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TerraClimate

TerraClimate is a dataset of monthly climate and climatic water balance for global terrestrial surfaces from 1958-2020. These data provide important inputs for ecological and hydrological studies at global scales that require high spatial resolution and time-varying data. All data have monthly temporal resolution and a 4-km (1/24th degree) spatial resolution.

About the data

Characteristic Description
Function Displays monthly climate datasets
Variable Listed below
Geographic coverage Global 90N-90S, 180W-180E
Spatial resolution 4-km at equator
Temporal resolution monthly
Format GeoTIFF
Unit See list below

List datasets

Primary Climate Variables: Maximum temperature, minimum temperature, vapor pressure, precipitation accumulation, downward surface shortwave radiation, wind-speed

Derived variables: Reference evapotranspiration (ASCE Penman-Montieth), Runoff, Actual Evapotranspiration, Climate Water Deficit, Soil Moisture, Snow Water Equivalent, Palmer Drought Severity Index, Vapor pressure deficit

Name Description Units
aet Actual Evapotranspiration, monthly total mm
def Climate Water Deficit, monthly total mm
pet Potential evapotranspiration, monthly total mm
ppt Precipitation, monthly total mm
q Runoff, monthly total mm
soil Soil Moisture, total column - at end of month mm
srad Downward surface shortwave radiation W/m2
swe Snow water equivalent - at end of month mm
tmax Max Temperature, average for month °C
tmin Min Temperature, average for month °C
vap Vapor pressure, average for month kPa
ws Wind speed, average for month m/s
vpd Vapor Pressure Deficit, average for month kpa
PDSI Palmer Drought Severity Index, at end of month unitless

Data access

Individual years download link: http://thredds.northwestknowledge.net:8080/thredds/catalog/TERRACLIMATE_ALL/data/catalog.html

Also available at DEC S3: s3://wbgdecinternal-ntl/climate/data/terraclimate

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