WCRP COordinated Regional Downscaling EXperiment (CORDEX): a diagnostic MIP for CMIP6

Abstract

Abstract. The COordinated Regional Downscaling EXperiment (CORDEX) is a diagnostic model intercomparison project (MIP) in CMIP6. CORDEX builds on a foundation of previous downscaling intercomparison projects to provide a common framework for downscaling activities around the world. The CORDEX Regional Challenges provide a focus for downscaling research and a basis for making use of CMIP6 global climate model (GCM) output to produce downscaled projected changes in regional climates and assess sources of uncertainties in the projections, all of which can potentially be distilled into climate change information for vulnerability, impacts and adaptation studies. CORDEX Flagship Pilot Studies advance regional downscaling by targeting one or more of the CORDEX Regional Challenges. A CORDEX-CORE framework is planned that will produce a baseline set of homogeneous high-resolution, downscaled projections for regions worldwide. In CMIP6, CORDEX coordinates with ScenarioMIP and is structured to allow cross comparisons with HighResMIP and interaction with the CMIP6 VIACS Advisory Board.

More homogeneous wind conditions under strong climate change decrease the potential for inter-state balancing of electricity in Europe

“…The next generation of CORDEX is planned to deliver such data (Gutowski Jr. et al, 2016) and will hence allow for an inclusion of RCM spread in future assessments. It will also facilitate similar assessment for other world regions as spatial extent is expanded.…”

European climate change at global mean temperature increases of 1.5 and 2 °C above pre-industrial conditions as simulated by the EURO-CORDEX regional climate models

“…In recent years RCMs have been operated in the framework of CORDEX (Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment; e.g. Jones et al, 2011;Gutowski et al, 2016). For Europe in particular, this means that an unprecedented data set of RCM scenarios at 50 and 12.5 km horizontal resolution is available from the EURO-CORDEX project .…”

Sustainability in the Food-Water-Ecosystem Nexus: The Role of Land Use and Land Cover Change for Water Resources and Ecosystems in the Kilombero Wetland, Tanzania

“…As already demonstrated by the spatial and temporal data availability for the setup of the SWAT model for the catchment (Table 2) there is a temporal and resolution based mismatch of operational climate and hydrological data and globally available geo and climate data sets resulting in an overall increase in the uncertainty of the model results. Beyond LULCC analysis, the calibrated and validated hydrological model for the Kilombero catchment can be further applied to climate change (e.g., CORDEX-Africa [80]) or infrastructure measure (e.g., hydropower or irrigation reservoirs) scenarios quantifying the impact on the water balance and runoff components. This is relevant for the impact assessment analysis of the water management scenarios that are driven by the expected expansion of the agricultural growth corridor (SAGCOT).…”