Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2016-31
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2016-31
25 Aug 2016
 | 25 Aug 2016
Status: this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors.

Dynamical Downscaling Data for Studying Climatic Impacts on Hydrology, Permafrost, and Ecosystems in Arctic Alaska

Lei Cai, Vladimir A. Alexeev, Christopher D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Anna Liljedahl, and Anne Gädeke

Abstract. Climatic changes are most pronounced in northern high latitude regions. Yet, there is a paucity of observational data, both spatially and temporally, such that regional-scale dynamics are not fully captured, limiting our ability to make reliable projections. In this study, a group of dynamical downscaling products were created for the period 1950 to 2100 to better understand climate change and its impacts on hydrology, permafrost, and ecosystems at a resolution suitable for northern Alaska. An ERA-interim reanalysis dataset and the Community Earth System Model (CESM) served as the forcing mechanisms in this dynamical downscaling framework, and the Weather Research & Forecast (WRF) model, embedded with an optimization for the Arctic (Polar WRF), served as the Regional Climate Model (RCM). This downscaled output consists of multiple climatic variables (precipitation, temperature, wind speed, dew point temperature, and surface air pressure) for a 10 km grid spacing at three-hour intervals. The modeling products were evaluated and calibrated using a bias-correction approach. The ERA-interim forced WRF (ERA-WRF) produced reasonable climatic variables as a result, yielding a more closely correlated temperature field than precipitation field when long-term monthly climatology was compared with its forcing and observational data. A linear scaling method then further corrected the bias, based on ERA-interim monthly climatology, and bias-corrected ERA-WRF fields were applied as a reference for calibration of both the historical and the projected CESM forced WRF (CESM-WRF) products. Biases, such as, a cold temperature bias during summer and a warm temperature bias during winter as well as a wet bias for annual precipitation that CESM holds over northern Alaska persisted in CESM-WRF runs. The linear scaling of CESM-WRF eventually produced high-resolution downscaling products for the Alaskan North Slope for hydrological and ecological research, together with the calibrated ERA-WRF run, and its capability extends far beyond that. Other climatic research has been proposed, including exploration of historical and projected climatic extreme events and their possible connections to low-frequency sea-atmospheric oscillations, as well as near-surface permafrost degradation and ice regime shifts of lakes. These dynamically downscaled, bias corrected climatic datasets provide improved spatial and temporal resolution data necessary for ongoing modeling efforts in northern Alaska focused on reconstructing and projecting hydrologic changes, ecosystem processes and responses, and permafrost thermal regimes. The dynamical downscaling methods presented in this study can also be used to create more suitable model input datasets for other sub-regions of the Arctic. Supplementary data are available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.863625.

This preprint has been withdrawn.

Lei Cai, Vladimir A. Alexeev, Christopher D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Anna Liljedahl, and Anne Gädeke

Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement

Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
Lei Cai, Vladimir A. Alexeev, Christopher D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Anna Liljedahl, and Anne Gädeke

Data sets

High-resolution dynamical downscaling products for the North Slope of Alaska and surrounding areas, links to model result files Cai, Lei; Alexeev, Vladimir A; Arp, Chistopher D; Jones, Benjamin M; Liljedahl, Anna; Gädeke, Anne https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.863625

Lei Cai, Vladimir A. Alexeev, Christopher D. Arp, Benjamin M. Jones, Anna Liljedahl, and Anne Gädeke

Viewed

Total article views: 1,775 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
1,214 457 104 1,775 125 113 113
  • HTML: 1,214
  • PDF: 457
  • XML: 104
  • Total: 1,775
  • Supplement: 125
  • BibTeX: 113
  • EndNote: 113
Views and downloads (calculated since 25 Aug 2016)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 25 Aug 2016)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 1,697 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 1,692 with geography defined and 5 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 18 Mar 2024
Download

This preprint has been withdrawn.

Short summary
This study produced a high-resolution dynamical downscaling data set for the Alaskan North Slope and surrounding areas. It helps to resolve the problem of the sparse observation over this region, where routinely and accurately measuring climatic variables is extremely difficult. This data set boosts up multiple research projects that explore the various climatic impacts over the Alaskan North Slope of the past and the future.
Altmetrics