HISTALP—historical instrumental climatological surface time series of the Greater Alpine Region

• DOI: 10.1002/joc.1377
• Publication Date: 2006-07-06T11:50:28Z
• Authors: Ingeborg Auer; Reinhard Böhm; Anita Jurkovic; Wolfgang Lipa; Alexander Orlik; Roland Potzmann; Wolfgang Schöner; Markus Ungersböck; Christoph Matulla; Keith Briffa; Phil Jones; Dimitrios Efthymi...; Michele Brunetti; Teresa Nanni; Maurizio Maugeri; Luca Mercalli; Olivier Mestre; Jean‐Marc Moisselin; Michael Begert; Gerhard Müller‐We...; Vit Kveton; Oliver Bochnicek; Pavel Stastny; Milan Lapin; Sándor Szalai; Tamás Szentimrey; Tanja Cegnar; Mojca Dolinar; Marjana Gajic‐Capka; Ksenija Zaninovic; Zeljko Majstorovic; Elena Nieplova
• Keywords: Centennial; Anomaly (physics)

Abstract This paper describes the HISTALP database, consisting of monthly homogenised records temperature, pressure, precipitation, sunshine and cloudiness for ‘Greater Alpine Region’ (GAR, 4–19°E, 43–49°N, 0–3500m asl). The longest temperature air pressure series extend back to 1760, precipitation 1800, 1840s 1880s. A systematic QC procedure has been applied a high number inhomogeneities (more than 2500) outliers 5000) have detected removed. 557 are kept in different data modes: original homogenised, gap‐filled outlier corrected station mode series, grid‐1 (anomaly fields at 1° × 1°, lat long) Coarse Resolution Subregional (CRS) mean according an EOF‐based regionalisation. leading climate variability features within GAR discussed through selected examples concluding linear trend analysis 100, 50 25‐year subperiods four horizontal two altitudinal CRSs. Among key findings is parallel centennial decrease/increase both 19th/20th century. 20th century increase (+1.2 °C/+ 1.1 hPa annual GAR‐means) evolved stepwise with first peak near 1950 second (1.3 °C/0.6hPa per 25 years) starting 1970s. Centennial decadal scale trends were identical all subregions. Air show significant differences between low versus elevations. long‐term high‐elevation relative low‐elevation given pressure. Of special interest exceptional correlation 0.9 on difference (high‐minus low‐elevation). This, further developed via some atmospheric statics thermodynamics, allows creation ‘barometric series’ without use measures temperature. They support measured region. Precipitation shows most regional seasonal with, e.g., remarkable opposite evolution NW (9% increase) SE decrease). Other long‐ short‐term indicate promising potential new database analyses applications. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society.