Changes in regional climate extremes as a function of global mean temperature: an interactive plotting framework

R. Wartenburger; M. Hirschi; M. G. Donat; M. G. Donat; P. Greve; A. J. Pitman; A. J. Pitman; S. I. Seneviratne

doi:10.5194/gmd-10-3609-2017

Geoscientific Model Development (Sep 2017)

Changes in regional climate extremes as a function of global mean temperature: an interactive plotting framework

R. Wartenburger,
M. Hirschi,
M. G. Donat,
M. G. Donat,
P. Greve,
A. J. Pitman,
A. J. Pitman,
S. I. Seneviratne

Affiliations

R. Wartenburger: Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
M. Hirschi: Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
M. G. Donat: ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
M. G. Donat: Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
P. Greve: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
A. J. Pitman: ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
A. J. Pitman: Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
S. I. Seneviratne: Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-3609-2017
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10
pp. 3609 – 3634

Abstract

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This article extends a previous study Seneviratne et al. (2016) to provide regional analyses of changes in climate extremes as a function of projected changes in global mean temperature. We introduce the DROUGHT-HEAT Regional Climate Atlas, an interactive tool to analyse and display a range of well-established climate extremes and water-cycle indices and their changes as a function of global warming. These projections are based on simulations from the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). A selection of example results are presented here, but users can visualize specific indices of interest using the online tool. This implementation enables a direct assessment of regional climate changes associated with global mean temperature targets, such as the 2 and 1.5° limits agreed within the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Published in Geoscientific Model Development

ISSN: 1991-959X (Print); 1991-9603 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Geology
Website: https://www.geoscientific-model-development.net/

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