Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Climate Types and Subtypes in the Köppen Climate SystemT
T A B L E 9 . 2
Köppen
Designation
First Letter
Subcategory
Köppen Climate Name
Defining Characteristic
A
Tropical humid
Af
Tropical Rainforest
No dry season
Am
Tropical Monsoon
Short dry season; heavy monsoonal
rains in other months
Aw
Tropical Savanna
Winter dry season
B
Arid/semi-arid
BWh
Hot Low-Latitude Desert
Low-latitude desert
BSh
Hot Low-Latitude Steppe
Low-latitude dry
BSk
Cold Midlatitude Steppe
Midlatitude dry
BWk
Cold Midlatitude Desert
Midlatitude desert
C
Mesothermal
Cfa
Humid Subtropical
Hot-Summer
Mild with no dry season, hot summer
Csa
Mediterranean Dry-Summer
Mild with dry, hot summer
Csb
Mediterranean Dry-Summer
Mild with dry, warm summer
Cwa
Humid Subtropical
Hot-Summer
Mild with dry winter, hot summer
Cfb
Marine West-Coast
Mild with no dry season, warm summer
Cfc
Marine West-Coast
Mild with no dry season, cool summer
D
Microthermal
Dfa
Humid Continental
Hot-Summer
Humid with severe winter, no dry
season, hot summer
Dfb
Humid Continental
Mild-Summer
Humid with severe winter, no dry
season, warm summer
Dwa
Humid Continental
Hot-Summer
Humid with severe, dry winter, hot
summer
Dwb
Humid Continental
Mild-Summer
Humid with severe, dry winter, warm
summer
Dfc
Subarctic
Severe winter, no dry season, cool
summer
Dwc
Subarctic
Severe, dry winter, cool summer
Dwd
Subarctic
Severe, very cold and dry winter, cool
summer
E
Polar
ET
Tundra
Polar tundra, no true summer
EF
Ice Cap
Perennial ice
H
Highland
Created after
Köppen system
was devised
High elevation with cool to cold
temperature
in mind, the following discussion is a simplified presentation
of the Köppen system that focuses on the defining characteris-
tics of each climate region, such as the annual range of temper-
ature and precipitation patterns, along with the environmental
variables that cause them. The description of each Köppen re-
gion will include a photograph of the landscape to represent
how the climate affects the natural vegetation of the area.
