Climate classification
Climate classifications are the basis for detailed geozonal models of climate zones .
All air classifications try the regionally very different climates (climate profiles) of the earth together and reproduce generalized (Air Types) .
A general distinction is made between genetic, effective and integrative climate classifications .
definition
"Climatic classifications reflect the complex interrelationship of climatic elements and climatic factors as well as their effects on the earth's surface in climatic types , which in turn find their cartographic precipitation as climatic belts, climatic zones, climatic areas , etc."
Climatic classifications serve to classify the earth according to meteorological and climatological aspects on a regional scale . If one compares the climatic conditions of different areas of the earth and summarizes the data for similar combinations, one speaks of a climate type . A characteristic feature profile is developed from the local climate profiles , for example shown in the climate diagram . Similar climates are aggregated to form larger rooms that have the same climatic parameters (and thus roughly the same climate) within certain limit and guide values . The small spatial differences have to give way to the great regularities of the climates.
Classifications according to spatial criteria
- One approach to the classification of climate types is used for the global subdivision of the climate belts or climate zones , which represent the coarsest breakdown of climate data and belt-shaped ( zonal ) encompass the entire earth, from the equator ( tropical climate ) to the poles ( polar climate ) . This primarily models the annual average temperature, which decreases towards the high latitudes , due to the decreasing mean position of the sun and the lower solar radiation .
- Another classification method is modeling according to the surface shape of the earth (the land masses and sea regions), which then results in characteristic areas of influence. This includes general climate profiles such as marine or continental climates . Due to the globally prevailing trade winds up to the tropics , the westerly wind drift in the mid-latitudes and the perpetual polar vortex , climatic areas of the tropics are influenced by the east and extra-tropical by the west.
- The third type of classification is based on geomorphology itself, such as mountain climate , or according to ecological aspects, such as desert climate .
There are different approaches to typology for all three methodologies and, as a result, different demarcations of related types between the individual systems.
These three classification methods can then be used to characterize individual areas (special climatic typology, such as the alpine climate or the Mediterranean climate (both are also representatives for general climate types)). This is mostly based on the superposition of various types of climate classification (Mediterranean climate of the Mediterranean area: subtropical marine climate, dry in summer and humid in winter, under the influence of the Atlantic climate in Europe, the Eurasian continental climate and the desert climate in North Africa, basin-shaped isolated by the weather divisions of the mountains in Europe, the Middle East and Africa).
In this way, ever finer subclimates can be broken down ( scale typological classification), from macroclimates to a medium scale of regional mesoclimate to microclimates of individual land forms as an ecological concept, or even in urban areas as an architectural problem (building climate , room climate ).
Classifications according to the cause-effect principle
Genetic classification
Main article: Genetic climate classification
Genetic climate classifications focus on the origin (genesis) of the climate. Rooms with the same climate are determined, for example, according to the continental or maritime character of a sub-area. The central basis of the genetic climate classifications is the earth's energy balance, based on the balance of irradiated and radiated energy, and the general circulation of the atmosphere based on it.
Hermann Flohn presented an early genetic climate classification , on which Ernst Neef's most common variant is based.
Effective classification
Main article: Effective climate classification
In contrast to the genetic classifications, the effective ones deal less with the formation of climates than with their appearance. The different forms of vegetation are an important starting point , as the same plants only grow under the same climatic conditions. This brings them closer to the various geozonal models of the landscape zones - especially the vegetation zones - with which they are largely parallel.
The best known of them are the structures by Köppen , and continued by Geiger , and the joint work of Troll and Paffen .
In order to be able to delimit the zones more precisely and to represent the climate in as much detail as possible, other climate elements , such as temperature, precipitation, are often included in the analysis. In addition to the Troll thermoisopleth diagram , the system of climate diagrams according to Walter and Lieth , which can be clearly assigned to specific climates and local variations, should also be mentioned here. In phenology , key data such as the arrival of spring are zoned.
Integrative classification
Main article: Integrative climate classification
The ecophysiological climate classification is a new, integrative climate classification and combines both genetic elements of the climate (genetic climate classification) and effective elements such as the current land cover (effective climate classification). It was developed by Wilhelm Lauer and Peter Frankenberg .
literature
- Albrecht Penk: Attempt to classify the climate on a physio-geographical basis. 1910.
- Peter Hupfer: The Earth's Climate System. 1991, ISBN 3-05-500712-3 .
- W. Lauer: climatology. 1995, ISBN 3-14-160284-0 .
- W. Lauer, P. Frankenberg: Climate classification of the earth. In: Geographical Rundschau. 40, 1988, Westermann Verlag, Braunschweig.
- A. Siegmund, P. Frankenberg: The climate types of the earth - a didactically based classification attempt. In: Geographical Rundschau. 51. Vol., H. 9, 1999, pp. 494-499.
Web links
- Climate classifications , Department of Geography at the University of Munich
- Matthias Forkel: Information sheet on climate classifications on TERRA-Online, 2012. (klett.de)
- http://www.ph-karlsruhe.de/wp/siegmund/Klimaklass/index_Klima.htm ( Memento from July 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) , climate structure according to Siegmund / Frankenberg, University of Karlsruhe
- A. Siegmund: Climate structure in a modular system. In: magazine 360 °. Issue "Klimawandel" 2/2008, pp. 8–11. (online at diercke.de )
- Webgeo - online course, University of Freiburg Webgeo - online course, University of Freiburg
- Climate types on Google Books
Individual evidence
- ^ Richard Pott: General Geobotany. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 2005, ISBN 3-540-23058-0 .
- ↑ Dieter Heinrich, Manfred Hergt: dtv atlas for ecology. (= German 3228). 3. Edition. German Taschenbuch-Verlag, Munich 1994, ISBN 3-423-03228-6 .