Pertinence du découpage spatial produit par deux méthodes de classification (CHA et MIXMOD). Application aux climats français

Abstract

The climates of continental France are classified using two models. The first one (ascending hierarchical classification: AHC) is based on a linear distance calculation while the second (MIXMOD), is nonlinear. The principles of the AHC are briefly presented, but those on which MIXMOD is based are more detailed. The two classifications from MIXMOD are compared to the one from AHC. The French space is segmented in a similar manner by the first model of MIXMOD and AHC in a general framework where the climates of the West opposed to the South, the mountains emerging independently. The contribution of MIXMOD appears in its ability to segment the space more evenly than does the CHA. The second model of MIXMOD presents an original structure of climates, opposing the climate of the region along the North Sea to the Mediterranean one confined near the Côte d'Azur; between them, intermediate climates extend from the Atlantic coast to the eastern borders.

Keywords

• classification
• climate