High-resolution Climate Data for a High-altitude Region in Southern Spain (Sierra Nevada): Pseudo-global warming (Version 2)

This database offers highly valuable climate information for the Sierra Nevada (SN) mountain range, identified as a double climate-change hotspot since it constitutes a semi-arid mountain system within the Mediterranean, a region especially vulnerable to climate change. Moreover, SN is an area where high-quality climate data are particularly scarce, largely due to its difficult accessibility.

Pseudo-projected climate data (1991-2020 + climate change signal of a set of 24 CMIP6 GCMs for the period 2070-2099 under the SSP5-8.5) at very-high spatial resolution (1 km) for Sierra Nevada, the highest mountain region in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) located in southeastern Andalusia (Spain). Data obtained using the Weather Research & Forecasting (WRF) model v4.3.3 (Skamarock et al., 2021) driven by the ERA5 reanalysis (Hersbach et al., 2018) + climate change signal of a set of 24 CMIP6 GCMs for the period 2070-2099 under the SSP5-8.5. The planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme used was the Asymmetric Convective Model version 2 (ACM2; Pleim, 2007). Both longwave and shortwave radiation were parameterized using the Community Atmosphere Model version 3.0 (CAM3.0; Collins et al., 2004). The microphysics scheme applied was the WRF Single-Moment 7-class scheme (WSM7; Bae et al., 2019), and the land surface model used was NOAH-MP (Niu et al., 2011). Convection was explicitly resolved (i.e., no cumulus parameterization was used).

The dataset is organized into four categories:

Primary Climate Variables (68 files): Daily values of relative humidity, net radiation, accumulated precipitation, surface pressure, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature, and wind speed; and hourly values of accumulated precipitation and mean temperature for the entire period.

Hourly Precipitation Extremes (3 files): Frequency and intensity (Fwet and Iwet respectively) of wet hours (precipitation > 0.1 mm/hour) and the maximum hourly precipitation during the wettest month.

ETCCDI Extreme Indices (12 files): Annual values of selected indices from the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), including: Consecutive Dry Days (CDD), Daily Temperature Range (DTR), Growing Season Length (GSL), Icing Days (ID), Number of Wet Days (R1mm), Heavy Precipitation Days (R10mm), Very Heavy Precipitation Days (R20mm), Wettest Pentad (Rx5day), Simple Daily Intensity Index (SDII), Frost Days (TNltm2), Coldest Night (TNn), and Warmest Day (TXx).

Bioclimatic Variables (18 files): Annual and seasonal mean temperature (BIO1 and BIO1*), annual mean maximum temperature (BIOmax and BIO1max*), annual mean minimum temperature (BIOmin and BIO1min*), isothermality (BIO3), temperature seasonality (BIO4), maximum temperature of the warmest month (BIO5), minimum temperature of the coldest month (BIO6), annual temperature range (BIO7), mean temperature of the wettest quarter (BIO8), mean temperature of the driest quarter (BIO9), annual precipitation (BIO12), seasonal mean precipitation (BIO12*), precipitation of the wettest month (BIO13), precipitation seasonality (BIO15), and precipitation of the coldest quarter (BIO19).

This version has data updated to 2022 in the evaluation period and, as a new feature, adds hourly resolution climate information on temperature and precipitation, as well as new derived variables such as various ETCCDI indices or climate variables that are essential for characterizing the mountain climate in this region.

Date (Publication): 2025-09-01

Edition: 1

Citation identifier: HighResClimNevada_warm_v2

Citation identifier: doi:10.26050/WDCC/HighResClimNevada_warm_v2

Principal investigator

University of Granada - Dr. Matilde García-Valdecasas Ojeda
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Author

University of Granada - Dr. Matilde García-Valdecasas Ojeda
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Author

University of Granada - Feliciano Solano-Farias
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Author

University of Granada - David Donaire-Montaño
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Author

University of Granada - Prof. Dr. Yolanda Castro-Díez
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Author

University of Granada - Prof. Sonia Raquel Gamiz-Fortis
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Author

University of Granada - Prof. Dr. María Jesús Esteban-Parra
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Publisher

WDCC

Point of contact

University of Granada - Dr. Matilde García-Valdecasas Ojeda
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Point of contact

University of Granada - Prof. Dr. María Jesús Esteban-Parra
https://fisicaaplicada.ugr.es/

Name: NetCDF

Keywords

LifeWatch

Keywords

Sierra Nevada

Keywords

convection-permitting

Keywords

high mountain climate

Use limitation: CC-BY-4.0: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language: eng; USA

Begin date: 1991-01-01

End date: 2020-12-31

Supplemental Information: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/JA//BIOD22_002/ES//Recopilación, organización y puesta en valor de la información, servicios de infraestructura digital y entornos virtuales de investigación (VRE)

info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MCIN//LifeWatch-2019-10-UGR-01/ES//Thematic Center on Mountain Ecosystem & Remote sensing, Deep learning-AI e-Services University of Granada-Sierra Nevada (SMART_ECOMOUNTAINS)

info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MCIN//PID2021-1264010b-I00/ES//Predicción climática decenal regionalizada en la Península Ibérica: Eventos extremos y variables orientadas a los usuarios (PRECLIMDEX)

Distribution format

NetCDF ()

Transfer size: 38526

OnLine resource: https://www.wdc-climate.de/ui/entry?acronym=HighResClimNevada_warm_v2

Hierarchy level: collection

Non quantitative attribute accuracy

Name of measure: n/a

Measure description: None

Evaluation method description: Level 0

Date / Time: 2025-08-20T11:33:29

Attribute description: surface_altitude

Descriptor: The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Altitude is the (geometric) height above the geoid, which is the reference geopotential surface. The geoid is similar to mean sea level.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: m

Attribute description: wind_speed

Descriptor: Speed is the magnitude of velocity. Wind is defined as a two-dimensional (horizontal) air velocity vector, with no vertical component. (Vertical motion in the atmosphere has the standard name upward_air_velocity.) The wind speed is the magnitude of the wind velocity.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: m s-1

Attribute description: Number of icing days

Descriptor: Annual count of days when TX (daily maximum temperature) is below 0 degree Celsius. Let TXij be daily maximum temperature on day i in year j. Count the number of days where: TXij is below 0 degree Celsius. [ETCCDI/CRD Climate Change Indices]; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: Isothermality

Descriptor: Isothermality quantifies how large the day-to-night temperatures oscillate relative to the summer-to-winter (annual) oscillations (units: percent).; unit: %

Attribute description: surface_altitude

Descriptor: The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Altitude is the (geometric) height above the geoid, which is the reference geopotential surface. The geoid is similar to mean sea level.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: m

Attribute description: air_temperature

Descriptor: Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: degC

Attribute description: surface_altitude

Descriptor: The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Altitude is the (geometric) height above the geoid, which is the reference geopotential surface. The geoid is similar to mean sea level.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: m

Attribute description: precipitation_amount

Descriptor: "Amount" means mass per unit area. "Precipitation" in the earths atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: kg m-2

Attribute description: precipitation_amount

Descriptor: "Amount" means mass per unit area. "Precipitation" in the earths atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: kg m-2

Attribute description: air_temperature

Descriptor: Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: degC

Attribute description: air_temperature

Descriptor: Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: degC

Attribute description: consecutive_dry_days_index_per_time_period

Descriptor: Consecutive dry days is the greatest number of consecutive days per time period with daily precipitation amount below 1mm. The time period should be defined by the bounds of the time coordinate. Maximum length of dry spell, maximum number of consecutive days with RRlt 1mm [CF-Guidelines for construction]; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: wet_hour_frequency

Descriptor: percentage of hours per year corresponding to wet hours (pr > 0.1 mm); unit: %

Attribute description: number_of_very_heavy_precipitation_days

Descriptor: Annual or seasonal count of days when PRCP is greater than or equal to 20mm: Let RRij be the daily precipitation amount on day i in period j. Count the number of days where: RRij is greater than or equal to 20mm. For annual see: [ETCCDI/CRD Climate Change Indices]; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: surface_altitude

Descriptor: The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. Altitude is the (geometric) height above the geoid, which is the reference geopotential surface. The geoid is similar to mean sea level.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: m

Attribute description: Precipitation Seasonality

Descriptor: This is a measure of the variation in monthly precipitation totals over the course of the year. This index is the ratio of the standard deviation of the monthly total precipitation to the mean monthly total precipitation (also known as the coefficient of variation) and is expressed as a percentage (units: percent).; unit: %

Attribute description: surface_air_pressure

Descriptor: The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere.[CF-Standard Name]; unit: Pa

Attribute description: precipitation_amount

Descriptor: "Amount" means mass per unit area. "Precipitation" in the earths atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: kg m-2

Attribute description: relative_humidity

Descriptor: relative_humidity [CF-Standard Name]; unit: 1

Attribute description: air_temperature

Descriptor: Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: degC

Attribute description: precipitation_amount

Descriptor: "Amount" means mass per unit area. "Precipitation" in the earths atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: kg m-2

Attribute description: air_temperature

Descriptor: Air temperature is the bulk temperature of the air, not the surface (skin) temperature. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: degC

Attribute description: number_of_heavy_precipitation_days

Descriptor: Annual or seasonal count of days when PRCP is greater than or equal to 10mm: Let RRij be the daily precipitation amount on day i in period j. Count the number of days where: RRij is greater than or equal to 10mm. For annual see: [ETCCDI/CRD Climate Change Indices]; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: Growing season length

Descriptor: Annual (1st Jan to 31st Dec in Northern Hemisphere (NH), 1st July to 30th June in Southern Hemisphere (SH)) count between first span of at least 6 days with daily mean temperature TG>5oC and first span after July 1st (Jan 1st in SH) of 6 days with TG<5oC. [ETCCDI/CRD Climate Change Indices]; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: Number of frost days

Descriptor: Annual count of days when TN (daily minimum temperature) is below 0 degree Celsius. Let TNijbe daily minimum temperature on day i in year j. Count the number of days where: TNij is below 0 degree Celsius. [ETCCDI/CRD Climate Change Indices]; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: number_of_wet_days

Descriptor: Count of days when PRCP is greater than or equal to 1mm: Let RRij be the

daily precipitation amount on day i in period j. Count the number of days where

: RRij is greater than or equal to 1mm.; unit: d yr-1

Attribute description: surface_net_downward_radiative_flux

Descriptor: The surface called "surface" means the lower boundary of the atmosphere. "Downward" indicates a vector component which is positive when directed downward (negative upward). Net downward radiation is the difference between radiation from above (downwelling) and radiation from below (upwelling). Radiative flux is the sum of shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes. In accordance with common usage in geophysical disciplines, "flux" implies per unit area, called "flux density" in physics. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: W m-2

Attribute description: precipitation_amount

Descriptor: "Amount" means mass per unit area. "Precipitation" in the earths atmosphere means precipitation of water in all phases. [CF-Standard Name]; unit: kg m-2