TOPIC INFO (UGC NET)
TOPIC INFO – UGC NET (Geography)
SUB-TOPIC INFO – Climatology (UNIT 2)
CONTENT TYPE – Detailed Notes
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1. Koppen Climate Classification
1.1. Tropical Moist Climates
1.2. Dry Climates
1.3. Moist Sub-tropical Mid-latitude Climates
1.4. Moist Continental Mid-latitude Climates
1.5. Polar Climates
1.6. Pros of Koppen Classification
1.7. Cons of Koppen Classification
1.8. Climatic Regions of India according to Koeppen’s Classification
2. Thornthwaite Climatic Classification
2.1. Design of Thornthwaite Climatic Classification
2.2. Criticism of the Thornthwaite Climatic Classification
2.3. Thornthwaite Climatic Division of India
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Climatic Classification of Koppen & Thornthwaite
UGC NET GEOGRAPHY
Climatology (UNIT 2)
Koppen Climate Classification
Koppen Climate Classification System is by far the most widely used modern climate classification system.
So, Let’s get to know the Koeppen’s scheme of classification of climate. So this person Wladimir Köppen, who was basically a Russian-German climatologist, he classified the climate of the world by finding a close relationship between the vegetation and the climate of a particular region.
His aim was to make a chart with formulas and notations that would define the climatic boundaries in such a way that it showed close similarity with the existing vegetation.
In simple terms, he looked at the trees and plants of a particular region and then he figured out the relationship between the vegetation and the climate of that region. By finding a close relationship between the two, he created a chart which categorized different climates in groups along with its characteristic traits.
He selected certain values of temperature and precipitation and related them to the distribution of vegetation and used these values for classifying the climates.
He classified the entire world climate by assigning alphabetical letters (capital letters) – A, B, C, D, E, and H. These categories are further subdivided into subdivisions and types by indicating small letters like – a, b, c, d, h, f, m, w, k, and s.
But, Before we discuss in detail the Koppen Climate Classification System, Let’s have a look at the differences between weather and climate.
Differences between weather and climate –
| Climate | Weather | |
| Definition | Describes the average conditions expected at a specific place at a given time (considerable time). A region’s climate is generated by the climate system, which has five components: atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, land surface, and biosphere. | Describes the atmospheric conditions at a specific place at a specific point in time. Weather generally refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity |
|---|---|---|
| Components | Climate may include precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms over a long period of time. | Weather includes sunshine, rain, cloud cover, winds, hail, snow, sleet, freezing rain, flooding, blizzards, ice storms, thunderstorms, steady rains from a cold front or warm front, excessive heat, heat waves and more |
| Forecast | By aggregates of weather statistics over periods of 30 years | By collecting meteorological data, like air temperature, pressure, humidity, solar radiation, wind speeds and direction etc. |
| Determining factors | Aggregating weather statistics over periods of 30 years (“climate normals”). | Real-time measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover, and other variables |
| About | Climate is defined as statistical weather information that describes the variation of weather at a given place for a specified interval. | Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere, and its short-term (minutes to weeks) variation |
| Time period | Measured over a long period | Measured for short term |
| Study | Climatology | Meteorology |
Wladimir Köppen (1846– 1940; pronounced like “kur-pin” with a silent r) was a Russian-born German climatologist who was also an amateur botanist.
The first version of his climate classification scheme appeared in 1918, and he continued to modify and refine it for the rest of his life, the last version being published in 1936.
The modified Köppen system describes five major climate groups (groups A, B, C, D, and E) which are subdivided into a total of 14 individual climate types, along with the special category of highland (H) climate.