US EPA

4317061 

Journal Article 

Regional Dynamical Downscaling and the CORDEX Initiative 

Giorgi, F; Gutowski, WJ, Jr 

2015 

Yes 

Annual Review of Environment and Resources
ISSN: 1543-5938
EISSN: 1545-2050 

Annual Review of Environment and Resources 

40 

467-490 

10.1146/annurev-environ-102014-021217 

WOS:000364397100018 

We review the challenges and future perspectives of regional climate model (RCM), or dynamical downscaling, activities. Among the main technical issues in need of better understanding are those of selection and sensitivity to the model domain and resolution, techniques for providing lateral boundary conditions, and RCM internal variability. The added value (AV) obtained with the use of RCMs remains a central issue, which needs more rigorous and comprehensive analysis strategies. Within the context of regional climate projections, large ensembles of simulations are needed to better understand the models and characterize uncertainties. This has provided an impetus for the development of the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), the first international program offering a common protocol for downscaling experiments, and we discuss how CORDEX can address the key scientific challenges in downscaling research. Among the main future developments in RCM research, we highlight the development of coupled regional Earth system models and the transition to very high-resolution, cloud-resolving models. 

regional climate modeling; dynamical downscaling; regional climate; CORDEX; RCM; climate change; model evaluation; downscaling added value; regional Earth system modeling; high-resolution modeling