Climate classification

Climate classifications are the basis for detailed geozonale models of the climate zones.

All climate classifications try to summarize regionally diverse climates of the earth and reproduce generalized.

The smallest spatial differences must here give way to the great regularities of the climate. There are similar climates aggregated into larger spaces that within certain limit and guide values ​​the same climate parameters (and therefore about the same climate ) have. Generally, a distinction is genetic, effective and inclusive climate classifications.

Definition

"Climate classifications reflect the complex interplay of climatic elements and environmental factors and their effects on the Earth's surface in climate types, which in turn are used as air belt, climate zones, climates, etc. their cartographic Precipitation. "

Genetic classification

Main article: Genetic climate classification

Genetic climate classifications represent the emergence of the climate, ie, their genesis, in the center. Spaces of the same climates are thus determined, for example by the continentality or Maritimität a subspace. Central basis of genetic climate classifications is the energy balance of the Earth, based on the balance of incoming and radiated energy, and based thereon general circulation of the atmosphere.

An early genetic climate classification presented Hermann Flohn, which builds on the most common form today by Ernst Neef.

Effective classification

Main article: Effective climate classification

The effective go contrary to the genetic classifications less on the emergence of an climates, rather than their appearance. An important starting point are the different forms of vegetation, because the same plants grow only under the same climatic conditions. So they move into the vicinity of the various geozonalen models of landscape zones - in particular the vegetation zones - with whom they have a high degree of parallelism.

The best-known of them are the subdivisions of Köppen, and continued by Geiger, and the community work of Troll and puffing.

In order to delimit the zones in more detail and present the climate much detail as possible, are often further climatic elements such as temperature, precipitation, included in the analysis. Here is to be mentioned alongside the Thermoisoplethendiagramm by Troll the system of climate diagrams by Walter and Lieth, which clearly certain climates and local variations can be assigned. In the phenology external data are zoned as spring collection.

Integrative classification

Main article: Integrative climate classification

The ecophysiological climate classification is a new, integrative climate classification, combining both genetic elements of the climate (genetic climate classification ), as well as effective elements such as the current land cover (effective climate classification ). It was developed by William Lauer and Peter Frankenberg.