CLIMATE

CLASSIFICATIO
N
By C. W. Thornthwaite

CHARLES WARREN
THORNTHWAITE (MARCH
7,
1899

JUNE
11,
1963)
was an American geographer and climatologist.

He is best known for devising a climate classification system

published in 1948.
Detailed water budget computations of potential evapotranspiration.
He was Professor of Climatology at Johns Hopkins University,
Adjunct professor at Drexel University,
President

of the Commission
Meteorological Organization,

for

Climatology

of

the

World

A recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Association

of American Geographers,
and the Cullum Medal from the American Geographical Society.

Thornthwaite devised a new method for climatic

classification.
It was based on water balance. He found out the water

balance for each month for all the places. If the water
balance had a water surplus situation it is called Humid
and if it is water deficient it is called Arid.
He also found out many other types between these two

and had their relationship with natural vegetation

because, according to him, every climatic type was
represented by vegetation. Indices were calculated.
According to this type of classification, the following

climatic regions have been identified along with indices

mentioned there in:
A, B, C2, C1, D, E

PRECIPITATION
EFFECTIVENESS
For each month the ratio is calculated by:

rt-10 (r=mean monthly rainfall in inches. t= mean monthly temperature in

F)
The sum of the 12 monthly ratios gives the precipitation effectiveness.

CLIMATE GROUPS BASED ON

PE
(PRECIPITATION EFFECTIVENESS)

Humidity
Province
A (Wet)
B (Humid)
C (Sub humid)
D (Semi arid)
E (Arid)

Vegetation

P/E Index

Rain Forest
Forest
Grassland
Steppe
Desert

127
64-127
32-63
16-31
16

THERMAL EFFECTIVENESS
For each month the index is calculated by:

(t-32)/4 (t= mean monthly temperature in F)

The sum of the 12 monthly ratios gives the thermal effectiveness.

CLIMATE GROUPS BASED ON

TE
(TEMPERATURE EFFECTIVENESS)

Humidity
Province
A (Tropical)
B
(Mesotherma)
C
(Microthermal)
D (Taiga)
E (Tundra)
F (Frost)

T/E Index
127
64-127
32-63
16-31
1-15
0

 A. It is prehumid type with an index of +100. It is represented

by rain forest type of vegetation and is found in the Malabar

Coast where the S.W Monsoons strike against the Western
Ghats and provide heavy rainfall. It is also found in the northeast India.
B. It is humid type of climate and the area is forested but not

that of equatorial type. This is found in areas which surround a

type.
C2.

It is called moist sub-humid. Grasslands are a

characteristic of this type of climate. It is found around the
eastern edge of the Western Ghats, West Bengal, Orissa, etc.

 C1.

It is called Dry sub-humid. Dry grassland is the

characteristic of this climatic type. This climatic type is found
in the Ganga Valley, the north-eastern part of Central India,
etc.

D. It is called semi-arid. It is steppe-like in nature. This type of

climate is usually found in Punjab, Haryana, north-western

region, western M.P and the interior part of the Peninsula.
E. It is called arid type of climate. Dry grass and stunted

bushes are found in this type of climate. This climate is found

in Rajasthan, Kutchch and Saurashtra (Gujarat).