Climate classification
systems
Dr. Pathikkumar J Bhatt
PILA
Aridity index
• The Aridity Index (AI) is a measure used to quantify the dryness or aridity of a particular area. It
helps to assess how much water is available in relation to the amount of precipitation a region
receives. The index is commonly used in climatology, agriculture, and environmental studies to
determine whether an area is likely to experience drought or desertification.
• Formula:
• The Aridity Index is often calculated as:
• AI =
• P = Annual precipitation (in mm)
• PET = Potential evapotranspiration (in mm)
Interpretation of the Aridity Index:
• AI < 0.05: Hyper-arid areas (e.g., deserts like the Sahara)
• 0.05 < AI < 0.2: Arid areas (e.g., parts of the Middle East and North
Africa)
• 0.2 < AI < 0.5: Semi-arid areas (e.g., Sahel region of Africa, parts of
Australia)
• 0.5 < AI < 0.8: Sub-humid areas (e.g., some parts of Southern Europe,
parts of the United States)
• AI > 0.8: Humid areas (e.g., tropical rainforests)
Purpose
• Climate Classification: The AI is used to classify climate zones based
on water availability, with a focus on areas that experience water
stress.
• Agriculture and Water Management: It aids in understanding the
challenges faced by agricultural and water systems in arid and semi-
arid regions.
• Desertification Risk Assessment: It helps assess how susceptible an
area is to desertification due to prolonged dryness and poor water
availability.
Köppen Climate Classification
System
• Developed by Russian-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in
1884, the Köppen climate classification system is one of the most
widely used methods for classifying climates. It is based on
temperature and precipitation patterns, primarily aiming to describe
the vegetation of a region.
Main Components of the Köppen
System:
• The system is divided into five major climate types, which are further
subdivided based on seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns:A:
Tropical climates
• B: Dry or arid climates (deserts and semi-arid regions)
• C: Temperate climates
• D: Continental climates (cold winters, with a significant seasonal
difference between summer and winter)
• E: Polar climates (cold year-round)
Each of these categories is subdivided by
specific temperature and precipitation criteria:
• Tropical (A) climates are characterized by consistently high
temperatures (above 18°C) year-round, and significant rainfall.
• Arid (B) climates are divided into desert (BWh, BWk) and semi-arid (BSh,
BSk) regions, based on annual precipitation and evapotranspiration.
• Temperate (C) climates have moderate temperatures with distinct
seasons and varying precipitation patterns.
• Continental (D) climates experience extreme seasonal variations in
temperature.
• Polar (E) climates are characterized by very low temperatures
throughout the year.
Example of Köppen Classification:
• BWh: Hot desert (e.g., Sahara Desert)
• Cfa: Humid subtropical (e.g., Southeastern United States)
• Dfb: Humid continental, warm summer (e.g., parts of Canada)
• The Köppen system is quite effective for mapping global climate types
and is used in climatological studies and agricultural planning.
Thornthwaite Climate Classification
System
• Developed by C. W. Thornthwaite in 1948, the Thornthwaite Climate
Classification system is a more detailed approach for classifying
climates based on temperature and moisture availability, particularly
evapotranspiration. Unlike Köppen’s system, which focuses on
vegetation, Thornthwaite’s system emphasizes moisture availability, a
crucial factor in agricultural productivity and water resources.
• The classification system uses a moisture index to determine the type
of climate:
• Moist climates: Areas where precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration.
• Arid climates: Areas where evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation.
Main Features:
• It calculates potential evapotranspiration (PET) using temperature as a
proxy for evapotranspiration rates.
• Based on the moisture index, regions are classified as humid,
semiarid, or arid.
• Thornthwaite's system also divides regions based on the length of the
growing season, providing useful information for agriculture.
Trewartha Climate Classification
System
• Developed by Glenn Trewartha in the 1950s, the Trewartha Climate
Classification system is a refinement of the Köppen system, with a
greater emphasis on distinguishing subtypes of temperate climates.
This system was designed to make climate classification more
accurate and specific for regions in mid-latitudes.
Key Features:
• It has 8 primary climate types, which are based on temperature and
precipitation.
• It uses mean monthly temperatures and annual precipitation to
define the climate type.
• More subdivisions are introduced to accommodate smaller climate
regions, particularly in temperate zones.
• Trewartha’s system is notable for its greater focus on the temperature
range within regions, which is useful for differentiating climate types
within regions that Köppen may categorize as similar.
Trewartha’s Key Categories:
• Tropical: Consistently warm with seasonal rainfall.
• Dry: Similar to the Köppen B category (desert, steppe).
• Temperate: Subdivided into various types based on seasonal
temperature and precipitation differences.
• Polar: Extremely cold climates with little to no variation in
temperature.
• Highland: The only system to specifically include highland climates,
influenced by altitude.
Comparison of the Three Systems
Feature Köppen Thornthwaite Trewartha
Temperature Moisture balance
Temperature and
Primary Focus and (évapotranspiration vs.
seasonal variation
precipitation precipitation)
Climate Types 5 main types Moisture index-based 8 main types
Vegetation-
Useful for agriculture and Refined subtypes for
Usefulness based
water resources temperate regions
classification
Temperature, Temperature, Temperature,
Climatic Variables
precipitation evapotranspiration precipitation
Regional Global Focus on agricultural High precision in
Application mapping regions temperate zones
Conclusion
• Each of these climate classification systems—Köppen, Thornthwaite,
and Trewartha—serves a unique purpose in understanding the
world's climates. The Köppen system is best for broad climate
mapping and vegetation analysis, the Thornthwaite system offers a
more precise look at moisture availability for agriculture and water
resource management, and the Trewartha system fine-tunes climate
classification for temperate regions, offering a better understanding of
regional climate variability.