Data Comparisons, global climate change

Monthly Time Series for IPCC Projections

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This post is mostly to list locations where we can find various data sets for “model data” used in IPCC projections.

In an earlier discussion, Gavin left a link to The Climate Explorer very good resource for the IPCC projections. Unlike previous ones I’d visited, this actually provides already post-processed data and individual scenarios. To create some monthly time series for the surface temperature, visit:

  1. Select a monthly field.
  2. Decide which data set you want. I picked “GISS ER 20c3m” which has 9 ensemble members. Click the select button “tas”, to pic “temperature at surface”. (I have no idea what the other acronynms are.) Scroll up and click “Select a field”. Wait about 5 seconds.
  3. To get global temperature enter -90N to 90 N for longitude and 0E to 360 E for latitude. Leave other selections as they are. Click “make time series”. You’ll get a bunch of graphs, including this:

The site even has a nice help page– and it’s easy to find.
Help

Also, their email help is pretty responsive. (I asked a question on Sunday, and it was answered on Sunday. Not bad!)

The climate explorer is great. There is a little inconsistency in file contents from data set to data set. For example, one set of “model data” for the SRES a1B scenario included data from 1850-2300. Another started in 2100. So, it’s an absolute snap to compare the first set to historical data. I’ll need to figure out how to past the “future” onto the past for the second. (It will probably turn out to be easy… just something that needs to be done.)

For my purposes, the climate explorer really terrific compared to gridded data. (And, I advise Chad to take a look– it will solve some of his data hassles.)

Other sources for Data

Others sources for data include:
esg.llnl.gov
www-pcmdi
However, browsing those sites, I’ve mostly seen gridded data. To use it, you’ll have to download, integrate over the surface of the planet and do a number of manipulations to get time series. (Alternatively, you’ll have to ask someone precisely how to locate the time series. Now that I’ve found the nifty climate explorer, I’m using that.)

3 thoughts on “Monthly Time Series for IPCC Projections”

  1. “it will solve some of his data hassles”

    To say the least! Sad part is, I’ve actually been to that site but never knew it had this kind of data on it. Thanks.

  2. Pingback: Climate data « Scientific Prospective

  3. How do you find a listing of subject matter categories, such as “climate politics” or “planet echog”. I’m not a scientist or mathematician, but would like to learn more about this site.

    Thanks

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