Comments on: "The thermal zones of the Earth" by Wladimir Köppen (1884)

The classical paper of Köppen (1884a) on The thermal zones of the Earth according to the duration of hot, moderate and cold periods and of the impact of heat on the organic world, published in the first volume of the Meteorologische Zeitschrift, is considered today as an early forerunner of the most widely used Köppen-Geiger climate classification. We depict the historical background of the evolution of Köppens climate classification from the beginning in the early 19th century until the present. An overview on 21st century applications demonstrates the high scientific impact of Wladimir Köppens historical work.