This is a data set of 10-year mean monthly surface climate data over global land areas, excluding Antarctica, for the period 1901-1990. The data set is gridded at 0.5 degree latitude/longitude resolution and includes seven variables: precipitation, mean temperature, diurnal temperature range, wet-day frequency, vapour pressure, cloud cover, and ground-frost frequency. In constructing the monthly grids the authors used an anomaly approach which attempts to maximize station data in space and time (New et al., 2000). In this technique, grids of monthly historic anomalies are derived relative to a standard normal period. Station measurement data for the years 1961-1990, extracted from the monthly data holdings of the Climatic Research Unit and the Global Historic Climatology Network (GHCN), served as the normal period (New et al., 1999). The anomaly grids were then combined with high-resolution mean monthly climatology to arrive at fields of estimated historical monthly surface climate. Data users are encouraged to see the companion file New et al.(2000) for a complete description of this technique and potential applications and limitations of the data set. For additional information, refer to the IPCC Data Distribution Centre.
Cite this data set as follows (citation revised on June 27, 2002):
New, M., M. Hulme, and P. D. Jones. 2000. Global 10-Year Mean Monthly Climatology, 1901-1990 (New et al.). Data set. Available on-line [http://daac.ornl.gov] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A., doi:10.3334/ORNLDAAC/549.
New, M. G., M. Hulme, and P. D. Jones. 1999. Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part I: Development of a 1961-1990 mean monthly terrestrial climatology. Journal of Climate 12:829-856.
New, M. G., M. Hulme, and P. D. Jones. 2000. Representing twentieth century space-time climate variability. Part II: Development of a 1901-1996 monthly terrestrial climate fields. Journal of Climate 13:2217-2238.