High-resolution (1 km) Köppen-Geiger maps for 1901-2099 based on constrained CMIP6 projections

We introduce Version 2 of our widely used 1-km Koppen-Geiger climate classification maps for historical and future climate conditions. The historical maps (encompassing 1901-1930, 1931-1960, 1961-1990, and 1991-2020) are based on high-resolution, observation-based climatologies, while the future maps (encompassing 2041-2070 and 2071-2099) are based on downscaled and bias-corrected climate projections for seven shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs). We evaluated 67 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) and kept a subset of 42 with the most plausible CO2-induced warming rates. We estimate that from 1901-1930 to 1991-2020, approximately 5% of the global land surface (excluding Antarctica) transitioned to a different major Koppen-Geiger class. Furthermore, we project that from 1991-2020 to 2071-2099, 5% of the land surface will transition to a different major class under the low-emissions SSP1-2.6 scenario, 8% under the middle-of-the-road SSP2-4.5 scenario, and 13% under the high-emissions SSP5-8.5 scenario. The Koppen-Geiger maps, along with associated confidence estimates, underlying monthly air temperature and precipitation data, and sensitivity metrics for the CMIP6 models, can be accessed at www.gloh2o.org/koppen.

Automated summary

This study introduces Version 2 of the widely used 1-km Koppen-Geiger climate classification maps, which include historical and future climate conditions. The maps are based on high-resolution observation data and climate projections. The results show that approximately 5% of the global land surface has transitioned to a different major climate class in the past, and this proportion is projected to increase in the future under different emissions scenarios.