16. Climate Classification and Regionalization

Climates

I have spent most of my youth, up until the age of 18, in The Netherlands. I did not go on holidays very often when I was young, but once I went to the beach of Western-France. This beach is quite similar to the beach in Holland, though the North Sea is a bit warmer than the Atlantic Ocean. These areas belong to the humid sea/ocean-climate (photo 29). When I moved to Alberta, I was met with very different weather and unusual things started to happen. My hands started drying up and my shower towel was already dry the next morning after showering the previous night. Alberta is a land-climate (photo 30). However, these names are not very official terms.

Climate Classification

The Köppen classification system is widely used. The system was invented by the Swiss botanist Alphonse de Candolle in 1874, and named after Wladimir Köppen. It was Köppen who realized that plants were an excellent indicator of climate.

Besides plants, other influential factors on climate are:

·         Latitude

·         Location compared to high and low pressure zones

·         Nearness to oceans

·         Altitude

·         Local winds

·         Distribution of land and sea, and topography of landforms

The Köppen system has the following classifications:

·         A = Humid Equatorial Climate (around the equator)

·         B = Dry Climate (e.g. Saskatchewan)

·         C = Humid Temperate Climate (e.g. The Netherlands and France)

·         D = Humid Cold Climate (e.g. Russia and North-East Canada)

·         E = Cold Polar Climate (Arctic and Antarctic)

·         F = Highland Climate (e.g. USA High Plains)

Photo 29: Ocean climate at the coast of western France. 2005-07-05

Photo 30: Horseback riding. Albertan land climate, Red Deer, Alberta. 2011-05-21