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Verifying Datasets and Documentation

Datasets

The recommended datasets to use for verifying the outlooks are:

  • Sea Surface Temperature:

    • 1981-2004: Reynolds et al. (2002).
    • 1854-2005: Smith and Reynolds (2003).

    It is recommended that verification of SST outlooks be performed using the Reynolds SST dataset prepared by the Lead Centre. It contains the full set of monthly Reynolds SST data, converted to the SVSLRF standard 2.5° x 2.5° grid, in GRIB format (for information on the GRIB format please see below).

    The dataset is available by ftp access from
    ftp.bom.gov.au
    and logging in as user
    bom329 (Please contact the lead centre for the password)
    Compressed tar files containing the data are available from the directory
    data

    (These data are also available from UCAR and the CDC in their raw weekly or monthly format.)

  • Precipitation:

    • 1979-2001: GPCP (NASA) Huffman et al.(1997), (note the GPCP is now the preferred precipitation dataset - this will soon be updated to 2005)
      or
    • 1979-2002: Xie and Arkin (1997)

    It is recommended that verification of Precipitation outlooks be performed using the Xie-Arkin dataset prepared by the Lead Centre. It contains the full set of monthly Precipitation data, converted to the SVSLRF standard 2.5° x 2.5° grid, in GRIB format (for information on the GRIB format please see below).

    The dataset is available by ftp access from
    ftp.bom.gov.au
    and logging in as user
    bom329 {Please contact the lead centre for the password}
    Compressed tar files containing the data are available from the directory
    data

    (Xie Arkin data are also available from UCAR and the CDC in their raw monthly format. GPCP data and project information may be found at the Cooperative Institute for Climate Studies, the University of Maryland)

  • Surface Air Temperature Anomaly at screen level (T2m):

    • 1960-2000: Mitchell et. al., (2003) (Preferred)
      or
    • 1958-2002: ECMWF 40 Years Re-Analysis (ERA40) Simmons and Gibson (2000)

    It is recommended that verification of T2m outlooks be performed using UKMO/CRU dataset prepared by the Lead Centre. It contains the full set of monthly T2m data, converted to the SVSLRF standard 2.5° x 2.5° grid, in GRIB format (for information on the GRIB format please see below).

    The dataset is available by ftp access from
    ftp.bom.gov.au
    and logging in as user
    bom329 {Please contact the lead centre for the password}
    Compressed tar files containing the data are available from the directory
    data

    (T2m data are also available from the ECMWF (ERA-40) and the Climate Research Unit (UKMO/Hadley), University of East Anglia, in their raw monthly format.)

GRIB data

Information an GRIB data can be found on the NCEP site: Office Note 388, GRIB

To read GRIB files you will need a GRIB decoder. The most commonly used GRIB decoder is WGRIB.

ENSO years

A temporary list of ENSO years (1950-2001) is outlined in the (old) Manual on the Global Data-Processing System starting (page 15). This will be updated when results from the relevant Expert Team are known.

(NB: The revised (and current) manual no longer contains a list of ENSO years.)  

References

Huffman, G. J., R.F. Adler, P. Atkin, A. Chang, R. Ferraro, A. Gruber, J. Janowiak, A. McNab, B. Rudolf, U. Schneider, 1997: The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) combined precipitation dataset. Bull. Amer. Met. Soc. 78, pp. 5-20

Mitchell, T.D., Carter, T.R., Jones, P.D., Hulme,M., New, M., 2003: A comprehensive set of high-resolution grids of monthly climate for Europe and the globe: the observed record (1901-2000) and 16 scenarios (2001-2100). Journal of Climate: submitted.

Reynolds, R. W., N. A. Rayner, T. M. Smith, and D. C. Stokes, 2002: An improved in situ and satellite SST analysis for Climate, Journal of Climate, pp. 1609-1625

Simmons, A. J. and J. K. Gibson, 2000: The ERA-40 Project Plan, ERA-40 Project Report Series No. 1 Available from: http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/_pdf/ERA40_PRS_1.pdf

Smith, M. T., R. W. Reynolds, R.E. Livezey and D.C. Stokes, 1996: Reconstruction of historical sea-surface temperatures based on COADS Data (1854-1997), Journal of Climate, 16, 1495-1510.

Smith, M. T. and R. W. Reynolds, 2003: Reconstruction of Global sea-surface temperatures using empirical orthogonal functions, Journal of Climate, pp. 1403-1420

Xie, P. and P. A. Arkin, 1997: Global Precipitation: A 17-Year Monthly Analysis

   
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