Climate

The basic objective of this action is to set up useful tools and methods for generating and tracking relevant climate change indicators throughout the Pyrenees mountain region, based on climate series for precipitation (P), temperature (T), and snowfall (S).

Naturally, a preliminary step to achieve this basic objective is the collection and analysis of climate series, the development of a high quality climate database, and the definition of indicators for climate change research suited to the mountain region.
This action is unprecedented on such a scale and central to the rest of the OPCC work.

Results from the action tasks set out include:
- recover precipitation, temperature, and snowfall meterological data for the Pyrenees;
- attain high quality, homogeneous climate series for temperature, precipitation, and snowfall data (if possible) for the entire study area. A common methodology shall be established for quality control and the homogenous analysis of data; it is therefore important to consider results from the European COST ES-0601 Advances in homogenisation methods of climate series: an integrated approach (HOME);
- save in a single database the climate data records that have been recovered and analysed in accordance with common quality control and homogenisation criteria;
- better understand climate variability (spatial and temporal) in the Pyrenees and the response to global change scenarios;
- create and promote a network of meteorological services in the Pyrenees mountain region;
- transfer results and make the database available to territory overseers and planners;
- inform the public and society in general about results on the OPCC webpage.
These results will be practical for scientific papers as well as for conferences on the subject of the climate. Another aim is to establish certain guidelines for reusing this research, especially for the creation of regionalised climate change scenarios in the Pyrenees or the creation of a common map focused on climate evolution in the mountain region.

1. Census and digitalisation of networks and available monthly climate data (P, T, S) on both sides of the mountain range:
- define study area and time frame;
- take data inventory from automatic and manual weather stations in the Pyrenees;
- rescue and digitalisation of data and climate series related to snowfall; fill in gaps in existing series (P, T).
2. Identify and select quality control and homogenisation criteria: define a common methodology applicable to mountain regions for quality control/homogenisation of long climate series.
3. Standardize databases in terms of common format and data processing:
- attain high quality climate series;
- analyse homogeneity of the climate series attained.
4. Analyse current scenarios and recent trends:
- statistical analysis of climate series attained, trend calculation, patterns of temporal and spatial variability, etc.;
- generate long-term climate indices that enable a complete diagnosis of observed trends and annual updates within the framework of the OPCC.
5. Identify major atmospheric circulation patterns and their relationship to temperature and precipitation in the Pyrenees:
- define atmospheric circulation patterns and perform frequency analysis;
- relationship with already defined teleconnections.
6. Develop spatial climatology model using a high resolution climate map for the whole Pyrenees region and main valleys:
- define common criteria to attain mapping;
- perform mapping.
7. Reflection on possibilities for transmitting and reusing results (climate projections and specialized mapping of the mountain region).

The table below includes some indicators aimed for by this action of the OPCC project: