Climate zones in Argentina, 1991 to 2020
Share of Argentina's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 4,007,383 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 2,781,209 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 49%, C (temperate) 45%, E (polar) 4.2%, D (cold (continental)) 1.8%.
Argentina has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Cfa (humid subtropical), covers only 26% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by BSk (24%) and BWk (14%). 11 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, humid subtropical means hot, humid summers and mild winters, with rain all year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 23% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Aw (tropical savannah).
How Argentina's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 19% | 6.2% | Cwa +6.1 percentage points | BWk -4.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 18% | 6.7% | Cfa +3.5 percentage points | BWk -5.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 23% | 9.2% | Aw +2.5 percentage points | BWk -3.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 35% | 15% | BSh +5.4 percentage points | BSk -6.7 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 28% | 26% | 30% | 28% | 25% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 22% | 24% | 27% | 24% | 17% |
| BWk Cold desert | 18% | 14% | 8.7% | 10% | 12% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 10% | 9.7% | 9.1% | 11% | 15% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 2.9% | 9% | 9.9% | 10% | 10% |
| ET Tundra | 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 4.4% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 3.6% | 3% | 3.7% | 4% | 4% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 2% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| BWh Hot desert | 1.7% | 1.9% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 4.4% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 1% | 1% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Cfc Subpolar oceanic | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Csc Cold-summer Mediterranean | 0.2% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Cwc Cold subtropical highland (dry winter) | 0.1% | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | - | - | 0.7% | 2.5% | 5.4% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | - | - | - | 0.1% | 0.9% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | - | - | - | - | 0.3% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | - | - | - | - | 0.2% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Argentina and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | Cfa Humid subtropical | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Córdoba | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Rosario | Cfa Humid subtropical | Cfa Humid subtropical |
| Mar del Plata | Cfb Temperate oceanic | Cfb Temperate oceanic |
Zones found in Argentina
- Cfa Humid subtropical
- BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe)
- BWk Cold desert
- BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe)
- Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter
- ET Tundra
- Cfb Temperate oceanic
- Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean
- Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter)
- BWh Hot desert
- Dsc Subarctic with dry summer
- Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer
- Cfc Subpolar oceanic
- Dfc Subarctic (boreal)
- Csc Cold-summer Mediterranean
- Dfb Warm-summer humid continental
- EF Ice cap (frost)
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Cfa. See data sources and licences.