North Atlantic climatological dataset

Objective

To create a homogeneous dataset, consisting of monthly values of
air temperature, precipitation, air pressure, cloud cover and
number of days with snow cover from 70 climatological stations in
the North Atlantic area (50º N--80º N, 40º E--60º W)
covering the period 1890 - 1990.


Instrumental records covering the most recent 100-300 years are
being digitized and will go through various types of quality
control procedures in order to remove sporadic errors such as
miscalculations and typing errors.

The time series will be homogeniety tested using a varity and
statistical procedures. The first step will include an internal
relative homogeneity test which will detect changes in formula,
time of observation, coding system etc. Next step will include a
spatial relative homogeneity test, which will detect relocation
of stations, change of instruments etc. The third step will
include a spatial absolute homogeneity test, which should be able
to detect inhomogeneities related to nation-wide changes in the
observational networks.

The project will also develop a standardized metadata concept for
storing and retrieving information about relocations, change of
formula, change of instrument etc.

Adjustment of series due to detected inhomogeneities will be done
when there is physical evidence of a non-climatic change in the
station history or metadata-files. The adjustment figures will
be verified, if possible, by using parallel observations from a
nearby station or parallel observations of related climatic
elements from the same station or by using parallel series of
proxydata from data sparse regions.

The NACD-project will compare the dataset with existing
single-element datasets which have global coverage. Comparisons
have been planned for gridded sea surface temperature data, but
also comparison with cloud- and snow cover datasets will be
considered.

Another task is to merge the NACD with selected historical time
series reaching back several hundred years before systematic
instrumental observations began. This task will serve the
purpose of describing the long-term preindustrial natural
variability in the North Atlantic region.

The homogenous dataset will be analyzed with respect to regional
climatic trends of natural and/or anthropogenic origin. Finally
the NACD will be available for validation of output from climate
models and could also be used for model-based statistical
projections of the future climate.

Fields of science

• humanities › history and archaeology › history

Programme(s)

• FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 0102 - Anthropogenic climate change

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Danish Meteorological Institute

Address

100,lyngbyvej
2100 København Ø
Denmark

Participants (7)

Det Norske Meteorologiske Institutt

Norway

Address

40,niels Henrik Abels Vei
0260 Oslo

Institut Royal Météorologique de Belgique

Belgium

Address

3,avenue Circulaire
1180 Bruxelles

Meteorological Service

Ireland

Address

Glasnevin Hill
9 Dublin

ROYAL NETHERLANDS METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE

Netherlands

Address

10,wilhelminalaan 10
3730 AE De Bilt

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE - MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

United Kingdom

Address

London Road, Sutton House Room Sg/12
RG12 2SZ Bracknell

SWEDISH METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL INSTITUTE

Sweden

Address

Folkborgsvaegen 1
601 76 Norrkoeping

VEDURSTOFA ISLANDS

Iceland

Address

Bustadavegur
Reykjavik

Links