The IPCC Data Distribution Centre GCM Archive Gateway

The German Climate Computing Centre (DKRZ) provides facilities for climate modelling and for associated data management. The global climate model (GCM) Archive of the IPCC DDC is hosted at DKRZ using the existing data management structure. GCM results from the various climate modelling groups that are contributing to the DDC will be available from this DKRZ site. The assembly of GCM data is an on-going process and contributions that meet the criteria laid down by the IPCC Task Group on Climate Impact Assessment are welcome.

The DDC Archive will handle requests for pre-processed climate model data. The data are stored locally at DKRZ in a common format as well as in ASCII. They are organised as monthly mean time series of separate variables. The list of archived variables is split into two parts: core quantities and optional quantities. The core list consists of standard meteorological quantities together with simulated sea- level change. The optional list contains variances, soil parameters and parameters of the free atmosphere at a few specific pressure levels. The core list is defined restrictively in order for many modelling groups to participate.

Data are archived from the following climate model simulations:

• Long, multi-century control runs
• Perturbed runs using historic forcing up to 1990 followed by a standard forcing scenario over a period up to 2100, with and without aerosols
• Ensemble runs where completed
• High resolution time-slice experiments where completed

The details defining the archived experiments and variables are summarised in the Appendix which is extracted from the original letter to modelling groups from the IPCC. In addition to the DDC Archive containing a selection of monthly climate model results, individuals maybe able to access daily data directly from the contributing modelling centres.

If assistance is needed in accessing the DDC Archive and/or you have suggestions regarding data access, data usage or data storage, please contact the data management group at DKRZ (data@dkrz.de) or contact directly the IPCC DDC manager at DKRZ(lautenschlager@dkrz.de).