Dataset: LANDSURF - Climate Indices for Africa

The dataset contains a wide range of climatological and agrometeorological indices of Africa for 1981-2100. The index calculation is based on global and regional climate models from CMIP5 and CORDEX-CORE, respectively, and covers the period 1981-2100. For the future, a low (RCP2.6) and a high (RCP8.5) greenhouse gas emission scenario are used. A total of 25 indices can be divided into five groups with a focus (1) temperature, (2) precipitation, (3) rainy season, (4) agriculture, and (5) drought. An overview of all indices can be found in the readme.txt. Temperature indices contain threshold- and percentile-based indices from the ETCCDI as well as heatwave indices. Precipitation indices are taken from the ETCCDI as well. The rainy season is determined based on Liebmann et al. (2016), enabling the identification of a first and a second rainy season. The resulting rainy season mask was used for some of the ETCCDI indices and for calculating the respective onset and cessation days. The agricultural indices depend on the rainy season onset, plant specific crop parameters, and related temperatures and precipitation. In this dataset, three indices of four different plant phases for twelve different crops (Barley_Oats_Wheat_S, Barley_Oats_Wheat_L, Maize_grain_S, Maize_grain_L, Maize_sweet_S, Maize_sweet_L, Millet_S, Millet_L, Sorghum_S, Sorghum_L, Soybean_S, Soybean_L) are available. Drought indices contain SPI and SPEI for four different accumulation time periods. A validation of the climate models in representing the selected precipitation, rainy season, and agricultural indices during 1981-2010 is available by Abel et al. (2023). This reference also describes the calculation of the rainy season mask and the agricultural indices in more detail. The data was developed in the frame of the WASCAL WRAP2.0 project LANDSURF. We acknowledge the World Climate Research Programme’s Working Group on Regional Climate, and the Working Group on Coupled Modelling, former coordinating body of CORDEX and responsible panel for CMIP5. We also thank the climate modelling groups (list see readme.txt) for producing and making available their model output. We also acknowledge the Earth System Grid Federation infrastructure.