Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification

Abstract

Abstract. Although now over 100 years old, the classification of climate originally formulated by Wladimir Köppen and modified by his collaborators and successors, is still in widespread use. It is widely used in teaching school and undergraduate courses on climate. It is also still in regular use by researchers across a range of disciplines as a basis for climatic regionalisation of variables and for assessing the output of global climate models. Here we have produced a new global map of climate using the Köppen-Geiger system based on a large global data set of long-term monthly precipitation and temperature station time series. Climatic variables used in the Köppen-Geiger system were calculated at each station and interpolated between stations using a two-dimensional (latitude and longitude) thin-plate spline with tension onto a 0.1°×0.1° grid for each continent. We discuss some problems in dealing with sites that are not uniquely classified into one climate type by the Köppen-Geiger system and assess the outcomes on a continent by continent basis. Globally the most common climate type by land area is BWh (14.2%, Hot desert) followed by Aw (11.5%, Tropical savannah). The updated world Köppen-Geiger climate map is freely available electronically at https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/????.

Evaluating the TRMM 3B43 monthly precipitation products using gridded raingauge data over Australia

“…4(a) The climate zones of Australia, as described by a simplified version of an updated Köppen-Geiger climate classification scheme (Peel et al 2007). Some details of how the climate zones are defined are included in Table 1.…”

“…Stern et al (2000) applied this to Australia by modifying the existing climate subdivisions, and by incorporating BoM mean monthly rainfall, annual rainfall, and mean maximum and minimum temperature gridded datasets. In this work, we use an updated version of this scheme, developed by Peel et al (2007), who used long-term global records of temperature and precipitation to redraft the Köppen-Geiger world climate map 5 . A simplified version of this climate scheme was used, with each of the climate zones shown in Fig.…”

“…A simplified version of this climate scheme was used, with each of the climate zones shown in Fig. 2 being the sum of several other subdivisions (for more details, see Peel et al 2007). This was simply to have the continent divided into similar proportions of its total area.…”

Habitat selection by owls in a seasonal semi-deciduous forest in southern Brazil

“…The region's climate is characterized as humid subtropical type Cfa, presenting well-distributed rainfall throughout the year and harsh summers, according to the Koppen-Geiger classification (Peel et al, 2007). The region has altitudes ranging from 410 to 590 m (ICMBIO, 2012).…”

Micro-environmental changes induced by shape and size of forest openings: effects on Austrocedrus chilensis and Nothofagus dombeyi seedlings performance in a Pinus contorta plantation of Patagonia, Argentina

“…We measured PAR at bimonthly intervals and soil temperature and soil moisture at monthly intervals durwarm summers (Peel et al, 2007). Mean annual precipitation and temperature are 1032 mm and 10 °C, respectively, whereas during the growing season from October to March reach 300 mm and 13 °C, respectively (INTA weather station, 43º 07' S, 71º 33 ' W, 1970 -2009).…”