Variable List

This page lists the priority of variables in the NA-CORDEX archive. We have been able to include all of the variables in Essential and High Priority categories. Additional Aspirational variables may be added to the archive in the future.

Alternate Units variables are the same as the Essential variables, but with more commonly used units instead of the MKS units specified by the CORDEX requirements. The "BC" column indicates whether a bias-corrected version of the variable is available, and if so, for which observational dataset.

Except for static variables, all variables are available at daily and longer frequencies. In addition, sub-daily precipitation is available for some models.

Other variables not on this list (e.g. 3-D variables) may be available from the CORDEX archive on ESGF or directly from the modelers; inquire with the point of contact for each simulation for more information.

Additional information such as sign convention can be found in the CORDEX variables requirement table.

Variable Long Name Units BC
ESSENTIAL
pr Precipitation kg m-2 s-1 --
tas Near-Surface Air Temperature K --
tasmax Daily Maximum Near-Surface Air Temperature K --
tasmin Daily Minimum Near-Surface Air Temperature K --
ALTERNATE UNITS
prec Precipitation mm/day both
temp Near-Surface Air Temperature degC --
tmax Daily Maximum Near-Surface Air Temperature degC both
tmean * Near-Surface Air Temperature degC both
tmin Daily Minimum Near-Surface Air Temperature degC both
HIGH PRIORITY
hurs * Near-Surface Relative Humidity % both
huss Near-Surface Specific Humidity kg kg-1 both
prhmax Daily Maximum Hourly Precipitation Rate kg m-2 s-1 --
ps Surface Air Pressure Pa --
rsds Surface Downwelling Shortwave Radiation W m-2 both
sfcWind * Near-Surface Wind Speed m s-1 gridMET
uas Eastward Near-Surface Wind Velocity m s-1 gridMET
vas Northward Near-Surface Wind Velocity m s-1 gridMET
orog † Surface Altitude m --
sftlf † Land Area Fraction % --
ASPIRATIONAL
snw ** Snow Amount kg m-2 --
evspsbl Evaporation kg m-2 s-1 --
evspsblpot Potential Evapotranspiration kg m-2 s-1 --
mrros Surface Runoff kg m-2 s-1 --
mrso Total Soil Moisture Content kg m-2 --
psl Sea Level Pressure Pa --
snm Surface Snow Melt kg m-2 s-1 --
areacella † Atmosphere Grid-Cell Area m2 --
mrsofc † Capacity of Soil to Store Water kg m-2 --
rootd † Maximum Root Depth m --
sftgif † Fraction of Grid Cell Covered with Glacier % --
clt Total Cloud Fraction % --
mrro Total Runoff kg m-2 s-1 --
rsus Surface Upwelling Shortwave Radiation W m-2 --
snc Snow Area Fraction % --
sund Duration of Sunshine s --

* This variable is calculated from other variables:
         hurs: huss, ps, tas (static ps is used for bias-corrected hurs)
         tmean: tmin, tmax
         sfcWind: uas, vas
** This variable will be added to the archive in the near future.
† Static variable