Climate zones in Ecuador, 1991 to 2020
Share of Ecuador's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 297,156 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 254,996 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 67%, C (temperate) 20%, E (polar) 8%, B (arid) 4.8%.
Ecuador has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Af (tropical rainforest), covers only 39% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Aw (22%) and Cfb (15%). 8 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tropical rainforest means hot, wet and green every month of the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 14% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Af (tropical rainforest).
How Ecuador'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) | 7% | 2.9% | Csb +1.4 percentage points | Cfb -1 percentage point |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 10% | 5.4% | Af +2.3 percentage points | ET -1.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 14% | 8.8% | Af +3.4 percentage points | ET -3.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 20% | 15% | Af +5.5 percentage points | ET -5.6 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Af Tropical rainforest | 39% | 39% | 42% | 43% | 45% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 21% | 22% | 22% | 22% | 23% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 16% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| ET Tundra | 8.5% | 8% | 6.3% | 4.8% | 2.4% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 5.5% | 5.9% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 8% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4% | 3.5% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 2.4% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 2.6% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 2.4% | 1.5% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| BWh Hot desert | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Cfc Subpolar oceanic | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Ecuador and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Quito | Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean |
| Guayaquil | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Cuenca | Cfb Temperate oceanic | Cfb Temperate oceanic |
Zones found in Ecuador
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Af. See data sources and licences.