CliPick - CLIMATE CHANGE WEB PICKER

Bridging climate and biological modelling scientific communities

Read the open access article for details about clipick

Instructions to use the graphical user interface:

• Step 1 - Select the time span, time step, and variables format you whish to retrieve
• Step 2 - Select the location by dragging the icon in the map
• Step 3 - Click on Extract data. The Extraction will be queued and a link will be activated when the extraction is ready

Instructions to use the HTTP request

Python example

Download (mouse right click and select "save as")this text file with a python example

Open your command prompt (windows users)

PS1.: you should have python installed. If not go to Pyhton.org to freely install yours"

PS2.: It is advised to install a simple text editor. Notepad++ is good option

(Not so Frequent but useful) Asked Questions

#1 - Is this data comparable to observed data?

Although you could compare, you should not expect "good" match", specially at fine temporal scales (e.g. daily). You should interpret the data as trends

The fine scale data is available for modelling purposes. This data SHOULD NOT be used for calibrating models, but rather to use to compare projections (with models already calibrated with real data) comparing usage of current and future climate and observe the differences

#2 - Data from Clipick near Shannon Airport in the mid-West of Ireland shows precipitation in 2012 and 2013 as 712mm and 876mm respectively whereas the Met Eireann data are 1047mm and 933mm respectively (see http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly-data.asp?Num=518). Temperature data also don't match met.ie data. How come?

See FAQ #1. The data retrieved from these datasets should not be comparable to observed data, especially AR4 datasets. The data should be used only for comparing current vs future simulations with whatsoever model (e.g. forest, agriculture) you are using with climate as driving force to observe differences in results (e.g. yields). Nevertheless, the newer AR5 datasets (historical dataset), provides a closer representation (see Katragkou et al., 2015; Kotlarski et al., 2014; Prein et al., 2015)

#3 - What are YieldSAFE and HiSAFE formats?

This tool was initially developed under the EU Project AGFORWARD where agroforestry models are being used to project outputs from these systems. YieldSAFE and HiSAFE. Each model has an input format for climate. YieldSAFE format will produce columns 'MeanTemp, Radiation, Rain'. HiSAFE format will produce 'MaxTemp, MinTemp, MaxRelHum, MinRelHum, Radiation, Rain, WinsSpeed'

#4 - I am using internet explorer 10 and it did not work. Clicking on the CSV did not open the file.

Yes. This is a reported issue. For the moment try other browser like Firefox or Chrome

#5 - I can't know where I am clicking. In one case it said Gubbio, than I moved south a bit, but I have no idea where I am in the map and what stations I am choosing!

Try to zoom in with the top left zooming tools of the map and in intermediate steps drag the icon to the desired location. The tool will select data from the nearest point in the dataset (where the cloud icons are). The description of the location, e.g. Gubbio, is retrieved from Google and reports to the location of the red marker. If you want to try to retrieve exactly the same data, the CSV output provides in the first line a link where you can retrieve the same data (without having to come back to CliPick). Since October 2016, a search by location box was added. Furthermore, each double click allows not only to zoom but to relocate the pin.

Climate Change Web Picker