THE HISTORY, STATUS AND FUTURE OF CLIMATIC CLASSIFICATION

As an integral part of the organization of knowledge and discipline development, climatic classification has a long history. Earliest classifications were based upon a single variable, often day-length. Increased availability of data in the late 19th century permitted more quantitative approaches and the use of more than one variable. Vegetation distribution strongly influenced classification system development, with that devised by Koppen proving the most durable. Formulation of climatic indices permitted the development of an applied empiric approach and the development of the moisture balance concept. Modern taxonomists have used air mass and synoptic climatological approaches in attempts to incorporate atmospheric processes. Synoptic approaches have been of importance since the introduction of methods of numerical taxonomy. The availability of large data sets and computer-generated analytic techniques has helped numeric classification to be of major research importance today. In the future, knowledge of classifications will remain an important component for an understanding of the climate system while newer techniques promise a highly utilitarian approach to the classification of climate.