Leeuwin Current Multi-Decadal Trends From IPCC AR4 Models

WAMSI Node 2.2.2 provides output from 10 global ocean circulation models used in the IPCC 4th Assessment Report. The data subset covers the Indonesian Throughflow and Leeuwin Current region with monthly outputs from the late 1800s to 2100. Models were contributed by the IPCC and the subset was extracted by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Analyze multi-decadal trends in zonal and meridional current velocity fields for the Leeuwin Current region.
• Validate model projections of wind speed and wind stress against observational data in the East Indian Ocean.
• Compare the performance of different IPCC AR4 models with 1 to 2.5-degree horizontal resolution on simulating the Indonesian Throughflow.
• Study the three-dimensional structure of ocean currents from the surface to maximum depth over a 200+ year period.

Strengths

• Data spans over 200 years, from the late 1800s to 2100 (2200 for some models).
• Includes output from 10 distinct general circulation ocean models.
• Provides full 3-dimensional fields for current velocity and wind data.
• Offers monthly temporal resolution for long-term trend analysis.

Limitations

• Ocean model horizontal resolution is coarse, ranging from approximately 1 to 2.5 degrees.
• Dataset is a regional subset of global models, limiting global-scale analysis.
• Specific row count, file formats, and license details are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 4th Assessment Report models, subset by Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Output extracted from 10 global ocean general circulation models.

Time Range

Late 1800s to 2100 (extending to 2200 for some models).

Freshness

Last updated metadata indicates 2026-04-04, but underlying model data is from IPCC AR4 (circa 2007).

Geography

Regional subset covering the Indonesian Throughflow and Leeuwin Current in the East Indian Ocean.