Koppen Climate Classification for Idaho

Koppen Climate Classification for Idaho

Frequently-asked questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Koppen Climate Classification for Idaho

Abstract: 
The Koppen Climate Classification grid coverages were produced using gridded estimates of precipitation, temperature, and elevation from the PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model). The model was developed at Oregon State University and information about the gridded ASCII data sets can be obtained from: http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/.

Supplemental information: 
Transition areas where cell values change classes should not be thought of as distinct lines.  Rather, these are areas where the climate changes gradually from one class to another.

  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Idaho State Climate Services, 20001014, Koppen Climate Classification for Idaho: Idaho State Climate Services, Moscow, ID, USA.

    Online links:
    This is part of the following larger work:

    Bruce Godfrey - Idaho State Climate Services, 1999, Koppen Climate Classification for the Conterminous United States: University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.

    Other citation details:
    This coverage is a product of the thesis (M.S.): Delineation of Agroclimate Zones in Idaho. Bruce R. Godfrey and Myron P. Molnau -- Program in Environmental Sciences Dissertations. University of Idaho Library Call Number: S600.43.M37G63 1999. (http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/agroclimate.htm)

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    Bounding coordinates:
    West: -117.583098
    East: -110.635046
    North: 49.074195
    South: 41.930895

  3. What does it look like?

    Thumbnail image:

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Beginning date: 1961
    Ending date: 1990
    Currentness reference: 
    Climatological peroid of the PRISM data used to reproduce the Koppen Classification (1961-90)

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial data presentation form: raster digital data

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Raster data set. It contains the following raster data types:
      • Dimensions 193 x 125 x 1, type Grid Cell

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      The map projection used is Transverse Mercator.

      Projection parameters:
      Transverse Mercator
      Scale factor at central meridian: 0.999600
      Longitude of central meridian: -114.000000
      Latitude of projection origin: 42.000000
      False easting: 2500000.000000
      False northing: 1200000.000000

      Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column.
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 4129.672462.
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 4129.672462.
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

    koppen_ics.vat
    Attibutes of the grid cells (Source: Idaho Climate Services)

    ObjectID
    Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)

    Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

    Class
    The Koppen Climate Class (Source: Idaho Climate Services)

    Value Definition
    BSk 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Cfa 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Cfb 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Dfa 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Dfb 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Dfc 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Dsa 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Dsb 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    Dsc 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm
    H 
    http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm

    Value
    The numerical value for Class (Source: Idaho Climate Services)

    Value Definition
    8 
    BSk
    22 
    Cfa
    23 
    Cfb
    27 
    Dsa
    28 
    Dsb
    29 
    Dsc
    37 
    Dfa
    38 
    Dfb
    39 
    Dfc
    44 
    H

    Count
    Total number of grid cells that have a given Value (Source: Idaho Climate Services)

    Range of values
    Minimum: 4
    Maximum: 4644

    Entity and attribute overview: 
    See: http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm for the complete table of criteria for classification of major climatic types in modified Koppen system.

* t = average annual temperature (degrees C); r = average annual precipitation (cm).

    Entity and attribute detail citation: 
    Critchfield, H. J., 1983: General Climatology. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, 453 pp.
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Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

    • Idaho State Climate Services

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

    Bruce Godfrey, Myron Molnau, Idaho Climate Services

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Idaho State Climate Services
    Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering
    University of Idaho
    EP425
    Moscow, Idaho 83844-0904
    USA

    208-885-7004 (voice)
    208-885-7908 (FAX)
    climate@uidaho.edu
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Why was the data set created?

To delineate climate zones based on the Koppen Climate Classification Criteria.  The criteria used to delineate the zones may be obtained from: http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/koppen_criteria.htm.

No responsibility is assumed by Idaho State Climate Services in the use of these data.

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How was the data set created?

  1. Where did the data come from?

    KoppenUS (source 1 of 1)

    Bruce Godfrey - State Climate Services for Idaho, 1999, Koppen Climate Classification for the Conterminous United States: University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.

    Other citation details:
    This coverage is a product of the thesis (M.S.): Delineation of Agroclimate Zones in Idaho. Bruce R. Godfrey and Myron P. Molnau -- Program in Environmental Sciences Dissertations. University of Idaho Library Call Number: S600.43.M37G63 1999. (http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/agroclimate.htm)

    Type of source media: online
    Source scale denominator: 2000000
    Source contribution: 
    ArcInfo Grid coverage (http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/Clim_Map/exportfiles/Koeppen_us.zip).  Map_Projection_Name: Albers, 1st Standard Parallel: 29 30 00, 2nd Standard Parallel: 45 30 00, Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -96, Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 23, False_Easting: 0.0, False_Northing: 0.0,
Units: meters, Datum: NAD27

  2. What changes have been made?

    Date: 20001014 (change 1 of 2) 
    Projected the source coverage from Albers to IDTM

Downloaded a state boundary shapefile (statebnd_id_inside.tgz) from INSIDE Idaho to clip Idaho out from the entire US grid.

Compressed the directory containing the new grid (tar & gzip)

Created a new metadata record

--/*AML to take the US Koppen grid and project it to IDTM to link up to INSIDE Idaho
--import auto koeppen_us.e00 koppen
--project grid koppen koppen2 albers2idtm.prj
--shapearc statebnd_id_inside.shp statebnd poly
--build statebnd poly
--buffer statebnd statebuf * * 3000
--build statebuf poly
--latticeclip koppen2 statebuf koppen3
--kill koppen all
--kill koppen2 all
--kill statebnd all
--kill statebuf all

--/*create a lookup table to associate the letter classifications
--&data arc info
--ARC
--DEFINE CLASSES.LUT
--VALUE
--4
--4
--B
--CLASS
--4
--4
--C
--~
--ADD
--1
--A
--2
--Af
--3
--Am
--4
--Aw
--5
--B
--6
--BS
--7
--BSh
--8
--BSk
--9
--BW
--10
--BWh
--11
--BWk
--12
--C
--13
--Cs
--14
--Csa
--15
--Csb
--16
--Csc
--17
--Cw
--18
--Cwa
--19
--Cwb
--20
--Cwc
--21
--Cf
--22
--Cfa
--23
--Cfb
--24
--Cfc
--25
--D
--26
--Ds
--27
--Dsa
--28
--Dsb
--29
--Dsc
--30
--Dsd
--31
--Dw
--32
--Dwa
--33
--Dwb
--34
--Dwc
--35
--Dwd
--36
--Df
--37
--Dfa
--38
--Dfb
--39
--Dfc
--40
--Dfd
--41
--E
--42
--ET
--43
--EF
--44
--H
--~
--Q STOP
--&end
--joinitem koppen3.vat classes.lut koppen3.vat value value
--&sys mkdir koppen_id_ics
--copy koppen3 koppen_id_ics/koppen_id
--kill koppen3 all
--&return

--Projection file alb2idtm.prj
--input
--projection albers
--units meters
--datum nad27
--Spheroid CLARKE1866
--parameters
--29 30 00
--45 30 00
---96 00 00
--23 00 00
--0
--0
--output
--projection transverse
--units meters
--datum nad27
--Spheroid CLARKE1866
--parameters
--0.99960
---114 00 00
--42 00 00
--500000
--100000
--end

    Person responsible for change:
    Bruce Godfrey
    University of Idaho Library
    GIS Specialist
    Box 442350
    Moscow, ID 83844-2350
    USA

    208-885-6463 (voice)
    208-885-6817 (FAX)
    bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

    Data sources used in this process:
    • KoppenUS

    Date: 20060321 (change 2 of 2) 
    Projected to IDTM83

    Person responsible for change:
    Bruce Godfrey
    Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
    GIS Specialist
    Box 442350
    Moscow, Idaho 83844-2350

    208.885.6463 (voice)
    bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

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How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    To the best of my knowledge, all cells have the correct Koppen Classification based on the PRISM data sets used

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    Unknown

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    All cells within Idaho boundary have a class and value

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    Not applicable for raster data

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How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access constraints: None
Use constraints: 
This information is not accurate for legal or navigational purposes.  This information is for use by State Climate Services for Idaho.  Not to be used at scales greater than 1:2,000,000.

Distributor 1 of 1

  1. Who distributes the data set?

    Bruce Godfrey
    University of Idaho Library
    GIS Specialist
    Box 442350
    Moscow, Idaho 83844-2350
    USA

    208-885-6463 (voice)
    208-885-6817 (FAX)
    bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Downloadable Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Idaho State Climate Services office, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. Is there some other way to get the data?

  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

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Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 20060321

Metadata author:
Idaho State Climate Services
Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering
University of Idaho
EP425
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2350
USA

208-885-7004 (voice)
208-885-7908 (FAX)
bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata(FGDC-STD-001-1998)

Metadata extensions used:
  • http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html

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