Regional climates

Variety of different scales of climatic

investigations
macroclimate- largest area of study, area
extends for 4 x 108 m2, up to 6000 m vertically
(continental in scale)
mesoclimate- 103 m2 up to 4 x 108 m2 in area

(sub continental in scale)

Local climate - a group of microclimates that

characterize a specific region; 103 to 108 m2 in
size
Microclimate - the smallest category 1 to 104
m2 in area
An individual field or park

Schematic of climatic scales of study

Climate classification: What, Why and How?

What:Organize regions with similar climates
Why:Understand what causes the climate to
be what it is and when to worry about
departures
How:Look at moisture, temperature,
evaporation, transpiration, vegetation,
altitude, latitude, etc. and decide on some
value that sets the boundary (threshold)commonly related to plants

Kppen climate classification scheme

Uses Monthly mean temps, monthly mean
precipitation, and annual mean temps to
establish major climatic zones
designated with capital letters

Widely used but frequently criticized

no agreement between plants and climate
variability in the factors that set boundary
= climate classification changes constantly

Kppen Climate table

Class

Class name

Tropical humid

Subcategory Subcategory name

Af

Am
Aw
Dry
BWh
BSh
BWk
BSk
Mild Mid-Latitude Csa
Csb
Cfa
Cwa
Cfb
Cfc

Key characteristic for

sub categorization

No dry season
Short dry season; heavy
monsoonal rains in other
Tropical monsoonal months
Winter dry season
Tropical savanna
Subtropical desert Low-latitude desert
Subtropical steppe Low-latitude dry
Mid-latitude desert Mid-latitude desert
Mid-latitude steppe Mid-latitude dry
Mild with dry, hot summer
Mediterranean
Mild with dry, warm
summer
Mediterranean
Mild with no dry season,
hot summer
Humid subtropical
Mild with dry winter, hot
summer
Humid subtropical
Mild with no dry season,
Marine west coast warm summer
Mild with no dry season,
Marine west coast cool summer
Tropical wet

Severe
Mid-Latitude

Dfa

Dfb
Dwa
Dwb
Dfc

Polar

Highland

Humid with severe

winter, no dry
season, hot summer
Humid with severe
winter, no dry
season, warm
summer
Humid with severe,
dry winter, hot
summer
Humid with severe,
dry winter, warm
summer
Severe winter, no
dry season, cool
summer

Humid
continental
Humid
continental
Humid
continental
Humid
continental

Subarctic

Dfd

Subarctic

Dwc

Subarctic

Dwd

Subarctic

ET
EF

Tundra
Ice Cap

Severe, very cold

winter, no dry
season, cool summer
Severe, dry winter,
cool summer
Severe, very cold
and dry winter, cool
summer
Polar tundra, no true
summer
Perennial ice

Climate zones of the world

Divided into alphabetic categories
A, B, C, D, E, H zones

KPPEN Climate classification

Tropical climates designated with a capital A
Based in part on vegetation zones that are
sensitive to moisture and temperature

Tropical (A) Climates All tropical climates are warm

the subdivisions are based on differences in rain
Tropical Rainforest (Af) Climates located
0-15 N/S Lat.
Diurnal temperature range is greater than the
difference between the warmest and coolest
months
(annual range).
Every month has precipitation and no month is
deficient in rainfall. This high amount of
rainfall keeps the soil moisture at capacity. EVT
occurs at potential rate

Am- Tropical monsoonal climate

Diurnal temperature range is greater than the
difference between the warmest and coolest
months (annual range).
seasonal precipitation surplus and deficit
Distinctive dry and wet season related to wind
reversal
Aw- Tropical savanna climate
Diurnal temperature range is greater than the
difference between the warmest and coolest
months (annual range).
precipitation deficit much of the year
Distinctive dry and wet season

B climates - semi-arid to arid

Several sub categories

All B-climates have less than 30 of annual

precipitation
BW climates are arid (less than 10) and
can be divided further based on latitude
(temperature)
BWh- low latitude hot and dry
BWk- mid latitude cool and dry
BWh is a function of Hadley cell circulation;
occur between 18 and 32 N-S Latitude

BS climates are semi-arid (more than 10

but less than 30 of rain) and can be
divided further based on latitude (temps)
BSh- low latitude hot and dry
BSk- mid latitude cool and dry
A gradational change from A climates on
either side of the B climates

C climates- Mesothermal temperate

Warm summers (<10C); Mild Winters (between -3
to 18C)
Annual moisture distribution determines
subcategories

C-subcategories
Cf = moisture evenly distributed throughout the
year

Cw = 10x the amount of moisture in the summer

as compared to the driest winter month

Cs = 3x as much moisture in the winter as

compared to the driest summer month; at least 1

month with less than 3 cm of precipitation

Csa= called Mediterranean climate

western edge of mid-latitude continents

Cfa= called a Humid subtropical climate

Southeastern edge of mid latitude continents

Cfb= called Marine west coast

Western edge of continents at higher latitudes

D climates- Severe Mid-latitude

All have severe winters; short summers that
range form hot in the south to cool to the
north

E climates - Polar No true summer

Cold all year long

Kppen climate regions of

North America

Kppen climate regions of the US

Trewartha climate classification scheme - a modified

version of the Kppen system.
Attempts to redefine the broad climatic groups in such a way
as to be closer to vegetational zoning.
Group A - this is the tropical climate group, defined as
places which do not receive annual winter frosts (in maritime
regions this corresponds closely to the Kppen boundary).
Climates with no more than 2 dry months are classified Ar ,
while others are classified Aw . There is no specific monsoon
climate identifier.
Group B - this is identical to the Kppen scheme.
Group C - in the Trewartha scheme this category includes
subtropical climates only (8 or more months above 10 C).
The identifiers are the same as the first two letters of the
Kppen identifier - the Mediterranean climate is denoted Cs
and the humid subtropical climate, Cf or Cw .

Trewartha Climate scheme (Continued)

Group D - this group represents temperate climates.
Continental climates are represented as Dca (Kppen Dfa, Dwa,
Dsa ) and Dcb (Kppen Dfb ,Dwb ,Dsb ). Maritime temperate
climates (Kppen Cfb ,Cwb ,Csb ,Cfc ) are denoted Do in the
Trewartha classification. The dividing point between maritime
and continental climates is 0 C in the coldest month, rather
than the usual Kppen value of -3 C.
Group E - this group is undivided and contains the continental
subarctic climates (Kppen Dfc ,Dwc ,Dfd )
Group F - this is the polar climate group, split into Ft (Kppen
ET ) and Fi (Kppen EF ).
Group H - Highland climates - in which altitude is the most
important factor determining climate.

Other climate classification schemes

Thornthwaite-based his scheme on
moisture effectiveness and temperature
efficiency
mathematical relationships easy to
identify from available meteorological
data
Also uses info on season when rain or
snow falls

Genetic classification
Identifies the Why of climates first
and uses that information to establish
each climatic zone
-which air mass dominates

Air masses and climatic types

Warm

Wet

Dry

Tropical
wet
mid
latitude
wet
Polar wet

Cold

Tropical wet Tropical

and dry
dry
(desert)
Mid latitude mid
summer or
latitude
winter dry
dry
(desert)
Polar wet
Polar dry
and dry
(desert)

Grp
I
Grp
II
Grp
III

Climate zones determined by air mass

Vegetation
Closely linked to climate
Often used as PROXY data for lack of
climate data
5 distinct veggie zones

Forests = trees; many different types of

forests
e.g., hardwood, conifer, rainforest
Deserts = discontinuous veggies; scrub brush;
cactus, etc.
Grasslands = grasses
Taiga = cold; climate evergreen conifer forests
Tundra = cold; grasses sedges mosses and
lichens