Climate zones in Chile, 1991 to 2020
Share of Chile's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,076,119 map cells used cover 97% of the country's outline (about 719,699 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 39%, C (temperate) 35%, E (polar) 23%, D (cold (continental)) 3%.
Chile has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, BWk (cold desert), covers only 32% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by ET (22%) and Csb (15%). 9 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, cold desert means very dry, with cool or cold conditions through the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 33% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Chile'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) | 10% | 4.4% | BSk +0.9 percentage points | Cfb -1.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 22% | 7.1% | BWh +4.3 percentage points | BWk -7.9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 33% | 11% | BWh +8.3 percentage points | BWk -10.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 51% | 18% | BWh +13.8 percentage points | BWk -15.2 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWk Cold desert | 31% | 32% | 24% | 21% | 17% |
| ET Tundra | 23% | 22% | 18% | 15% | 9.3% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 15% | 15% | 14% | 13% | 13% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 13% | 12% | 15% | 17% | 19% |
| Cfc Subpolar oceanic | 7.3% | 6.9% | 7.6% | 7.1% | 6% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 3% | 3.9% | 7.6% | 7.5% | 6.8% |
| BWh Hot desert | 3.2% | 3.8% | 8.1% | 12% | 18% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 0.8% | 1.4% | 3.3% | 4.5% | 7.1% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Csc Cold-summer Mediterranean | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | - |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | 0.3% | 1.7% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Chile and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Chile
- BWk Cold desert
- ET Tundra
- Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean
- Cfb Temperate oceanic
- Cfc Subpolar oceanic
- BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe)
- BWh Hot desert
- Dsc Subarctic with dry summer
- Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean
- Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer
- Dfc Subarctic (boreal)
- Csc Cold-summer Mediterranean
- 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 BWk. See data sources and licences.