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Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations needs lateral boundary conditions from Global Climate Models (GCMs). At the moment the CDS-CORDEX subset boundary conditions are extracted from CMIP5 global projections. In general the CORDEX framework requires each RCM downscale a minimum of 3 GCMs for 2 scenarios (at least RCP8.5 and RCP2.6). ANDRAS: please check this, if this is still valid for the non-European domains.
The C3S-EURO-CORDEX subset aims to fill the gaps in this matrix between GCMs (aka "driving models), RCMs and RCPs. This will ensure better representation of uncertainties coming from GCMs, RCMs and RCP scenarios and make possible to study the regional climate change signals in a more comprehensive fashion.
The driving GCM and RCM models included in the CDS-EURO-CORDEX subset are detailed in the table below. These include 8 of the driving GCMs from the main CMIP5 archive and 13 of the RCMs from the main CORDEX archive. Please note that a small number of models were not included as those data have a research-only restriction on their use, while the data presented ion in the CDS are released without any restriction.
ANDRAS: we will need an additional paragraph here for the non-European domains and of course similar tables for the other domains below the EURO-CORDEX one.
| Driving Global Coupled Models | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HadGEM2-ES | EC-EARTH | CNRM-CM5 | NorESM1-M | MPI-ESM-LR | IPSL-CM5A-MR | CanESM2 | MIROC5 | ||||||||||||||||||
Regional Climate Models | RCA4 (SMHI) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| CCLM-8-17 (ETH) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| crCLIM-v1-1-1 (ETH) | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| REMO2009 (GERICS) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| REMO2015 (GERICS) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| RACMO22E (KNMI) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| HIRHAM5 (DMI) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| WRF361H (UHOH) | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WRF381P (IPSL) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ALADIN53 (CNRM) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ALADIN63 (CNRM) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| RegCM4.6.1 (ICTP) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HadGEM3-GA7-05 (MOHC) | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| RCP26 | RCP45 | RCP85 | [0-9] = Number of simulations | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dataset numbers (simulation version)
ANDRAS: I think, this can be a bit confusing, since above we mention that we publish only the latest version. So somehow we have to explain clearly what is the difference between model version and dataset number.
On a general level in the CDS form for the RCM simulations “v” enumerates runs and NOT model versions. For the DMI, KNMI and SMHI runs numbers different from “v1” means new simulations relative to the first “v1” one. It might not mean a new version. Hereafter we describe the meaning of the different dataset numbers for those models, which have some.
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For CORDEX data, the ensemble member is equivalent to the ensemble member of the CMIP5 simulation used to extract boundary conditions.
List of published parameters ANDRAS: maybe here we can indicate with bold face those variables, which are available only for the EURO-CORDEX domain
| Name | Short name | Units | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2m temperature | tas | K | The temperature of the air near the surface (or ambient temperature). The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 2m above the surface. |
| 200hPa temperature | ta200 | K | The temperature of the air at 200hPa. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 200hPa above the surfacepressure level. |
| Minimum 2m temperature in the last 24 hours | tasmin | K | The minimum temperature of the air near the surface. The data represents the daily minimum over the aggregation period at 2m above the surface. ANDRAS: I guess this variable is available only for daily data, is that correct? |
| Maximum 2m temperature in the last 24 hours | tasmax | K | The maximum temperature of the air near the surface. The data represents the daily maximum over the aggregation period at 2m above the surface. ANDRAS: I guess this variable is available only for daily data, is that correct? |
| Mean precipitation flux | pr | kg.m-2.s-1 | The deposition of water to the Earth's surface in the form of rain, snow, ice or hail. The precipitation flux is the mass of water per unit area and time. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| 2m surface relative humidity | hurs | % | The relative humidity is the percentage ratio of the water vapour mass to the water vapour mass at the saturation point given the temperature at that location. The data represents the mean of the amount of moisture divided by the maximum amount of moisture that could exist in the air at a specific temperature and location, over the over the aggregation period at 2m above the surface. |
| 2m surface specific humidity | huss | Dimensionless | The amount of moisture in the air at 2m above the surface divided by the amount of air plus moisture at that location. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 2m above the surface. |
| Surface pressure | ps | Pa | The air pressure at the lower boundary of the atmosphere. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| Mean sea level pressure | psl | Pa | The air pressure at sea level. In regions where the Earth's surface is above sea level the surface pressure is used to compute the air pressure that would exist at sea level directly below given a constant air temperature from the surface to the sea level point. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| 10m Wind Speed | sfcWind | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the two-dimensional horizontal air velocity. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 10m above the surface. |
| Surface solar radiation downwards | rsds | W.m-2 | The downward shortwave radiative flux of energy per unit area. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at the surface. |
| Surface thermal radiation downward | rlds | W.m-2 | The downward longwave radiative flux of energy inciding on the surface from the above per unit area. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| Surface upwelling shortwave radiation | rsus | W.m-2 | The upward shortwave radiative flux of energy from the surface per unit area. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at the surface. |
| Total cloud cover | clt | Dimensionless | Total refers to the whole atmosphere column, as seen from the surface or the top of the atmosphere. Cloud cover refers to fraction of horizontal area occupied by clouds. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| 500hPa geopotential | zg500 | m | The gravitational potential energy per unit mass normalized by the standard gravity at 500hPa at the same latitude. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 500hPa over the surfacepressure level. |
| 10m u-component of wind | uas | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the eastward component of the wind. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 10m above the surface. |
| 10m v-component of wind | vas | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the northward component of the wind. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 10m above the surface. |
| 200hPa u-component of the wind | ua200 | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the eastward component of the wind. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 200hPa above the surface. |
| 200hPa v-component of the wind | va200 | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the northward component of the wind. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 200hPa above the surfacepressure level. |
| 850hPa U-component of the wind | ua850 | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the eastward component of the wind. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 850hPa above the surfacepressure level. |
| 850hPa V-component of the wind | va850 | m.s-1 | The magnitude of the northward component of the wind. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period at 850hPa above the surfacepressure level. |
| Total run-off flux | mrro | kg.m-2.s-1 | The mass of surface and sub-surface liquid water per unit area and time, which drains from land. The data represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| Mean evaporation flux | evspsbl | kg.m-2.s-1 | The mass of surface and sub-surface liquid water per unit area ant time, which evaporates from land. The data includes conversion to vapor vapour phase from both the liquid and solid phase, i.e., includes sublimation, and reprends represents the mean over the aggregation period. |
| Land area fraction | sftlf | % | The percentage of the surface occupied by land, aka land/sea mask. The data is time-independent. |
| Orography | orog | m | The surface altitude in the model. The data is time-independent. |
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The metadata provided in NetCDF files adhere to the Climate and Forecast (CF) conventions. The rules within the CF-conventions ensure consistency across data files, for example ensuring that the naming of variables is consistent and that the use of variable units is consistent.
File naming conventions ANDRAS: please check, if this convention is also held for the non_European domains. I also think that there might be some amendment needed, because of the domain name and the resolution.
When you download a CORDEX file from the CDS it will have a naming convention that is as follows:
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- <variable> is a short variable name, e.g. “tas” for ”temperature at the surface”
- <driving-model> is the name of the model that produced the boundary conditions
- <experiment> is the name of the experiment used to extract the boundary conditions
- <ensemble-member> is the ensemble identifier in the form “r<X>i<Y>p<Z>”, X, Y and Z are integers
- <rcm-model> is the name of the model that produced the data
- <rcm-run> is the version run of the model in the form of "vX" where X is integer
- <time-frequency> is the time series frequency (e.g., monthly, daily, seasonal)
- the <temporal-range> is in the form YYYYMM[DDHH]-YYYY[MMDDHH], where Y is year, M is the month, D is day and H is hour. Note that day and hour are optional (indicated by the square brackets) and are only used if needed by the frequency of the data. For example daily data from the 1st of January 1980 to the 31st of December 2010 would be written 19800101-20101231.
Quality control of the CDS-CORDEX subset ANDRAS: any additional information for QC of the non-European domains, particularly those, who were not in the ESGF?
The CDS subset of the CORDEX data have been through a set of quality control checks before being made available through the CDS. The objective of the quality control process is to ensure that all files in the CDS meet a minimum standard. Data files were required to pass all stages of the quality control process before being made available through the CDS. Data files that fail the quality control process are excluded from the CDS-CORDEX subset or if possible the error is corrected and a note made in the history attribute of the file. The quality control of the CDS-CORDEX subset checks for metadata errors or inconsistencies against the Climate and Forecast (CF) Conventions and a set of CORDEX specific file naming and file global metadata conventions.
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