ClimGen data for the TOPDAD project

About ClimGen scenarios

ClimGen scenarios are constructed by scaling patterns of climate change by a gradually changing global-mean temperature, to represent the gradually changing climate signal. This is then superimposed on the observed mean climatology. Finally, observed monthly anomalies are superimposed, to represent a plausible sequence of climate, combining a gradually changing climate that begins from observed values with one possible sequence of climate variability.

The output files, provided as yearly values or as 5-year, 10-year and 30-year means, thus include one possible sequence of variability. Even for a scenario that is monotonically increasing, the climate may still show some fluctuations up and down due to this variability. If partners wish to use an ensemble of multiple scenarios, each with a different sequence of climate variability, then we can produce an ensemble with ClimGen.

The version of ClimGen used to make the TOPDAD is v1-22. See the main ClimGen webpage for further information about ClimGen.

Index of data files

• European gridded RCP scenarios from CMIP5 GCMs
• European gridded RCP scenarios from CMIP3 GCMs
• European country-average RCP scenarios from CMIP3 GCMs
• Global country-average RCP scenarios from CMIP3 GCMs

About the data files

The data files (and in some case, graphics files containing figures) are grouped according to the structure below. It is essential to read the log, latest entry first, for each group so that you are aware of errors, updates, caveats etc.

When you click on the link to each group of files, you will then be able to download them manually or with automated software such as wget. Some files are in zip files to make downloading quicker.

All data files are text (i.e., ASCII) files. The layout of the contents is fairly self-explanatory. Descriptions of the file format and the file naming system are available on the main ClimGen webpage.

Log -- please check this for updates, corrections, etc.

• European gridded RCP scenarios from CMIP5 GCMs
  
  ClimGen-Format: Click here to access the European (0.5 x 0.5) gridded files for RCP scenarios using climate change patterns from the CMIP3 GCMs
  
  Because additional data are available from CMIP5 GCMs, including downscaled RCP scenarios using higher-resolution regional climate models from the Euro-CORDEX project, we have also generated scenarios from two CMIP5 GCMs. These supplement the CMIP3 scenarios and extend them for additional variables.
  
  
  • 2014-06-20:
    • Monthly timeseries of incoming solar radiation at the surface, for the observed period and for future scenarios (three RCPs and two GCMs). These have been estimated from the cloud cover data/scenarios, taking into account latitude and time of year. Units are W/m^2 averaged over each month. Files are in standard ClimGen format (see above 'About the data files'). In the 'incomingsolarradiation.zip' file.
    • Monthly, seasonal and annual means of tmp (mean temperature), tmn and tmx (min and max temperature), pre (precipitation), cloud (cloud cover) and vap (vapour pressure) for the observed period and for future scenarios (three RCPs and two GCMs). Yearly timeseries ('1year_grids') and decadal means ('10year_grids') are provided. In separate zip files for each variable. Files are in standard ClimGen format (see above 'About the data files').
  
  
  
• European gridded RCP scenarios from CMIP3 GCMs
  
  ClimGen-Format: Click here to access the European (0.5 x 0.5) gridded files for RCP scenarios using climate change patterns from the CMIP3 GCMs
  
  CSV-Format: Click here to access the European (0.5 x 0.5) gridded files for RCP scenarios using climate change patterns from the CMIP3 GCMs
  
  
  • 2013-12-16:
    • Observed 50-year means (1951-2000) have been added to both the gridded ClimGen format and the gridded CSV format observations zip files.
  • 2013-12-12:
    • Alternative format (CSV) gridded files for observations and for decadal mean scenarios have been provided for FMI to import into GIS.
  • 2013-12-12:
    • RCP8.5 scenario climate data files for the same European grid cells have now been added to the archive. Files are as for RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 (see details below).
  • 2013-10-23:
    • Observed climate data files for the same European grid cells have now been added to the archive. Files are provided for TMP and PRE, for 1951-2000, and for the same time resolutions as the scenarios (i.e. annual values, 5-year means, decadal means and 30-year means.
  • 2013-10-23:
    • These grids cover land grid-cells on a 0.5 x 0.5 resolution grid, for a European domain from 25W to 40E and from 33N to 72N. The scenarios provided are for the same cases as the European country averages provided previously. The file formats are described on the main ClimGen page (see link above).
    • TMP and PRE scenarios for RCP2.6 (=RCP3PD) and RCP4.5 are now available, using 17 different CMIP3 GCMs. The CMIP3 GCMs were used extensively in the last (2007) IPCC report.
      There are four files for each case: yearly timeseries from 2001-2100, 5-year means from 2001-2100, 10-year means from 2001-2100, and 30-year means from 2011-2100 (i.e. means for 2011-2040, 2041-2070 and 2071-2100).
      Each file contains results for one variable (TMP or PRE), one scenario, one GCM, and one time averaging. The columns represent the twelve individual months, then the four standard seasons (MAM, JJA, SON and DJF), then the annual mean. Note that the final DJF is always set to the missing code (-999) because it requires January and February from the year after the simulation ends; so it is usually easier to use the individual months and calculate your own winter averages.
  
  
  
• European country-average RCP scenarios from CMIP3 GCMs
  
  Click here to access the country-average files for RCP scenarios using climate change patterns from the CMIP3 GCMs
  
  
  • 2013-12-16:
    • Observed 50-year means (1951-2000) for European country averages have been added to the observations zip files.
  • 2013-10-23:
    • Observed climate data files for the same European country averages have now been added to the archive. Files are provided for TMP and PRE, for 1951-2000, and for the same time resolutions as the scenarios (i.e. annual values, 5-year means, decadal means and 30-year means.
  • 2013-07-12:
    • TMP and PRE scenarios for RCP2.6 (=RCP3PD) and RCP4.5 are now available, using 17 different CMIP3 GCMs. The CMIP3 GCMs were used extensively in the last (2007) IPCC report.
      There are four files for each case: yearly timeseries from 2001-2100, 5-year means from 2001-2100, 10-year means from 2001-2100, and 30-year means from 2011-2100 (i.e. means for 2011-2040, 2041-2070 and 2071-2100).
      Each file contains results for one variable (TMP or PRE), one scenario, one GCM, and one time averaging. The columns represent the twelve individual months, then the four standard seasons (MAM, JJA, SON and DJF), then the annual mean. Note that the final DJF is always set to the missing code (-999) because it requires January and February from the year after the simulation ends; so it is usually easier to use the individual months and calculate your own winter averages.



• Global country-average RCP scenarios from CMIP3 GCMs
  
  Click here to access the country-average files for RCP scenarios using climate change patterns from the CMIP3 GCMs. Note that you need to download the filenames ending with "globalcountry.zip".
  
  
  • 2014-05-06:
    • Global country-average scenarios for RCP8.5 added.
  • 2014-05-01:
    • Global country-average scenarios for RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 now available, for TMP and PRE and for decadal-means only. Observed decadal means from 1951-2000 are also included: see the observations_*_globalcountry.zip files.



• Graphics files illustrating patterns of climate change from CMIP3 GCMs
  
  Click here to access the precipitation pattern graphics
  Click here to access the temperature pattern graphics
  
  
  • 2013-07-11:
    • Maps showing patterns of precipitation change (for seasons DJF and JJA) diagnosed from all available CMIP3 GCMs have been added. Each map is expressed as change in mm/day per degree of global warming.
  • 2013-07-11:
    • Maps showing patterns of temperature change (for seasons DJF and JJA) diagnosed from all available CMIP3 GCMs have been added. Each map is expressed as change in local temperature per degree of global warming; so a value of 1 on the map indicates that, in this GCM, the local temperature changes at the same rate as the global-mean temperature; cooling is indicated by negative values.