CLIMAP project data provides boundary conditions for the Northern Hemisphere present and 18,000 years before present. The dataset includes sea surface temperature, elevation, vegetation, soil type, and glacial ice variables. These coarse-resolution conditions are intended for paleoclimate analyses.
Use Cases
- Model past climate states by using sea surface temperature and glacial ice extent as boundary conditions.
- Analyze vegetation and soil type changes between the present and the Last Glacial Maximum period.
- Study the relationship between elevation changes and glacial ice coverage 18,000 years before present.
Strengths
- Provides specific boundary conditions for a key paleoclimate period (18,000 years before present).
- Covers multiple climatic and surface variables including temperature, ice, vegetation, and soil.
Limitations
- Data resolution is described as coarse, limiting fine-scale spatial analysis.
- Specific row counts, column counts, and precise data formats are unknown.
Provenance
- Source
- CLIMAP project, accessed via NASA Earthdata.
- Time Range
- Present and 18,000 years before present.
- Geography
- Northern Hemisphere.