Datasets
C2SM provides a number of datasets (see below). In addition, the Forest Ecology group has put together information about commonly used datasets and how to use them here.
Datasets provided by C2SM
We provide different climate datasets such as CMIP5, CMIP6 or CORDEX, as downloaded from the original sources, as well as processed datasets such as the so-called CMIP6-NextGeneration (CMIP6-ng) archive. If you need access to other climate datasets contact us at request@c2sm.ethz.ch and we will try to help.
The table below shows an overview over the datasets we already provide.
Climate Model Data
Archive |
Size (#Files) (3) |
Location |
Access |
Status |
Variables |
Resolution |
"Raw" CMIP Archives (as downloaded from ESGF) |
CMIP2 |
0.01 TB (500) |
IAC |
direct / rsync |
frozen (2010-10) |
|
native (1) |
CMIP3 |
6 TB (40’000) |
IAC |
direct / rsync |
frozen (2016-12) |
|
native |
CMIP5 |
130 TB (700’000) |
IAC |
direct / rsync |
monthly updated |
|
native |
CMIP6 |
510 TB (5’000’000) |
IAC, Euler (4) |
direct / rsync |
weekly updated |
|
native |
CMIP next generation (checked, standardized, regridded to common grid) |
CMIP3-ng (2) |
0.5 TB (5’000) |
IAC |
direct / rsync |
frozen (2019-03) |
|
native and 2.5°x2.5° |
CMIP5-ng (2) |
33 TB (100’000) |
IAC |
direct / rsync |
frozen (2019-09) |
|
native and 2.5°x2.5° |
CMIP6-ng (2) |
95 TB (400’000) |
IAC, Euler (4) |
direct / rsync |
ongoing |
monthly: co2mass, hfls, mrro, npp, rlds, rsdscs, rtmt, tasmin, tsl, evspsbl, hfss, mrros, pr, rldscs, rsdt, sftlf, tauu, zg500, evspsblsoi, hurs, mrso prw, rlus, rsus, siconc, tauv, evspsblveg, huss, mrsol, psl, rlut, rsuscs, ta, tos, areacella, gpp, lai, mrsos, ra, rlutcs, rsut, tas, tran, clt, hfds, nbp, rh, rsds, rsutcs, tasmax, treeFrac |
native and 2.5°x2.5° |
daily: pr, tas, tasmin, tasmax, zg500 |
native and 2.5°x2.5° |
"Raw" CORDEX (as downloaded) |
CORDEX |
370 TB (800’000) |
IAC, Euler (4), CSCS (5) |
direct / rsync |
weekly updated |
|
0.44° and 0.11° |
CORDEX-ReKliEs |
23 TB (100’000) |
IAC, Euler (4) |
direct |
weekly updated |
|
0.11° |
CORDEX data for climate scenarios (checked, regridded to identical grids if necessary) |
CORDEX.ch2018 |
11 TB (1’800) |
IAC, CSCS (5) |
direct |
frozen (2019-04) |
daily: hurs, huss, pr, rsds, sfcWind, sfcWindmax, snw, tas, tasmax, tasmin |
0.44° and 0.11° |
CORDEX.ch202X |
46 TB (3’500) |
IAC |
direct |
ongoing |
daily: pr, tas, tasmax, tasmin, zg500 |
0.44° and 0.11° |
(1) native means every model on their native grid they were run on
(2) CMIP-ng: Next Generation archives were maintained by Reto's group (Jan Sedlacek/Lukas Brunner)
Ruth Lorenz / C2SM took over cmip6-ng in 2022.
contact: cmip6-archive@env.ethz.ch, documentation: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3734128
(3) Stand June 2021
(4) cd /nfs/atmos/c2sm
(5) cd /store/c2sm/c2sme
Observational and Reanalysis Data
Archive |
Size (#Files) (6) |
Location |
Access |
Status |
time period |
Variables |
Temporal Resolution |
Spatial Resolution |
more information |
"Raw" Archives (as downloaded from original source) |
E-OBS |
660G |
IAC |
direct |
different versions, updated irregularly |
1950 - present |
TG: mean temperature, TN: minimum temperature, TX: maximum temperature, RR: precipitation sum, PP: mean sea level pressure, FG: mean wind speed, HU: mean relative humidity, QQ: global radiation |
daily |
0.1° and 0.25° |
https://www.ecad.eu/download/ensembles/download.php https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/cdsapp#!/dataset/insitu-gridded-observations-europe?tab=overview |
MERRA2 |
15T |
IAC |
direct |
updated |
1980 - present |
many, temperature, precipitation, radiation, sea level pressure etc. |
hourly, sst monthly |
0.5 lat x 0.625 lon (~50km) |
https://gmao.gsfc.nasa.gov/reanalysis/MERRA-2/ https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/nasas-merra2-reanalysis |
ERA5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
so far C2SM does not provide ERA-5 data, but there is a list of who has what here |
Processed Archives (e.g. aggregated or regridded) |
E-OBS and MCH |
50G |
IAC (7) |
direct |
static |
1971-2020 |
tas, tasmax, tasmin, pr |
daily |
0.11° |
E-OBS (v23.1e) data with higher resolution MCH data over Switzerland (prepared for CH202X) |
MERRA2 |
|
IAC (8) |
direct |
updated |
1980-2015 (v0) 1980-2018 (v1) |
tas, tasmax, tasmin, huss, psl, pr, hfss, hfls, rlus, rlds, rsds, rsus, tos |
daily, monthly |
2.5 lat x 2.5 lon (same as cmip6-ng) |
files are consistent with cmip-ng archives, no time period is indicated in filenames |
(6) May 2022
(7) /net/co2/c2sm-data/ch202X/Obs_Data/EOBS/0.1deg_reg_v23.1e/processed/
(8) /net/co2/c2sm-data/rlorenz/MERRA2/
If you need more information or help with the usage of these datasets (or others), contact ruth.lorenz@c2sm.ethz.ch
If you need additional data in the raw archives, contact urs.beyerle@env.ethz.ch
If you need additional processed data, contact request@c2sm.ethz.ch
If you find errors and other issues in the processed datasets contact ruth.lorenz@c2sm.ethz.ch
Datasets Web Utilities

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