CMIP6 Ensemble: Global Vapor Pressure Deficit and Evapotranspiration Estimates

Nels R. Bjarke from the University of Colorado Boulder presents global monthly estimates of vapor pressure deficit, potential evapotranspiration, and reference evapotranspiration. The dataset is derived from 16 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) general circulation models for the historical period and four future emission scenarios. It offers structured estimates of historical and future projected evaporative demand for hydrologic and ecological analyses.

Use Cases

• Projecting long-term aridity trends based on CMIP6 model outputs
• Analyzing changes in atmospheric water demand under different emission scenarios
• Quantifying historical and future evaporative demand for hydrological modeling
• Comparing advective and radiative components of reference evapotranspiration

Strengths

• Derived from 16 state-of-the-science CMIP6 general circulation models
• Covers historical period and four future emission scenarios ranging from low to high
• Includes multiple related variables: Penman-Monteith reference evapotranspiration, its components, Priestley-Taylor potential evapotranspiration, and vapor pressure deficit

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect modeling biases inherent to the CMIP6 ensemble

Provenance

Source

Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) general circulation models

Collection Method

Derived estimates using provided Python scripts for calculating the climate variables

Time Range

Historical period and future projections

Geography

Global