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This catalogue entry provides daily and monthly Regional Climate Model (RCM) data on single levels from a number of experiments, models, members and time periods computed over Europe and in the framework of the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX). The term "single levels" is used to express that the variables are computed at one vertical level which can be surface (or a level close to the surface) or a dedicated pressure level in the atmosphere. Multiple vertical levels are excluded from this catalogue entry.

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The CORDEX experiments consist of a large number of RCM simulations representing different future forcing scenariossocio-economic scenarios (forcings), different combinations of GCMs and RCMs and different ensemble members of the same GCM-RCM combinations. This experiment design through the ensemble members allows for studies addressing questions related to the key uncertainties in future climate change. These uncertainties come from differences in the scenarios of future socio-economic development, the imperfection of regional and global models used and the internal (natural) variability of the climate system. This experiment design allows for studies addressing questions related to the key uncertainties in future climate change:

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In addition, for each RCM, there is a variety of GCMs, which can be used as lateral boundary conditions. The GCMs used are coming from the CMIP5 (5th phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) archive. These GCM boundary conditions are labelled as “Global Climate Model” in the form and are also available in the CDS.

Additionally, the uncertainty related to internal variability of the climate system is sampled by several members of a few running several simulations with the same RCM-GCM combinationscombination. Each member of the ensemble is named after a triad of integers associated to the letters r (as realization), i (as initialization) and p (as physics representing parameter settings in the models). These three letters cover variations in initial conditions as well as in the physical parameters of the models. The associated numbers are typically assigned sequentially. For instance, the member "r1i1p1" and the member "r2i1p1" being two realizations for the same model and experiment indicate that the corresponding simulations differ only in which GCM realization that has been downscaled. Different GCM realizations, in turn, differ only in definition of the initial conditions applied as being representative of the pre-industrial time, i.e. typically 1850. More On the forms, these are indexed as separate ensemble members (the naming convention for ensemble members is available in the documentation). For each GCM, the same experiment was repeatedly done using slightly different conditions (like initial conditions or different physical parameterisations for instance) producing in that way an ensemble of experiments closely related. More details behind these sequential ensemble numbers will be available in the detailed documentation.

More details about the product are given in the Documentation section.

• DMI

On a general level in the CDS form for the RCM simulations “v” enumerates runs and not model versions. Runs numbers different from “v1” means new simulations relative to the first “v1” one. It might not mean a new version.

1. For the EC-EARTH r3i1p1 and HadGEM2-ES forced HIRHAM RCM simulation “v2” is a new simulation where proper GHG concentrations changing with time are used as a contrast to “v1” that erroneously used the constant control level throughout the simulation. Therefore users should use "v2".
2. As it is for point 1. “v2” is used for the HIRHAM simulation forced by MOHC-HadGEM2-ES.
3. As for the previous two points but here “v3” is used for the NorESM driven simulation. A previous “v2” version including For NorESM forced HIRAM RCM “v2” run includes also an error in the vertical interpolation when preparing the boundary files also exists.

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1. . Therefore users should use "v3".
2. For the MOHC-HadGEM2-ES forced RACMO simulation "v2" is a new simulation where a big error in SST-remapping from the HadGEM-grid to the RCM-grid in "v1" was corrected. The erroneous v1-simulation has been unpublished from the ESGF.
3. For the CNRM-CM5 simulation forced runs "v2" is a new simulation replacing the old now with input data taken from pressure levels instead of model levels. The originally provided model level fields from CNRM were wrong.

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2. Two MPI-driven scenario runs were rerun in 2016 as there had been problems with a restart file and as there was an error in the snow diagnostics in the original run. The reruns were labelled "v1a.

• CNRM

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The data are produced by the participating institutes of the EURO-CORDEX and Med-CORDEX projects.

More details about the product are given in the Documentation section.