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Difficulty: EasyClimatic Controls and World Climate Types

Match each Köppen climate classification code on the left with its correct characteristic rainfall and temperature regime on the right.

  • AfTropical wet climate with high temperatures and abundant rainfall throughout the year
  • BWhHot desert climate characterized by extreme aridity and high daily temperature ranges
  • CsMediterranean climate featuring hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters
  • ETTundra climate with very short, cool summers and long, bitterly cold winters

Answer

Af pairs with Tropical wet climate with high temperatures and rainfall year-round; BWh pairs with Hot desert climate with extreme aridity; Cs pairs with Mediterranean climate featuring dry summers and rainy winters; ET pairs with Tundra climate with cool summers and cold winters.
Each Köppen climate code corresponds to specific temperature and precipitation thresholds: Af represents constantly wet equatorial regions, BWh denotes hyper-arid hot deserts, Cs represents dry-summer Mediterranean zones, and ET represents cold polar tundras.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary temperature/moisture group represented by each capital letter.
A = Tropical humid, B = Dry/Arid, C = Mild temperate, E = Polar.
The first capital letter in the Köppen system defines the broad global thermal and moisture zone.
2
Interpret the lower-case and second capital modifier letters.
f = no dry season, W = desert (Wüste), h = hot, s = dry summer, T = tundra.
Secondary letters refine the climate type by seasonal rainfall pattern and thermal intensity.
3
Match each combined code to its corresponding description.
Af to Equatorial rainforest, BWh to Hot desert, Cs to Mediterranean, ET to Tundra.
Connecting the code meanings to geographic rainfall and temperature regimes establishes the correct pairs.

Key Concept

Köppen Climate Classification Scheme
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Topics

Climatic Controls and World Climate Types

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