Thermal Classification of Pakistan

Maida Zahid, Ghulam Rasul

.

DOI: 10.4236/acs.2011.14023                

Abstract

This research work is designed to carry out the annual and seasonal thermal classification of Pakistan to provide better understanding to all the stake holders like farmers and scientists etc for obtaining maximum crop yield. The data of Climatic Normal’s (1971-2000) has been used to calculate Thornthwaites’s Thermal efficiency index for thermal classification of Pakistan. The results of annual thermal classification reveals that Pakistan’s northern half experiences Tundra to Microthermal climate type and southern half experiences all types of Mesothermal to Megathermal climate type. Seasonal analysis showed large variations like in winters the whole country ranges from Microthermal to Frost Type of climate except the extremely southern parts of the country which have Mild Mesothermal climate. In spring the northern half of the country lies between Tundra to Microthermal climate and southern half from Mesothermal to Megathermal climate. During summer and monsoon majority of the regions in the country experience Megathermal except Northern areas which show Moderate Mesothermal to Mesothermal climate. The autumn season mostly have Mild Mesothermal to Tundra climate excluding southern half which showed Moderate Mesothermal to Mesothermal climate.

Keywords

Evapotranspiration, Thermal Efficiency Index, Tundra and Megathermal

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	J. F. Griffiths, “Applied Climatology,” 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, London, 1978, p. 136.
[2]	S. U. Khan, M. Hassan, F. K. Khan and A. Bari, “Climate Classification of Pakistan,” BALWOIS, Ohrid, 2010, pp. 1-47.
[3]	W. Koppen, “Das Geographisca System der Klimate,” In: W. Koppen and G. C. Geiger, Eds., Handbuch der Klimatologie, Gebr, Borntraeger, 1936, pp. 1-44.
[4]	S. J. Reddy and R. S. Reddy, “A New Method of Estimation of Water Balance,” International Symposium on Tropical Meteorology Meeting American Meteorological Society, Nairobi, 1973, pp. 277-280.
[5]	B. J. Garnier, “Thornthwaite’s New System of Climatic Classification in Its Application to New Zealand,” Transaction of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Vol. 79, 1951, pp. 87-103.
[6]	C. W. Thornthwaite, “An Approach towards a Rational Climate Classification,” Geographical Review, Vol. 38, No. 1, 1948, pp. 55-94. doi:10.2307/210739
[7]	M. Sanderson, “The Climates of Canada according to the New Thornthwaite Classification,” Scientific American, Vol. 28, 1948, pp. 501-517.
[8]	S. Erinc, “Climatic Types and the Variation of Moisture Regions in Turkey,” Geographical Review, Vol. 40, No. 2, 1950, pp. 224-235. doi:10.2307/211281
[9]	G. Howe, “Climates of the Rhodesias and Nyasaland according to the Thornthwaite Classification,” Geographical Review, Vol. 43, No. 4, 1953, pp. 525-539. doi:10.2307/212037
[10]	J. Chang, “The Climate of China according to the New Thornthwaite Classification,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 45, No. 4, 1955, pp. 393-403. doi:j.1467-8306.1955.tb01494.x
[11]	J. R. Villmow, “Regional Pattern of Climates in Europe according to the Thornthwaite Classification,” The Ohio Journal of Science, Vol. 62, No. 1, 1962, pp. 39-53.
[12]	D. H. White, “A Global Analysis of the Distribution and Production of the Livestock Communities,” Report No 30 UNEP, ASIT Consulting, Hawker, 1998, pp. 3-17.
[13]	Q. Z. Chaudhary and G. Rasul, “Agro-Climatic Classification of Pakistan,” Science Vision, Vol. 9, No. 1-4, 2004, pp. 59-66.
[14]	Climatical Normal (1971-2000) of Pakistan, Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi, 2005.
[15]	G. Rasul and A. Mahmood, “Performance Evaluation of Different Methods for Estimation of Evapotranspiration in Pakistan’s Climate,” Pakistan Journal of Meteorology, Vol. 5, No. 10, 2009, pp. 25-36.