Climate zones in Mongolia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Mongolia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 2,658,322 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,560,575 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 75%, D (cold (continental)) 23%, E (polar) 2.1%.
Mongolia has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, BWk (cold desert), covers only 41% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by BSk (34%) and Dwc (17%). 5 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, cold desert means very dry, with cool or cold conditions through the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 17% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSk (cold semi-arid (steppe)).
How Mongolia'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) | 19% | 11% | BSk +4.8 percentage points | Dwc -8.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 10% | 4.6% | Dwb +1.7 percentage points | Dwc -3.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 17% | 8.5% | BSk +4.2 percentage points | Dwc -7.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 26% | 14% | BSk +7.4 percentage points | Dwc -12.7 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWk Cold desert | 37% | 41% | 42% | 44% | 46% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 29% | 34% | 36% | 38% | 41% |
| Dwc Subarctic with dry winter | 26% | 17% | 14% | 10% | 4.7% |
| Dwb Warm-summer continental with dry winter | 3.9% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 6% | 4.2% |
| ET Tundra | 4.1% | 2.1% | 0.6% | 0.2% | - |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | - | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | - | - | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
| Dwa Hot-summer continental with dry winter | - | - | 0.7% | 1.2% | 3% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Mongolia and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ulan Bator | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Mongolia
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWk. See data sources and licences.