PCMDI > WCRP CMIP3 Model Output > Diagnostic Subprojects

PI:	Simon Scherrer
Institution:	MeteoSwiss
Additional Investigators:	Mark A. Liniger
Abstract:
The role of large scale climate patterns will be quantified in explaining interannual Alpine climate variability, abrupt changes and long-term trends in observed climate-related impact quantities, such as phenological phases, snow cover, or derived quantities as growing and heating degree days. Data will be used from the MeteoSwiss network that covers several decades and a wide range of altitude and geographical regions in the Swiss Alpine region and has, to a large extent, not been analysed so far. There will be a specific focus on the role of European blocking, in particular its impact on observed Alpine snow cover variability. The obtained relations will be used to study predictability issues in climate predictions and future climate change scenarios. It will be assessed to what extent the relevant climate patterns are represented in these data sets and to what extent there will be a predicted change in their characteristics.
Publications:
Scherrer, S. C., M. A. Liniger, and C. Appenzeller, 2007: Distribution changes of seasonal mean temperature in observations and climate change scenarios. In: Climate variability and extremes during the past 100 years. S. Brönnimann, J. Luterbacher, H. Diaz, R. Stolarski, T. Ewen, U. Neu, Eds., Springer. Accepted. Abstract. Edit. Add Publication