STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition

Abstract High‐resolution climate projections are critical to assessing climate risk and developing climate resilience strategies. However, they remain limited in quality, availability, and/or geographic coverage. The Seasonal Trends and Analysis of Residuals empirical statistical downscaling model (...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Katharine Hayhoe, Ian Scott‐Fleming, Anne Stoner, Donald J. Wuebbles
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Earth's Future
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004107
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832582849566343168
author Katharine Hayhoe
Ian Scott‐Fleming
Anne Stoner
Donald J. Wuebbles
author_facet Katharine Hayhoe
Ian Scott‐Fleming
Anne Stoner
Donald J. Wuebbles
author_sort Katharine Hayhoe
collection DOAJ
description Abstract High‐resolution climate projections are critical to assessing climate risk and developing climate resilience strategies. However, they remain limited in quality, availability, and/or geographic coverage. The Seasonal Trends and Analysis of Residuals empirical statistical downscaling model (STAR‐ESDM) is a computationally‐efficient, flexible approach to generating such projections that can be applied globally using predictands and predictors sourced from weather stations, gridded data sets, satellites, reanalysis, and global or regional climate models. It uses signal processing combined with Fourier filtering and kernel density estimation techniques to decompose and smooth any quasi‐Gaussian time series, gridded or point‐based, into multi‐decadal long‐term means and/or trends; static and dynamic annual cycles; and probability distributions of daily variability. Long‐term predictor trends are bias‐corrected and predictor components used to map predictand components to future conditions. Components are then recombined for each station or grid cell to produce a continuous, high‐resolution bias‐corrected and downscaled time series at the spatial and temporal scale of the predictand time series. Comparing STAR‐ESDM output driven by coarse global climate model simulations with daily temperature and precipitation projections generated by a high‐resolution version of the same global model demonstrates it is capable of accurately reproducing projected changes for all but the most extreme temperature and precipitation values. For most continental areas, biases in 1‐in‐1000 hottest and coldest temperatures are <0.5°C and biases in the 1‐in‐1000 wet day precipitation amounts are <5 mm/day. As climate impacts intensify, STAR‐ESDM represents a significant advance in generating consistent high‐resolution projections to comprehensively assess climate risk and optimize resilience globally.
format Article
id doaj-art-ad24855971954618b681df6fed6a99ec
institution Kabale University
issn 2328-4277
language English
publishDate 2024-07-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Earth's Future
spelling doaj-art-ad24855971954618b681df6fed6a99ec2025-01-29T07:58:52ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772024-07-01127n/an/a10.1029/2023EF004107STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal DecompositionKatharine Hayhoe0Ian Scott‐Fleming1Anne Stoner2Donald J. Wuebbles3Climate Center Texas Tech University Lubbock TX USAClimate Center Texas Tech University Lubbock TX USAEarth Knowledge, Inc. Tucson AZ USAEarth Knowledge, Inc. Tucson AZ USAAbstract High‐resolution climate projections are critical to assessing climate risk and developing climate resilience strategies. However, they remain limited in quality, availability, and/or geographic coverage. The Seasonal Trends and Analysis of Residuals empirical statistical downscaling model (STAR‐ESDM) is a computationally‐efficient, flexible approach to generating such projections that can be applied globally using predictands and predictors sourced from weather stations, gridded data sets, satellites, reanalysis, and global or regional climate models. It uses signal processing combined with Fourier filtering and kernel density estimation techniques to decompose and smooth any quasi‐Gaussian time series, gridded or point‐based, into multi‐decadal long‐term means and/or trends; static and dynamic annual cycles; and probability distributions of daily variability. Long‐term predictor trends are bias‐corrected and predictor components used to map predictand components to future conditions. Components are then recombined for each station or grid cell to produce a continuous, high‐resolution bias‐corrected and downscaled time series at the spatial and temporal scale of the predictand time series. Comparing STAR‐ESDM output driven by coarse global climate model simulations with daily temperature and precipitation projections generated by a high‐resolution version of the same global model demonstrates it is capable of accurately reproducing projected changes for all but the most extreme temperature and precipitation values. For most continental areas, biases in 1‐in‐1000 hottest and coldest temperatures are <0.5°C and biases in the 1‐in‐1000 wet day precipitation amounts are <5 mm/day. As climate impacts intensify, STAR‐ESDM represents a significant advance in generating consistent high‐resolution projections to comprehensively assess climate risk and optimize resilience globally.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004107climate projectionsdownscalingbias correctionsignal processingGCMs
spellingShingle Katharine Hayhoe
Ian Scott‐Fleming
Anne Stoner
Donald J. Wuebbles
STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition
Earth's Future
climate projections
downscaling
bias correction
signal processing
GCMs
title STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition
title_full STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition
title_fullStr STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition
title_full_unstemmed STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition
title_short STAR‐ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High‐Resolution Climate Projections Through Signal Decomposition
title_sort star esdm a generalizable approach to generating high resolution climate projections through signal decomposition
topic climate projections
downscaling
bias correction
signal processing
GCMs
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF004107
work_keys_str_mv AT katharinehayhoe staresdmageneralizableapproachtogeneratinghighresolutionclimateprojectionsthroughsignaldecomposition
AT ianscottfleming staresdmageneralizableapproachtogeneratinghighresolutionclimateprojectionsthroughsignaldecomposition
AT annestoner staresdmageneralizableapproachtogeneratinghighresolutionclimateprojectionsthroughsignaldecomposition
AT donaldjwuebbles staresdmageneralizableapproachtogeneratinghighresolutionclimateprojectionsthroughsignaldecomposition