Please note that this website is currently under construction
This is a new climate classification that was created and developed by Caleb Dickinson.
Dickinson became fascinated by the Köppen climate classification, and eventually decided to create his own climate classification; the Dickinson Comprehensive Climate Classification.
Within the Dickinson Climate Classification, every climate that humans could possibly endure, real or speculative, is categorized with reasonable granularity.
This system, being more generally more granular than the Köppen, better illustrates the differences between each of the new extreme climates we will see in the future, as well as the climates we see today
This site does not assume that the world can or will be saved from catastrophic climate change.
It records, in detail, the future that humanity is choosing — and the consequences of that choice.
Each climate is measured with 2 or 3 parts, depending on whether the climate is classified by aridity.
The first part measures climate zones by measuring the average temperature of the coldest month in Celsius.
H = Hypercaneal. 50 and above (hypothetical)
X = Uninhabitable. 40 - 50 (hypothetical)
Z = Hyperequatorial. 30 - 40
A = Equatorial. 20 - 30
B = Tropical. 10 - 20
C = Subtropical. 0 - 10
D = Temperate. -10 - 0
E = Continental. -20 - -10
F = Subarctic. -30 - -20
G = Arctic. -40 - -30
Y = Superarctic. Below -40
The second part measures aridity zones.
Aridity zones are measured using evapotranspiration.
To see the method we used to determine aridity zones, please visit the Classification page of this website.
Aridity does not appear to be relevant to the classification of climates that fall within subarctic, arctic, superarctic, cold summer, very cold summer, freezing summer, or frigid summer zones.
Climate classifications that fall within these zones are not measured by aridity.
H = Humid
G = Semihumid
W = Monsoon
M = Mediterranean
S = Semiarid
D = Arid
The third part measures the severity of the summers by measuring the average temperature of the warmest month in Celsius.
H = Hypercaneal Summer. 50 and above (hypothetical)
X = Hyperthermal Summer. 40 - 50
Z2 = Scorching Summer. 35 - 40
Z1 = Very Hot Summer. 30 - 35
A2 = Hot Summer. 25 - 30
A1 = Warm Summer. 20 - 25
B2 = Cool Summer. 15 - 20
B1 = Cold summer. 10 - 15
C2 = Very Cold Summer. 5 - 10
C1 = Freezing Summer. 0 - 5
Y = Frigid Summer. Below 0
For baseline climate conditions, we used the 1981 – 2010 CHELSA v2.1 climatological normals, and for projections, we used the 2011 - 2040, 2041 - 2070, and 2071 - 2100 CHELSA-downscaled UKESM SSP5-8.5 projection normals.
SSP5-8.5 represents a high-growth, energy-intensive future dominated by fossil fuel use, resulting in very high greenhouse gas emissions—making it a widely used analogue for present-day trajectories under minimal mitigation efforts (Riahi et al., 2017). UKESM1-0-LL was selected due to its higher climate sensitivity and stronger land–atmosphere coupling, which makes it useful for bounding upper-risk habitability outcomes.
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