Map of the South Pacific

The new climate map is live! Find it in the table of thematic maps in the original post.

The map shows the climate of TSP based on the Köppen climate classification (Wikipedia). It was created by identifying trends on real-life Earth by looking at important factors such as latitude, altitude, oceanic gyres, and to some degree wind patterns.

Even though there appears to be strict borders between the different classifications, that is not the case in nature; it is a simplified representation of nature. TSP’s climate map is of course even more simplified than its real-life counterpart, since a more detailed and realistic map would require real simulations with input and computational resources we don’t have. I did also skip some intermediate classifications, such as the various Mediterranean ones. Therefore, please view the map as an indication of the climate in your plot. It’s going to be something like what’s shown on the map, but not exactly like it, everywhere. It’s entirely possible that we find mistakes or opportunities to improve the map, so the map may be subject to some change.

I already mentioned the oceanic gyres as important to the research. They bring warm or cold water. Other than warming or cooling lands they pass, they bring air with different moisture. To protect long established lore, a Gulf Stream-kind of warm current was introduced that passes southwestern Bailtem, giving the area a much more lush climate than the desert it would have been without it.

When identifying the climate in your plot(s), you may find it difficult to see exactly what shade of colour there is, and there are many shades that look very similar. Remember that most of TSP is located on the southern hemisphere, therefore plots close to the equator will have climate classifications similar to those on real-life Earth and the shades of blue found there will represent tropical climates. Further south we again find shades of blue. Now these represent humid and subarctic climates. The same goes for green for example.

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