. 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.

5. How is Climate Determined?

6. How is Climate Determined?
 Climatic elements considered when
determining the climate of a region:
• Temperature
• Moisture

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Additional Conditions Considered:

11. 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

12. 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:

13. 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.)

14. 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

15. Aristotle and Climate Classification

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

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

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

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

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

21. 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)

22. 24 Subclassifications
of the Climate Groups
f 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)

23. The Modified Köppen
Classification System

24. 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)

25. 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!

26. Modified Köppen Climate Map

27. Climograph
Climate
classification
Temperature
Location
Precipitation

28. A Climates—In Brief

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

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

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

32. B Climates—In Brief

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

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

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

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

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

38. BWh—Subtropical (hot) Desert

39. BWk—Midlatitude (cold) Desert

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

41. C Climates—In Brief

42. C Climates: Mild Midlatitude
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
Avg. temp. of coldest month between 27ºF (-3ºC) and 64ºF (18ºC)
Avg. temp. of warmest month > 50ºF (10ºC)

43. C Climates: Mild Midlatitude
Avg. temp. of coldest month between 27ºF (-3ºC) and 64ºF (18ºC)
Avg. temp. of warmest month > 50ºF (10ºC)

44. Csb—Mediterranean
(dry, warm summer)

45. Csa—Mediterranean
(dry, hot summer)

46. C-climates

47. Cfa—Humid Subtropical

48. Cfc—Marine West Coast

49. D Climates: In Brief

50. D—Severe Midlatitude Climates
Humid Continental
(hot or warm summers)
Subarctic
(cool summers or very cold winters)

51. D—Humid Continental

52. Winter In A Humid Continental Climate

53. D—Subarctic

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

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

56. E Climates—Tundra

57. Tundra: Lowland and Alpine

58. E Climates—Ice Sheet/Ice Cap

59. Ice Cap—The Arctic

60. Ice Sheet—The Antarctic

61. H—Highland Climates

62. Highland Climates

65. Global Climate Change
Please watch the following videos:
 Al Gore: New thinking on the climate crisis:
http://www.ted.com/talks/
al_gore_s_new_thinking_on_the_climate_crisis.ht
ml
 Al Gore warns on latest climate trends (2009):
http://www.ted.com/talks/
al_gore_warns_on_latest_climate_trends.html
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