Who Was Wladdimir Koppen?
Wladimir Koppen was a Russian-German scientist who had expertise in meteorology, climatology, geography, paleoclimatology and botany. He spent over 70 years contributing to climatology and meteorology, and played a major role in building both of these fields into what they are today.
He is most known for creating the Koppen Climate Classification, which divides climate into 5 different types: tropical (A), dry (B), temperate (C), continental (D) and polar (E), mostly based on temperature, with the exception of dry. It also gives each of these categories 1 to 2 sub-categories based on the time most precipitation takes place and a deeper look into the temperature, creating a 2 or 3 letter long label for each climate. He based the main 5 categories on the type of vegetation in the area after noticing that the type of vegetation that thrives in most areas is closely linked to the temperature and precipitation in different parts of the globe. Since he noted that almost everything else is based on the plant life in the region, decided to make this the basis of his scale, and used detailed weather reports from across the world to create these categories. He worked on this thoroughly for a while, publishing his first climate map in 1884, his first public version of the scale in 1918, and worked to improve it until his retirement in 1936.
What Was Wladdimir Koppen’s Career Like?
Koppen was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He moved back and forth between Russia and Germany, studying ship reports to learn about the winds in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. He and German climatologist Rudolf Geiger worked together to begin a five-volume book called Handbuch der Klimatologie (Handbook of Climatology). After Koppen’s retirement, Geiger continued to work on the Koppen Climate Classification.
What Was Wladdimir Koppen’s Personal Life Like?
He was born on September 25, 1846, and passed away on June 22nd, 1940, at the age of 93. He was also the father-in-law of Alfred Wagner, who developed the idea of continental drift.
