FORSITE-Clim Europe: European-wide climate indicators for historical periods and climate projections at high resolution

Overview

This meteorological data set consists of climatologies (climate indicators) on 30-year average basis for Europe and covers two historical periods as well as two periods for three selected climate scenarios with a high spatial resolution of less than 1 km. The two 30-year periods provided for the observations allow the analysis of the climate change that has already happened. 

Resolution: 30x30 arcsecProjection: EPSG 4326Extent for historical data: 10.67°W – 47.67°E, 33.68°N – 71.33°NExtent for scenario data: 10.67°W – 39.33°E, 33.68°N – 71.33°NPeriods for historical data: 1961-1990 and 1991-2020Periods for scenario data: 2036-2065 and 2071-2100Format: GeoTIFF

List of climatologies (climate indicators)  

#

Short name

Name

Description

Unit

Yearly (Y) or monthly (M)

1

tasmin

Average daily minimum temperature

Arithmetic mean

°C

Y, M

2

tasmax

Average daily maximum temperature

Arithmetic mean

°C

Y, M

3

tas

Average temperature

Arithmetic mean

°C

Y, M

4

tas_warmest_month

Average temperature mean in the warmest month

Calculation of the mean temperature over the climate period for all months and then selection of the highest value for the warmest month

°C

Y

5

tas_coldest_month

Average temperature mean in the coldest month

Calculation of the mean temperature over the climate period for all months and then selection of the lowest value for the coldest month

°C

Y

6

tasmin_coldest_month

Average temperature minimum in the coldest month

Calculation of the mean minimum temperature over the climate period for all months and then selection of the lowest value for the coldest month

°C

Y

7

tasmax_warmest_month

Average temperature maximum in the warmest month

Calculation of the mean maximum temperature over the climate period for all months and then selection of the highest value for the warmest month

°C

Y

10

GSL

Average length of the growing season

The growing season is the duration in days of the longest continuous period of days with an average temperature of at least 5°C. However, an earlier or later period of such warm days is included in the growing season if it lasts longer than the sum of all intervening cooler days

days

Y

12

GDD

Average Growing Degree Days per year above 5°C

Σ(Tmean – 5°C) per year. 

°C

Y

13

FD_first

Average date of the first frost occurrence

Frost is defined by a temperature of 0°C at a height of 2 meters (arithmetic mean). Years without frost are excluded from the calculation of the mean. If no frost occurs at all, the value is indeterminate

day of year

Y

14

FD_last

Average date of the last frost occurrence

Frost is defined by a temperature of 0°C at a height of 2 meters (arithmetic mean). Years without frost are excluded from the calculation of the mean. If no frost occurs at all, the value is indeterminate

day of year

Y

20

GLO_hori

Average sum of global radiation

kWh

Y, M

33

pr

Average precipitation sum

mm

Y, M

39

ET0

Average annual potential evapotranspiration

Calculation according to FAO Penman-Monteith: fao.org/3/X0490E/x0490e08.htm

mm

Y, M

40

WBAL

Average climatic water balance

Precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration

mm

Y, M

Data sources

The raw historical data is a combination or extension of daily CHELSA (Climatologies at high resolution for the earth’s land surface areas) with ERA5-Land to fully cover 1961-2020. 

CHELSA-W5E5 v1.0 (https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-2445-2023) for daily variables precipitation (pr), global radiation (rsds), mean temperature (tas), maximum temperature (tasmax) and minimum temperature (tasmin) for the period 1979-2016

CHELSA V2.1 for climatological average monthly wind speed (sfcWind_01, ..., sfcWind_12) and for climatological mean vapor pressure deficit (vpd_01, ..., vpd_12)

ERA5-Land for daily variables precipitation (pr), global radiation (rsds), mean temperature (tas), dew point (tds), and wind speed (sfcWind) for the period 1961-2020

v2.0: WorldClim version 2.1 for climatological monthly minimum, maximum, and average temperatures.

Climate models from EURO-CORDEX (doi.org/10.1007/s10113-013-0499-2):

MPI-M-MPI-ESM-LR_rcp45_r1i1p1_CLMcom-CCLM4-8-17

MPI-M-MPI-ESM-LR_rcp85_r1i1p1_CLMcom-CCLM4-8-17

ICHEC-EC-EARTH_rcp85_r12i1p1_SMHI-RCA4