High-resolution gridded datasets

This table presents the complete set of high-resolution climate grids available through the Climatic Research Unit and the Tyndall Centre. Following the proliferation of gridded data-sets and their by-products, we have developed a consistent form of identification for these data-sets to provide greater clarity to users. We recommend that any users of these data-sets should use these labels to refer to these data-sets.

Where the status is marked as 'available on request', please mail cru@uea.ac.uk, stating which dataset(s) you require and the area of research you intend to use them in. Please do not request those datasets marked as 'superseded', unless you are certain that you require them.

Please reference the listed papers fully when using these datasets

data-set	space	time	variety	variables	reference	status
CRU CL 1.0	0.5° global	1961-1990	climatology	pre, wet, tmp, dtr, vap, spc, cld, frs, wnd	New et al, 1999	available (via the IPCC-DDC)
CRU CL 2.0	10' global	1961-1990	climatology	pre, wet, tmp, dtr, rhm, ssh, frs, wnd	New et al, 2002	available for download
CRU CL 2.1	10' Europe	1961-1990	climatology	cld, vap	Mitchell et al, 2003	available on request
CRU TS 1.0	0.5° global	1901-1995	time-series	pre, tmp, dtr, wet, vap, cld, frs	New et al, 2000	available on request but superseded by CRU TS 2.1
CRU TS 1.1	0.5° global	1996-1998	time-series	pre, tmp	New et al, 2000; extended	available on request but superseded by CRU TS 2.1
CRU TS 1.2	10' Europe	1901-2000	time-series	pre, tmp, dtr, vap, cld	Mitchell et al, 2003	available on request
CRU TS 2.0	0.5° global	1901-2000	time-series	pre, tmp, dtr, vap, cld	Mitchell et al, 2003	available on request but superseded by CRU TS 2.1
CRU TS 2.1	0.5° global	1901-2002	time-series	pre, tmp, tmx, tmn, dtr, vap, cld, wet, frs	Mitchell and Jones, 2005	available for download superseded by CRU TS 3.0
CRU TS 3.0	0.5° global	1901-2006	time-series	pre, tmp, tmx, tmn, dtr, vap, cld, wet, frs, pet	In preparation	Available from BADC (registration required)
TYN SC 1.0	10' Europe	2001-2100	scenarios	pre, tmp, dtr, vap, cld	Mitchell et al, 2003	available on request
TYN SC 2.0	0.5° global	2001-2100	scenarios	pre, tmp, dtr, vap, cld	Mitchell et al, 2003	available on request
TYN CY 1.0	country	1901-1998	countries	pre, tmp, dtr, wet, vap, cld, frs	Mitchell et al, 2002	superseded by TYN CY 1.1
TYN CY 1.1	country	1901-2000	countries	pre, tmp, dtr, wet, vap, cld, frs, tmn, tmx	Mitchell et al, 2003	available for download
TYN CY 2.0	country	2070-2099	countries	pre, tmp	Mitchell et al, 2002; extended	available for download
TYN CY 3.0	country	1901-2100	countries	pre, tmp, dtr, vap, cld	Mitchell et al, 2003	available for download

Please note that all data-sets are limited to the land surface only; the ocean grid boxes are left blank. The 'global' domain also excludes Antarctica.

The identifying label is made up of:

• Institution of origin
  • CRU = Climatic Research Unit
  • TYN = Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
  both at the University of East Anglia (UK)
• Label denoting the type of data-set
  • CL = average climatology
  • TS = time-series
  • SC = set of scenarios
  • CY = set of country averages
• Version number

Types of dataset

climate data-set	nature	purpose
CL (climatology)	The average climate in the recent past. These are high-resolution grids.	Allows spatial comparisons of environmental features; the dependency of certain features on climate may be assessed.
TS (time-series)	Month-by-month variations in climate over the last century or so. These are high-resolution grids.	Allows the comparison of variations in climate with variations in other phenomena.
SC (scenarios)	A set of scenarios of possible climates in the future, using data from climate models. These are high-resolution grids.	Allows environmental impact models to consider month-by-month changes in climate from the past, through the present, and into the future. Future uncertainties are represented through scenarios.
CY (countries)	Country averages, based on aggregating grid cells together from the grids in CL, TS, or SC.	Allows international comparisons to be made, in conjunction with socio-economic data such as GDP, population, land area, etc.

Abbreviations used for variables

label	variable	units
cld	cloud cover	percentage
dtr	diurnal temperature range	degrees Celsius
frs	frost day frequency	days
pre	precipitation	millimetres
rhm	relative humidity	percentage
ssh	sunshine duration	hours
tmp	daily mean temperature	degrees Celsius
tmn	monthly average daily minimum temperature	degrees Celsius
tmx	monthly average daily maximum temperature	degrees Celsius
vap	vapour pressure	hecta-Pascals
wet	wet day frequency	days
wnd	wind speed	metres per second

References

• Mitchell, T.D., Hulme, M. and New, M., 2002: Climate data for political areas. Area 34, 109-112
  WHOLE PAPER AS PDF

• Mitchell, T. D., et al, 2003: A comprehensive set of climate scenarios for Europe and the globe. Tyndall Centre Working Paper 55.
  ABSTRACT AND WHOLE PAPER

• New, M., Hulme, M. and Jones, P.D., 1999: Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part 1: development of a 1961-90 mean monthly terrestrial climatology. Journal of Climate 12, 829-856
  ABSTRACT (AND WHOLE PAPER FOR SUBSCRIBERS)

• New, M., Hulme, M. and Jones, P.D., 2000: Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part 2: development of 1901-96 monthly grids of terrestrial surface climate. Journal of Climate 13, 2217-2238
  ABSTRACT (AND WHOLE PAPER FOR SUBSCRIBERS)

• New, M., Lister, D., Hulme, M. and Makin, I., 2002: A high-resolution data set of surface climate over global land areas. Climate Research 21
  ABSTRACT (AND WHOLE PAPER FOR SUBSCRIBERS)

Conditions of use