Document Details

Title
Improving access to high spatial-resolution climate data for climate change studies
Author
Murdock, Trevor Q.
Date
2010
Abstract
Applying climate data in resource management requires matching spatial scales of climate and resource databases. ClimateBC (Wang et al. 2006a) is a computer program that does this for historic monthly temperature and precipitation and climate change scenarios for BC. This program is being expanded to the scale of western North America (FSP project F90116) to produce ClimateWNA. Applications of these data including predicting ecological changes, assessing tree seed selection, evaluating hydrological impacts, and determining economic impacts of forest insects under climate change (e.g., Hamann and Wang 2006, Wang et al. 2006b, Spittlehouse 2006a,b, PCIC 2007). These studies and numerous enquiries by professionals from a range of disciplines have identified the need to improve the products available and to provide access to gridded temperature and precipitation data for use in geographic information systems. Gridded temperature and precipitation (at 400 m) monthly historical data of the last century are availbale for BC and will be expanded to the ClimateWNA domain. Gridded climate change scenarios from the Fourth Assessment (IPCC WG I 2007) for this domain will also be created. The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) will host the gridded data files and make them available through a web-based data visulaization and delivery system being developed under FSP project F90115. We propose to upgrade the web system by adding a windowing system to increase resoultion and provide subsets of the data. On-line calculation and display of selected derived variables such as degree days will be implemented. We will increasing the range of data available by adding an ensemble of Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations that increase the resolution of the AR4 scenarios. We will provide access to monthly time series data monthly temperature and precipitation data for selected scenarios to facilitate evaluation of impacts of interannual variablity. We will investigate how to implement a weather generator on time series data to produce a daily time series for specific locations. These data are required to aid climate change assessements for fire weather and insect and disease.
Report Number
FIA2010MR244
 
Title
View
Annual report
Presentation - Introduction to selecting and using climate scenarios for BC
Choosing climate change scenarios (draft)

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