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Geolens

Glossary

417 words used in the labs.

Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.

Term

Köppen

A climate classification system that groups places by long-term monthly temperature and precipitation. Its letter codes describe climatic thresholds and seasonality. Vegetation can suggest a climate, but one landscape or one day’s weather cannot determine the classification.

What to look for

Exmoor, North Devon: a landscape within the Cfb oceanic climate region. Köppen classes use long-term monthly temperature and precipitation, not the weather on the day of the photograph.

Related labs

Climate types →
Green fields and wooded valleys on Exmoor in North Devon.
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Explore further with USGS water glossary · USGS volcano glossary · NPS glacial geology · NASA Earth facts. Photograph acknowledgements are collected on the Image credits page.