Southern Patagonian Ice Field is a very small or disputed unit (under 20 classified 1 km map cells), so this page is not listed in search engines and its figures are only a rough guide.
Climate zones in Southern Patagonian Ice Field, 1991 to 2020
Share of Southern Patagonian Ice Field's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 2,508 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,398 km²).
By major group: E (polar) 100%.
Almost all of Southern Patagonian Ice Field is one climate: ET, tundra, which covers 90% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020. In plain terms, tundra means too cold for trees; a brief, chilly summer. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 3.3% 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 Southern Patagonian Ice Field'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) | 0.1% | 0% | EF +0.1 percentage points | ET -0.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 1.5% | 0.5% | EF +1 percentage point | ET -1.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 3.3% | 1.4% | Cfc +1.4 percentage points | EF -2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 11% | 4.7% | Cfc +4.4 percentage points | EF -5.9 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 | 90% | 90% | 89% | 91% | 91% |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 9.8% | 9.9% | 11% | 7.9% | 4.1% |
| Cfc Subpolar oceanic | - | - | 0.5% | 1.4% | 4.4% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | - | - | - | 0.3% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Southern Patagonian Ice Field
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.