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Climate Explorer

Climate Explorer is a versatile tool for visualizing, locating and downloading data describing projected future climate conditions anywhere in Canada. With a more complex user interface than Plan2Adapt and more configurable options, Climate Explorer is designed to meet the needs of technical users. 

Using Climate Explorer, users can: 

  • View high resolution (~10 km) projections from CMIP5 or CMIP6 global climate models (GCMs) for a wide array of temperature, precipitation and climate extremes indices
  • Compare changes based on different greenhouse gas emissions scenarios
  • Explore downscaled climate data from a number of global climate models and ensembles
  • Access projections of extreme streamflow design values in selected basins originating in B.C.
  • Compute and download spatial averages of selected variables and indices for user-defined regions anywhere in Canada
Access Climate Explorer

Intended users

Climate Explorer is a more sophisticated complement to Plan2Adapt, designed to serve the needs of technical users who require climate change information for custom regions down to a horizontal scale of approximately 10km.

Resources

These tutorials were created using a previous version of Climate Explorer.

About the data

Climate Explorer uses GCMs from the fifth and sixth phases of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5 and CMIP6) to generate daily downscaled temperature and precipitation at ~10km resolution. The CMIP5 data were downscaled using the Bias Correction with Constructed Analogues and Quantile mapping, Version 2 (BCCAQv2) univariate method, while the CMIP6 data were downscaled using the N-dimensional Multivariate Bias Correction (MBCn) technique. For more information, see our Statistically downscaled climate scenarios page.

The tabs at the upper right of the tool show which datasets can be loaded and viewed. Within Home/Data, the default upper-level tab, users can explore the data in either Single Variable mode or Compare Variables mode, for GCMs from either the CMIP5 or CMIP6 ensemble. The Dataset Filter allows the user to select a GCM or ensemble (e.g., PCIC12), Emissions Scenario, and Variable(s). The datasets are available as 30-year averages, e.g., 1981-2010, as listed under Filtered Datasets. The Map panel on the left allows users to specify various options (e.g., time interval, season, colour scale) and perform functions (e.g., zoom, rectangular select, import polygon) via the overlaid widgets. The Data Graph on the right automatically displays the regional average of the region selected on the map; if no region has been selected, then the Graph shows the Canada-wide average. The Summary Table at the bottom right includes basic statistics of the selected variable. Data displayed in both the Graph and Table can be downloaded.

The Extreme Precipitation and Extreme Streamflow tabs are targeted toward users mainly interested in hydrologic applications.

  • Extreme Precipitation: several measures of mean and extreme precipitation from a subset of CMIP5 GCMs are provided.
  • Extreme Streamflow: users can use the Extreme Streamflow tab to explore historical and future streamflow design values for the Peace, Fraser and upper Columbia basins. Results are derived using streamflow simulated with the VIC-GL hydrology model and the RVIC streamflow model (see the Station hydrologic model output page for more information on VIC-GL and RVIC). These models were driven with statistically downscaled projections from the CanESM2 large ensemble (LE), which is composed of 50 individual runs from a high emissions scenario (RCP8.5). Statistical downscaling of CanESM2 LE was conducted using the Bias Correction/Constructed Analogues and Quantile mapping (BCCAQv2) method, with PNWNAmet as the target dataset (see the Statistically downscaled climate scenarios page for more information).

This data is subject to PCIC's terms of use. It has been obtained from a variety of sources and is provided as a public service by the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. The data is provided by the Consortium on an “AS IS” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied, as to its accuracy or completeness. Any reliance you place upon the information contained here is your sole responsibility and is strictly at your own risk. In no event will the Consortium be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, arising from reliance upon the data or derived information.