Climate Data Visualizations
The NOAA Paleoclimatology Program creates tools to visualize climate reconstructions
derived from paleoclimate proxies. These tools are used to get a quick snapshot or allow analysis of a reconstruction that covers a large area or in some cases look at time-series from a variety of locations. Among the variables included in the visualizations are temperature, precipitation, drought severity, sea surface temperature and atmospheric pressure.
The data used in these visualizations can be found via links on the pages below.
The Climate Reconstructions page contains a complete listing of our datasets that contain climate reconstructions.
Visit the Data page to browse through all of our data holdings.
Europe
- North Atlantic, European and Mediterranean sea level pressure fields back to 1750, 252 Years, Küttel et al. 2009.
- European Pattern Climatology, Gridded Monthly Temp., Precip., and 500hPa Height and Study Description, 340 Years, Casty et al. 2007.
- European Gridded and Regional Summer Temperature and Data Description, 1750 to 1975, Briffa 1988.
- European Gridded Seasonal Temperature and Data Description, 1500 to 2002, Luterbacher and Xoplaki.
North America
- Western N. America Gridded and Regional Summer Temperature and Data Description, 1600 to 1983, Briffa et al. 1992.
- Large Scale North American Temperature and Precipitation,
Description, and Data Directory, 1602 to 1963, Fritts 1991.
Java Animations of Temperature
- From "A Paleo Perspective on Global Warming"
- The CRU-UK Temperature Record:
1856 to 1997
(CRU - Climate Research Unit)
- Listed below are six different animations of CRU Temperature data that can be used
to view globally mapped temperature for the
time period of available data (1856 to 1997). In each case, temperature
anomalies (composed to the period 1961 to 1990) are mapped. Only locations with data
for a particular
season or year are mapped.
- Annual averages from 1856 to 1997.
- Seasonal averages, Dec/Jan/Feb from 1856 to 1997.
- Seasonal averages, Mar/Apr/May from 1856 to 1997.
- Seasonal averages, Jun/Jul/Aug from 1856 to 1997.
- Seasonal averages, Sep/Oct/Nov from 1856 to 1997.
- All seasons sequentially from 1856 to 1997
- Reconstructed Climates
for the Last 260 Years
- These animations show reconstructed spacial patterns of annual temperature
anomalies for the years 1730 to 1980. The colors (see colorbar) indicate anomaly departures from the 1902-1980 mean in degrees C.
- Annual averages from 1730 to 1980.
- Mann et al, Compared to CRU Instrumental 1902 to 1997.
- Blended Mann/CRU from 1730 to 1998.
- From "Earth Interactions- Global Temperature Patterns in Past Centuries:
An Interactive Presentation", Mann et al. 2000.
- Java Animation: Annual averages from 1856 to 1997.
- Annual maps and time series by location from 1730 to 1993.
Hydroclimate
Drought
Note on PDSI visualizations
Some of the PDSI reconstructions can now be plotted on NCDC's LAS page. Once on that page click the Choose Dataset button and then the Paleoclimate - Drought Reconstructions subdirectory to find the PDSI data. Plot settings can be modified using the 'Set Plot Options' button and multiple years can be compared using the 'Compare' button. Further information is available via the 'Help' link in the upper right of the screen.
- Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas (MADA) PDSI Annual Maps (LAS), Year 1300 to 2005, Cook et al. 2010.
- North American Drought Atlas (NADA) v.2a Annual Maps (LAS), Cook et al. 2008.
- North American Drought Atlas PDSI Annual Maps (LAS), Year 0 to 2003, Cook et al. 2004.
- An Alternative Method of Coterminous US Summer PDSI Reconstruction
Data-Text or
Microsoft Excel, 1700 to 1978, Zhang et al. 2004.
- Previous Version of Cook PDSI Reconstruction- Coterminous United States PDSI Time Series Plots, and Annual Maps, 1700 to 1978, Cook et al. 1999.
Precipitation
- Large Scale North American Temperature and Precipitation,
Description,
and Data, 1602 to 1963, Fritts 1991.
Java Animations on Hydroclimate
- From "A Paleo Perspective on Drought"
- ENSO Variability and Moisture Balance Animation
- Summer PDSI for Coterminous United States Animation
Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
- Eastern North Atlantic-European Sea Level Pressure Reconstruction Data Description, 1500 to 1999, Luterbacher et al. 2002.
Sea Surface Temperature
- Global Last Glacial Maximum(LGM) Sea Surface Temperatures and Salinities,
Description, and Data, 18,000 Years Before Present, Paul and Schäfer-Neth 2003.
- Global Last Glacial Maximum(LGM) Sea Surface Temperatures,
Description, and Data, 18,000 Years Before Present, Hostetler and Mix 1999.
Climate Modeling
- Climate Modeling Visualizations Page, A Collection of Paleoclimate Model Simulations
- Abrupt Climate Change Page, Animation and Image Tool of a North Atlantic Freshwater Hosing Simulation
Other
Earth Surface Conditions
- Global Ice Topography, 21,000 Years ago to Present, Peltier 1994.
- Global Ice Coverage, 21,000 Years ago to Present, Peltier 1994.
Graphical Data Browsing Tools
- Google Earth Map, View site locations and information, and download data.