Statistically downscaled projections of local scale temperature in the topographically complex terrain of Austria up to the end of the 21st century

Author(s)
Martin Landgraf, Christoph Matulla, Leopold Haimberger
Abstract

This paper provides local scale temperature scenarios for Austria from the middle up to the end of the 21st century. Climate simuations based on the IPCC emission pathways A2 and A1B have been carried out with the global climate models ECHAM5 (three A1B and two A2 realizations) and HadGEM2 (three A1B realizations). The corresponding large scale projections of sea level pressure and 850 hPa temperature fields are statistically downscaled to stations spread across Austria using a perfect prognosis (PP) approach and Multiple Regression Models. The downscaling performance is assessed by a split sample test. Simulated time series are compared to actual measurements by means of the simulated variance, the root mean square and the mean error. Performances are highest during the cold season and sites located in valleys exhibit somewhat lower values. In summer performances show about a 10 percent lower skill than in winter. Downscaled local scale scenarios differ between seasons, scenarios, GCMs and regions in Austria. A1B estimates derived from ECHAM5 indicate a winter-temperature increase of approximately 3 °C at the end of the 21st century compared to present conditions, which is about one degree above the HadGEM2 based projections. This situation is reversed in summer: the HadGEM2 based projections show a warming of about 4 °C while those derived from ECHAM5 indicate a 0.5 °C lower warming. Statistically downscaled winter warming rates at stations < 1400m$<1400\,\text{m}$ NN can be roughly split into three regions. The stations exhibiting the largest warming rates are located in the north-eastern parts of Austria, whilst stations showing the lowest increases are located south of the Alpine ridge. The rest of the stations are found north of the Alpine crest in the north-western parts of Austria. In summer spatially rather uniform temperature increases are detected. Mountain sites above 1400 m NN exhibit an average warming of around 0.5 °C higher than the remaining stations.

Organisation(s)
Department of Meteorology and Geophysics
External organisation(s)
Universität Wien, ZAMG
Journal
Meteorologische Zeitschrift
Volume
24
Pages
425-440
No. of pages
16
ISSN
0941-2948
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1127/metz/2015/0620
Publication date
04-2015
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105205 Climate change, 105207 Mountain meteorology, 105206 Meteorology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Atmospheric Science
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 13 - Climate Action
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/statistically-downscaled-projections-of-local-scale-temperature-in-the-topographically-complex-terrain-of-austria-up-to-the-end-of-the-21st-century(b955b650-5a13-4507-bb85-fa537ad38682).html