Climate zones in Northern Mariana Islands, 1991 to 2020
Share of Northern Mariana Islands's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 484 map cells used cover 68% of the country's outline (about 400 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 100%.
Almost all of Northern Mariana Islands is one climate: Af, tropical rainforest, which covers 90% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020. 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), 12% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Am (tropical monsoon).
How Northern Mariana Islands'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) | 0% | 0% | No change | No change |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 12% | 0% | Am +5.4 percentage points | Af -5.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 12% | 0% | Am +3.7 percentage points | Af -3.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 12% | 0% | Am +3.1 percentage points | Af -3.1 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 | 90% | 90% | 85% | 87% | 87% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 9.6% | 9.6% | 15% | 13% | 13% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Northern Mariana Islands
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.