Sub-Saharan Africa HydroClimatic Database.A

This database was developed in a research study of "Sub-Saharan Africa hydro-climatic variations, trends, and extremes”. The data from all comparative datasets are synthesized into a complete new open access database, named the Sub-Saharan Africa HydroClimatic Database.A (SSA-HCD.A), and presenting data and information in five separate folders (The dataset is a sister to Dataset named SSA-HCD: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15260974).

Folder 1 contains the study catchment polygon shapefile, used to extract the associated data from the global datasets and further aggregate them over each catchment in Sub-Saharan Africa to produce the catchment-average data time series. The catchment polygons were obtained from the GRDC database and are renamed according to the catchment names used in the SSA-HCD.A database. A csv file named ‘Catchment_Info.csv’ in Folder 1 lists the SSA-HCD.A catchment names, their corresponding name in the GRDC database, the country in which the catchment outlet (hydrometric station) is located, and the catchment area in square kilometers according as reported in the GRDC database.

Folders 2-4 provide catchment-aggregated monthly and annual time series for the studied variables for the 26 non-overlapping study catchments spread in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the three comparative “Obs-GC” (Only P, ET, R, DS, and T variables), “GLDAS” (P, ET, R, DS, SM, and T variables), and “ERA5” (P, ET, R, DS, SM, and T variables) datasets included in SSA-HCD.A. The catchment-wise data time series are exported as “.csv” files, separately for each variable and catchment. Each Dataset folder contains an (i) Annual folder, (ii) Monthly folder, (iii) “DatasetX_AnnualDataSummary.csv” file, and (iv) “Readme_Data Columns and Variable Units.txt” file. Before using the variable time series in the Annual or Monthly folders, SSA-HCD.A database users are recommended to read the “Readme_Data Columns and Variable Units.txt” file. This file provides complete information that clarifies the variables included in the Annual and Monthly folders, and the associated data source and origin, variable units, and column names of the time series in the CSV files. For the SM variable, the rootzone depth for the soil moisture profile considered in the associated reanalysis product of the “ERA5”, and “GLDAS” datasets is also reported for possible further applications.  The “DatasetX_AnnualDataSummary.csv” file included in Folders 2-4 also provides summary information for all data considered for the 26 non-overlapping catchments in all comparative datasets included in SSA-HCD.A. This file also provides catchment-wise long-term average annual values of P, R, ET, DS, DSM, and T for all SSA-HCD.A catchments. Further this file provides explicit calculated data for the implied CWLC, and for PET, PET/P, ET/P, and R/P as “Quality check data”. The catchment names, the country where the catchment outlet is located, and the catchment area in square kilometers are also provided in this data summary.