Climate zones in Iceland, 1991 to 2020
Share of Iceland's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 275,468 map cells used cover 98% of the country's outline (about 99,996 km²).
By major group: E (polar) 74%, D (cold (continental)) 18%, C (temperate) 7.4%.
ET, tundra, is the main climate of Iceland, covering 74% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Dfc (subarctic (boreal)) next at 18%. In plain terms, tundra means too cold for trees; a brief, chilly summer. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 41% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cfc (subpolar oceanic).
How Iceland'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) | 13% | 12% | Dfc +4.7 percentage points | ET -8.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 21% | 21% | Cfc +8.3 percentage points | ET -14.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 41% | 36% | Cfc +12.1 percentage points | ET -25.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 75% | 67% | Cfb +25.2 percentage points | ET -49 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ET Tundra | 83% | 74% | 60% | 48% | 25% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 13% | 18% | 25% | 26% | 21% |
| Cfc Subpolar oceanic | 3.3% | 7.4% | 16% | 20% | 28% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | - | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 0.7% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | - | 0.1% | 5.9% | 25% |
| Csc Cold-summer Mediterranean | - | - | - | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | - | - | - | - | 0.4% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Iceland
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was ET. See data sources and licences.