climate data sets: introduction two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify...

climate data sets: introduction two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify reconstructions 2. observations 3. model outputs

climate data sets: introduction two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify reconstructions 2. observations 3. model outputs the baseline climate ? variations from the baseline ?

climate data sets: introduction two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify... finally: How do you get the data to meet your need? 1. reconstructions 2. observations 3. model outputs the baseline climate ? variations from the baseline ?

climate data sets: reconstructions the proxy tree rings, boreholes, etc. sources How many proxy sources? How many sites? records Can we use a variety of reconstructions? think about...

climate data sets: reconstructions the proxy tree rings, boreholes, etc. sources How many proxy sources? How many sites? records Can we use a variety of reconstructions? key site: World Data Centre for Palaeo-climatology think about...

climate data sets: reconstructions the proxy tree rings, boreholes, etc. sources How many proxy sources? How many sites? records Can we use a variety of reconstructions? key site: World Data Centre for Palaeo-climatology think about... example: global temperature source:

climate data sets: observations space global, hemispheric, continental, country, grid, station time think about... year, month, day, hour

climate data sets: observations space global, hemispheric, continental, country, grid, station time key sites: CRU think about... year, month, day, hour NCDC lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html

climate data sets: observations space global, hemispheric, continental, country, grid, station time key sites: CRU think about... example: Southern Oscillation index (SOI) year, month, day, hour NCDC lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html source:

climate data sets: model outputs what? global climate model (GCM), regional climate model (RCM) which? think about... there are many different models how? area averages, individual grid boxes, downscaling runs? reanalysis, control, historical, future

climate data sets: model outputs what? global climate model (GCM), regional climate model (RCM) which? key sites: NCEP/NCAR reanalysis think about... there are many different models how? area averages, individual grid boxes, downscaling runs? reanalysis, control, historical, future IPCC-DDC GCM data Hadley Centre data Canadian data ipcc-ddc.cru.uea.ac.uk/

climate data sets: model outputs example: summer precipitation changes in Europe for the 2080s for nine GCMs under A2

climate data sets: progress check two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify... finally: How do you get the data to meet your need? 1. reconstructions 2. observations 3. model outputs the baseline climate ? variations from the baseline ?   

climate data sets: baseline purpose: to identify the baseline climate for the region or location of interest, to give a firm basis for calculating changes

climate data sets: baseline the spatial scale What may be critical? If we are interested in climate changes, then we should select the time period with the best data, if possible The data-set we choose will be dependent on the spatial scale of interest to us. purpose: to identify the baseline climate for the region or location of interest, to give a firm basis for calculating changes

climate data sets: baseline the spatial scale What may be critical? Which data-set will I need? If we are interested in climate changes, then we should select the time period with the best data, if possible The data-set we choose will be dependent on the spatial scale of interest to us. purpose: to identify the baseline climate for the region or location of interest, to give a firm basis for calculating changes observations A good baseline needs observations! Reconstructions and model outputs are partly based on observations, and checked against them.

climate data sets: baseline the spatial scale What may be critical? Which data-set will I need? If we are interested in climate changes, then we should select the time period with the best data, if possible The data-set we choose will be dependent on the spatial scale of interest to us. purpose: to identify the baseline climate for the region or location of interest, to give a firm basis for calculating changes large area small area point average boxes from an observations grid use a pre-calculated country average station instrumental record for the point observations A good baseline needs observations! Reconstructions and model outputs are partly based on observations, and checked against them.

climate data sets: variability purpose: to identify the full range of variability, and changes at particular time, in the regional climate

climate data sets: variability the time scale of interest What may be critical? Many changes in climate take place over large areas. Therefore the time scale may be more important when selecting a data-set. purpose: to identify the full range of variability, and changes at particular time, in the regional climate

climate data sets: variability the time scale of interest What may be critical? Which data-set will I need? Many changes in climate take place over large areas. Therefore the time scale may be more important when selecting a data-set. purpose: annual + seasonal monthly daily multi-century reconstructions long instrumental records multi-century GCM controls long instrumental records multi-century GCM controls short instrumental records GCM reanalysis simulations GCM historical simulations to identify the full range of variability, and changes at particular time, in the regional climate range of variabilityparticular times short instrumental records GCM reanalysis simulations long instrumental records

climate data sets: progress check two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify... finally: How do you get the data to meet your need? 1. reconstructions 2. observations 3. model outputs the baseline climate ? variations from the baseline ?     

climate data sets: getting the data 2. files may need to register with the data provider may need to pay nominal fee for CD-ROM may need to download data-set steps 3. format files may need uncompressing the file will usually be in ASCII format the data may be in columns, or may be in a grid 1. metadata may be public files describing the data-set may be.htm.txt.pdf.doc 4. use small files may be used in a spreadsheet large files will need Unix programming skills

climate data sets: the end two perspectives: A. What varieties of data are available? B. What data helps you to identify... finally: How do you get the data to meet your need? 1. reconstructions 2. observations 3. model outputs the baseline climate ? variations from the baseline ?      

climate data sets: guided discussion All questions and comments are welcome! Some suggestions for your individual responses: (a) What environmental or socio-economic features interest you? (b) To which climatic elements might these features be sensitive? (e) For what period do you have data for your feature of interest? (c) What is the baseline climate for those elements? variable? (e.g. temperature) time scale? (e.g. winter) spatial scale? (e.g. country) (d) How have those elements varied from the baseline in the past? (f) How did those elements vary during that period?