Exploring NCAR Climate Change Data Using GIS
Description
With ArcGIS and climate data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Climate Change Scenarios GIS Data Portal, you will learn the basics of GIS-based climate modeling. First, you will calculate summer average temperatures during the growing season (June, July, and August) using simulated, present-day, climate-modeled output (1980 to 1999). Then, you will make the same calculations using projected, future, climate-modeled output (2021 to 2040). Next, you will visually compare the temperature differences for the two model runs. Finally, you will create a temperature anomaly map to highlight areas around the globe that will experience either air temperature increases or decreases in 2030 relative to 1990.
This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook. Each chapter provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page.
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