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The CORDEX experiments consist of a large number of RCM simulations representing different future forcing scenarios, different combinations of GCMs and RCMs and different ensemble members of the same GCM-RCM combinations. This experiment design allows for studies addressing questions related to the key uncertainties in future climate change: what will future climate forcing be
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, what will be the response of the climate system to changes in forcing
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and what is the uncertainty related to natural variability of the climate system?
The term "experiment" in the CDS form refers to three main categories:
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In CORDEX, the same experiments were done using different RCMs (labelled as “Regional Climate Model” in the CDS form). In addition, for each RCM, there is a variety of GCMs, which can be used as lateral boundary conditions. The GCMs used are coming from the CMIP5 (5th phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) archive. These GCM boundary conditions are labelled as “Global Climate Model” in the form. Note that CMIP5 datasets are also available in the CDS.
Additionally, the uncertainty related to internal variability is sampled by several members of a few RCM-GCM combinations. Each member of the ensemble is named after a triad of integers associated to the letters r (as realization), i (as initialization) and p (as physics representing parameter settings in the models). These three letters cover variations in initial conditions as well as in the physical parameters of the models.
The associated numbers are typically assigned sequentially. For instance, the member "r1i1p1" and the member "r2i1p1" being two realizations for the same model and experiment indicate that the corresponding simulations differ only in which GCM realization that has been downscaled. Different GCM realizations, in turn, differ only in definition of the initial conditions applied as being representative of the pre-industrial time, i.e. typically 1850. More details behind these sequential ensemble numbers will be available in the detailed documentation.This data are produced by the participating institutes of the EURO-CORDEX project (see more details at the documentation section). The dataset is planned to be updated regularly when new RCM simulations will be available in the CORDEX database.
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