Abstract
We present a new ensemble of regional climate models, covering both Polar Regions at 12km resolution, coordinated as part of the Horizon 2020 project PolarRES. The ensemble is built at very high resolution (~12km) and follows Polar CORDEX specifications, as well as using common domains, and set-ups to give directly comparable model outputs. At the same time, all regional climate models have been upgraded to a next-generation set-up, producing an ensemble of unprecedented sophistication.We use a storyline approach, focused on Arctic amplification and cyclones in the northern hemisphere and Southern Annular Mode variability in Antarctica, to select global climate models for forcing on the boundaries. We present results from five different regional climate modelling groups downscaling ERA5 as a hindcast and evaluated using in-situ and remote sensing datasets. These simulations will be used to improve process understanding and to identify impacts of climate change in the polar regions over the next 100 years. Here, we present the experimental protocol and detail the different regional climate models, their outputs, applications and performance. PolarRES Consortium coauthors:Oskar Landgren, Andrew Orr, Xavier Fettweis, Willem Jan van de Berg, Annette Rinke, Petteri Uotila, Denys Pishniak, Ella Gilbert, Christoph Kittel, Ole Bøssing Christensen, Fredrik Boberg, Martin Olesen, Jose Abraham Torres, Anastasiia Chyhareva, Cecilia Aijala, Clara Lambin, Damian Maure, Kristiina Verro, Lars Nieradzik, Raphael Koehler, Ryan Williams, Xavier Levine, Siv Lauvset, Srinidhi Gadde, Timo Vihma, Svitlana Krakovska, Tiina Nygård, Doerthe Handorf, Hanna Lee, Heidrun Matthes, Hilde Haakenstad, Yurii Batrak, Lise Seland Graff, Roberta Pirazzini, Ruth Price, Tuomas Naaka
