CLIMATE: How Wladimir Köppen Studied Weather and Drew the First Climate Map

As a teenager, Wladimir Köppen notices changing landscapes during travel from St. Petersburg to Crimea and makes understanding those changes his life’s work. In the late nineteenth century, he leads weather reporting at the German Marine Observatory in Hamburg, helps establish North Sea weather stations, and gathers information from around the world. Over time, Köppen develops the first climate map. Modified versions of his maps continue to be used.