High Mountain Asia Daily Downscaled Precipitation and Temperature Projections

Daily 5 km resolution projections for precipitation and near-surface air temperature across the High Mountain Asia region from 2015 through 2100. Data originates from the GFDL SPEAR 30-member ensemble climate model, statistically downscaled by NSIDC_CPRD. A historical model run from 1990 to 2014 is also included.

Use Cases

• Model glacier mass balance by analyzing projected temperature and precipitation trends at 5 km resolution.
• Assess future flood and drought risks using daily precipitation projections under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios.
• Study climate change impacts on regional hydrology by correlating downscaled air temperature data with snowmelt timing.
• Validate regional climate models by comparing the 30-member ensemble's historical run (1990-2014) against observed data.
• Project changes in seasonal water availability from the historical period to 2100 using the continuous daily time series.

Strengths

• Provides high spatial resolution at 5 km for a topographically complex region.
• Includes a 30-member model ensemble, offering a range of climate projections.
• Covers an 86-year future projection period (2015-2100) plus a 25-year historical run.
• Offers data for two distinct Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5).

Limitations

• Data is model-derived projection, not observed measurements, containing inherent model uncertainties.
• The spatial coverage is limited to the High Mountain Asia region, not globally applicable.
• Specific validation metrics or error estimates for the downscaling method are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) SPEAR climate model, processed by NSIDC_CPRD.

Collection Method

Statistical downscaling of 0.5-degree resolution model output to 5 km resolution.

Time Range

Historical: 1990-2014; Projections: 2015-2100.

Freshness

Projections extend to 2100-12-31, representing the latest future date in the model run.

Geography

High Mountain Asia region.