Welcome to the NSW Climate Data Portal

Service Homepage

The page gives an overview of how to use the NSW Climate Data Portal to access data from the NARCliM Regional Climate Model simulations.

Log in

This page allows you to log in to the NSW Climate Data Portal. Once you are logged in, you will be able to access data.

Register

This page allows you to register as a user of the NSW Climate Data Portal. You need to register to obtain a password for the portal.

Notices

Notices for users of the NSW Climate Data Portal are displayed here.

Terms and Conditions

Read the terms and conditions for usage of the NSW Climate Data Portal here. You must agree to the terms and conditions before being given access to the portal.

Data Request Details

This page is the first of several that allow you to construct a data request to extract data. You are required to enter an informative name and description of your data request. Then, select the NARCliM dataset from which you wish to extract data:

1. Ensemble of 12 GCM-forced simulations for the periods 1990-2009, 2020-2039 and 2060-2079
2. Ensemble of 3 reanalysis-forced simulations for the period 1950-2009

After you have filled in the required details on the page, you can press "Next" to proceed to the next page, in which you will further specify the data that you would like, or you can press "Save Draft" to save the data request and return to it at a later time.

Select Data Type

Select from the two different domains for which NARCliM data is available:

1. The whole of Australia at a horizontal resolution of approximately 50km
2. Southeast Australia at a horizontal resolution of approximately 10km

Then, select the type of data:

1. Gridded: the data is transformed from the irregular grid used by the Regional Climate Model onto a regular geographic grid. Gridded data is provided in ASCII Grid format, which is ArcGIS compatible
2. Site-specific: the data is provided for a specific point, rather than on a grid, in CSV format

After you have filled in the required details on the page, you can press "Next" to proceed to the next page, in which you will further specify the data that you would like, or you can press "Save Draft" to save the data request and return to it at a later time.

Select Simulations

Use this page to select which NARCliM Regional Climate Model simulations you wish to extract data from. If you have chosen to extract data from GCM-forced simulations, data from 12 different simulations of the 1990-2009, 2020-2039 and 2060-2079 periods are available. If you have chosen to extract data from reanalysis-forced simulations, data from 3 different simulations of the 1950-1990 period are available.

Select Region/Sites

Select the region or sites that you wish to extract data for. First, you must choose the interpolation method. Then, select a region or sites using either the map provided or by entering latitudes and longitudes (in decimal degrees) into the form provided. Note that a selection entered using the map will take precedence over a selection entered using the form.

Map Selection

Mark the region or sites that you wish to extract data for on the map. Alternatively, use the form at the bottom of the page to enter latitude and longitude coordinates of region or sites.

Select Time Period

Use this page to select the time periods that you wish to extract data for. If you have chosen to extract data from GCM-forced simulations, data for the 1990-2009, 2020-2039 and 2060-2079 periods are available. You can select a single time period or multiple time periods. If you have chosen to extract data from reanalysis-forced simulations, data for the 1950-1990 period are available. You must also select the temporal resolution (daily or monthly) at which you would like data returned.

Select Variables

You can select a single variable or multiple variables. For each variable, the units that the data will be returned in can also be selected. For a detailed description of the variables, click on the help button below.

Output Format

At present, gridded data are available in ASCII Grid format, which is ArcGIS compatible, and site-specific data is available in CSV (Comma Separated Variable) format.

Draft Request Summary

This is a summary of your request. If you are the owner of the request, you can edit any part of it by clicking on the appropriate title. This will take you back to that step in the data request process. Pressing the “Get Data” button will prepare the request for submission. On pressing this button you will be returned to the data request listing in the Data Collection and you will be able to submit the summarised data request for processing from there.

Browse Public Collections

This page lists all of the Data Collections that users have chosen to make public. These comprise one or more data requests. Use the links in the table to examine collections of data requests assembled by other users.

Manage My Collections

A Data Collection is a folder that stores individual data requests. This page allows you to edit and access your Data Collections. By clicking on the link for a collection, you can view and edit the description of the collection and access the data requests within it.

You can create new, empty, collections by pressing on the "Start a Data Collection" button at the bottom of the page. We recommend that you keep the number of collections that you own to a minimum and populate each of your collections with multiple data requests. A collection may correspond to an individual project, for example.

Start a Data Collection

A Data Collection is a folder that stores your data requests. To start a new Data Collection you need to first use this page to enter a name and description for the collection. Once this is done, you will be able to populate the collection with data requests. We recommend that you keep the number of collections that you own to a minimum and populate each of your collections with multiple data requests. A collection may correspond to an individual project, for example.

About Collection

A Data Collection is like a folder for data requests

Edit a Data Collection

Use this page to update the name and/or description of your Data Collection. Please note that changes that you make to the collection description will be used to modify a description of the collection that may be visible to other users of the data portal. You should therefore make sure that the edited collection description is a good description of the collection. Note, however, that a description of the temporal and spatial coverage of the data request will be automatically generated for you by the portal service.

Public Requests

A Public Request is visible to all users of the data portal.

Private Requests¶

A Private Request is only visible to you and the data portal administrator.

Dataset

You can choose between two different types of NARCliM data.

1. Data downscaled from GCMs for the periods 1990-2009, 2020-2039 and 2060-2079. These are the basis of the NARCliM projections.
2. Data downscaled from a "reanalysis" for the 1950-2009 period. A reanalysis is a blend of observations and model simulations that is a complete, but coarse-resolution, representation of the atmosphere in the past.

Interpolation Method

You must choose how the data portal will calculate data values for the region/sites that you will select. Two interpolation methods are available:

1. Bilinear: interpolates to each output gridpoint/site from the surrounding four model gridpoints
2. Nearest Neighbour: assigns data for the nearest model gridpoint to each output gridpoint/site

Temporal Resolutions

The climate variables from the simulations have been processed into monthly and daily values. You must choose one of these temporal resolutions.

Output Format

At present, gridded data are available in ASCII Grid format, which is ArcGIS compatible, and site-specific data is available in CSV (Comma Separated Variable) format.