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November 2012 Update

New features and data

  • The web page menu system has been modified and updated
  • In addition to monthly averages, daily averages are now available for Dynamically Downscaled RegCM3 data
  • The data are now written into files containing one variable for all times.  This greatly reduces file sizes and ftp downloading time over the former files that contained all variables.
  • A variety of simple diagnostic plots for temperature and precipitation in the RCCV web application are now available to aid users in determining basic model performance over geographic areas of interest.  Details can be found here: Model-evaluation
  • Time-series plots of daily temperature and precipitation for each simulation are now provided. The plots include tables that provide quantile information of future changes.  Details can be found here: Model-evaluation
  • The RCD web application time series has been replaced with project metadata
  • The USFWS/USDAFS statistically downscaled data from from the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington (CIG) is now available
  • Posters and presentations that have used the Dynamically Downscaled RegCM3 data have been added to the Publications and Use

This website provides visualization and access to global and regional (downscaled) climate data.  We also provide access to data, figures and other information associated with our climate change research publications.  We currently are serving fine scale present and future climate data obtained from dynamical and statistical downscaling efforts.  In the near future we will be adding global and regional scale paleoclimate data sets.  Data related to publications will be added and updated as available.

The dynamically downscaled climate simulations were conducted with the regional climate model RegCM3 which is a high-resolution atmospheric model coupled with a physically based model of surface processes (Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer Scheme, BATS). We prescribed atmospheric composition in the RegCM3 simulations to match the 20th century and A2 scenario time series that were developed for the IPCC AR4 (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007) and used in the driving GCMs. We downscaled three GCM simulations to provide a range of possible climate sensitivities and we also downscaled NCEP Reanalysis to allow us to evaluate model performance relative to observations and to provide a basis for bias-correcting the three other control.

We are also hosting the statistically downscaled datasets developed by the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service through the Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative in Bozeman, MT.  The suite of climate and related hydrologic variables in the CIG data sets cover the Columbia, Upper Missouri, Upper Colorado, and Great Basins. These data sets represent an ensemble of climate models with temporal coverage for  historical (1916-2006) and two future time periods (2030-2059 and 2070-2099).

Quick Links

Regional Climate Change Viewer (RCCV)

States/Counties Hydrology

Regional Climate Downloader (RCD)

Publications and usage:

We would like to keep track of how the data are being used in publications and other applications.  Please notify us with the pertinent information (email gs-w-or_regclim@usgs.gov) and we will add it to the list (Publications and Use).