6. Climate Classification --
Two Approaches
• Empiric
– Classes are based on observations and the
effects of the phenomena
– Examples include Koeppen and Thornthwaite
• Genetic
– Classes are based on causes of the
phenomena
– Examples include Air-Mass, Synoptic
Classifications, etc.
7. The Elements of Climate
• Based on
– Temperature
– Precipitation
– Pressure
– Wind Direction/Speed
– Cloud Cover
– “Climate proxies”
9. The Koeppen System
• The Major Climates
– The Tree Climates
• A - Tropical Rainy Climates
• C - Midlatitude Rainy Climates (mild winter)
• D - Midlatitude Rainy Climates (cold winter)
– Trees Don’t Grow Here
• B - Dry Climates
• E - Polar Climates
11. Koeppen System:
Principal Climate Types
• Tropical
– Af - Tropical Wet (Rains all year)
– AW - Tropical Wet/Dry (Dry Winter Season)
– Am - Tropical Monsoon (Shorter Dry Season)
• Dry
– BW - Desert (BWh - hot desert, BWk, cold desert)
– BS - Steppe (semi-arid) BSh - hot steppe, BSk, cold steppe)
• Mesothermal
– Cfa, Cwa - Humid Subtropical
– Csa, Csb - Mediterranean
– Cfb, Cfc - Marine West Coast
12. Koeppen System:
Principal Climate Types
• Microthermal
– Dfa, Dfb Dwa, Dwb - Humid Continental
– Dfc, Dwc, Dfd, Dwd - Subarctic
• Polar
– ET - Tundra
– EF - Ice Cap (Remember, Eternally Frozen!)
• Highland Climates
13. Koeppen System: The Particulars
• First Letter -
– Designates Major Type (A, B, C, D, E)
• Second Letter
– If with A, C, or D climates, denotes seasonality of
precipitation (f - all year, w=dry winter, s=dry summer)
– If with B, denotes whether hot (h) or cold (k)
• Third Letter
– Designates different temperature regimes and
sometimes other parameters like fog frequency, etc.
16. Tropical Climates
• ~ 12 hours a day throughout the year
• There is a greater daily energy change than
there is annual energy change
• Influenced by the migration of the ITCZ
• No temperature constraints on growth leading
to large species diversities
45. Genetic Classification Scheme:
An Air-Mass Dominance Example
Wet All Year Wet /Dry Dry All Year
Equatorial Low Subtropical High
Warm 1 2 3
mT cT
Seasonal 6
4 5
mP cP
Cold 7 8 9
Subpolar Low Polar High
51. The Hydrologic Cycle
• A Hydrologic Cycle
Model
– More Evaporation over
Oceans than over Land
– More Precipitation over
land than over oceans
– Amount of water
advected to the land
equals the amount
runoff back to the
oceans
• Surface Water
– Only .333% of all
surface fresh water is
available for human
use.
– 11.20% of all fresh
water is available for
human use in
groundwater and soil
moisture
54. Remember…
• If the air rises, it’s more likely to rain (or snow…)
• Where it sinks, it’s less likely to rain (or snow…)
• The less rainfall you have…
– The less reliable it is
• So, a climate with a dry season, isn’t necessarily
guaranteed a wet season either!
– Monsoon climates
– Steppe and Savannah Climates
– Deserts (obviously)
67. Our Water Supply
• Water Supply in the United States
• Instream, Nonconsumptive, and
Consumptive Uses
• Future Considerations
68.
69. U.S.
Water Budget
1. Three-fourths
of what falls
is evaporated
2. We withdraw
and consume
one-third of
what is left on
a one-time
basis
3. Some of the
water is
exchanged
into
groundwater
which might
not be
recoverable
Figure 7.17
72. Future Considerations
• There’s plenty of water (if you like salt with your
water!) and we don’t loose any of it…
• On a local basis, water resource scarcity is a very real
issue
• Too much water and the water becomes polluted
• Too little water and the water becomes polluted
• Water scarcity globally are major issues where:
1. The water is used mostly for agriculture and thus for growing
the food supply and…
2. Where competing regions are sharing the same water supply
73. Global Climate Change
• Global Warming
• Climate Models and Future
Temperatures
• Consequences of Global Warming
• Political Action to Slow Global
Warming