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  • 1
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Unlocking weather observations from the Societas Meteorologica Palatina (1781–1792)
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2021
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 17, No. 6 ( 2021-11-15), p. 2361-2379
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 17, No. 6 ( 2021-11-15), p. 2361-2379
    Abstract: Abstract. In recent years, instrumental observations have become increasingly important in climate research, allowing past daily-to-decadal climate variability and weather extremes to be explored in greater detail. The 18th century saw the formation of several short-lived meteorological networks of which the one organised by the Societas Meteorologica Palatina is arguably the most well known. This network stood out as one of the few that efficiently managed to control its members, integrating, refining, and publishing measurements taken from numerous stations around Europe and beyond. Although much has been written about the network in both history, science, and individual prominent series used for climatological studies, the actual measurements have not yet been digitised and published in extenso. This paper represents an important step towards filling this perceived gap in research. Here, we provide an inventory listing the availability of observed variables for the 37 stations that belonged to the society's network and discuss their historical context. Most of these observations have been digitised, and a considerable fraction has been converted and formatted. In this paper, we focus on the temperature and pressure measurements, which have been corrected and homogenised. We then demonstrate their potential for climate research by analysing two cases of extreme weather. The recovered series will have wide applications and could contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind climatic variations and extremes as well as the societal reactions to adverse weather. Even the shorter series could be ingested into reanalyses and improve the quality of large-scale reconstructions.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-17-2361-2021
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-17-2361-2021-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2217985-9
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  • 2
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    The BernClim plant phenological data set from the canton of Bern (Switzerland) 1970–2018
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2019
    In:  Earth System Science Data Vol. 11, No. 4 ( 2019-11-11), p. 1645-1654
    Details
    In: Earth System Science Data, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 11, No. 4 ( 2019-11-11), p. 1645-1654
    Abstract: Abstract. In 1970, the Institute of Geography of the University of Bern initiated the phenological observation network BernClim. Seasonality information from plants, fog and snow was originally available for applications in urban and regional planning and agricultural and touristic suitability and is now a valuable data set for climate change impact studies. Covering the growing season, volunteer observers record the dates of key development stages of hazel (Corylus avellana), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), apple tree (Pyrus malus) and beech (Fagus sylvatica). All observations consist of detailed site information, including location, altitude, exposition (aspect) and inclination, that makes BernClim unique in its richness in detail on decadal timescales. Quality control (QC) by experts and statistical analyses of the data have been performed to flag impossible dates, dates outside the biologically plausible range, repeated dates in the same year, stretches of consecutive identical dates and statistically inconsistent dates (outliers in time or in space). Here, we report BernClim data of 7414 plant phenological observations from 1970 to 2018 from 1304 sites at 110 stations, the QC procedure and selected applications (Rutishauser et al., 2019: https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.900102). The QC points to very good internal consistency (only 0.2 % were flagged as internally inconsistent) and likely high quality of the data. BernClim data indicate a trend towards an extended growing season. They also track the regime shift in the late 1980s well to pronounced earlier dates like numerous other phenological records across the Northern Hemisphere.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1866-3516
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/essd-11-1645-2019
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2019
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2475469-9
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  • 3
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    A 258-year-long data set of temperature and precipitation fields for Switzerland since 1763
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2023
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 19, No. 3 ( 2023-03-29), p. 703-729
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 19, No. 3 ( 2023-03-29), p. 703-729
    Abstract: Abstract. Climate reconstructions give insights in monthly and seasonal climate variability in the past few hundred years. However, for understanding past extreme weather events and for relating them to impacts, for example through crop yield simulations or hydrological modelling, reconstructions on a weather timescale are needed. Here, we present a data set of 258 years of daily temperature and precipitation fields for Switzerland from 1763 to 2020. The data set was reconstructed with the analogue resampling method, which resamples meteorological fields for a historical period based on the most similar day in a reference period. These fields are subsequently improved with data assimilation for temperature and bias correction for precipitation. Even for an early period prior to 1800 with scarce data availability, we found good validation results for the temperature reconstruction especially in the Swiss Plateau. For the precipitation reconstruction, skills are considerably lower, which can be related to the few precipitation measurements available and the heterogeneous nature of precipitation. By means of a case study of the wet and cold years from 1769 to 1772, which triggered widespread famine across Europe, we show that this data set allows more detailed analyses than hitherto possible.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-19-703-2023
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-19-703-2023-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2023
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  • 4
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    Online Resource
    Influence of warming and atmospheric circulation changes on multidecadal European flood variability
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2022
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 18, No. 4 ( 2022-04-28), p. 919-933
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 18, No. 4 ( 2022-04-28), p. 919-933
    Abstract: Abstract. European flood frequency and intensity change on a multidecadal scale. Floods were more frequent in the 19th (central Europe) and early 20th century (western Europe) than during the mid-20th century and again more frequent since the 1970s. The causes of this variability are not well understood and the relation to climate change is unclear. Palaeoclimate studies from the northern Alps suggest that past flood-rich periods coincided with cold periods. In contrast, some studies suggest that more floods might occur in a future, warming world. Here we address the contribution of atmospheric circulation and of warming to multidecadal flood variability. For this, we use long series of annual peak streamflow, daily weather data, reanalyses, and reconstructions. We show that both changes in atmospheric circulation and moisture content affected multidecadal changes of annual peak streamflow in central and western Europe over the past two centuries. We find that during the 19th and early 20th century, atmospheric circulation changes led to high peak values of moisture flux convergence. The circulation was more conducive to strong and long-lasting precipitation events than in the mid-20th century. These changes are also partly reflected in the seasonal mean circulation and reproduced in atmospheric model simulations, pointing to a possible role of oceanic variability. For the period after 1980, increasing moisture content in a warming atmosphere led to extremely high moisture flux convergence. Thus, the main atmospheric driver of flood variability changed from atmospheric circulation variability to water vapour increase.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-18-919-2022
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-18-919-2022-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2022
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  • 5
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Assimilating monthly precipitation data in a paleoclimate data assimilation framework
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2020
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 16, No. 4 ( 2020-07-24), p. 1309-1323
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 16, No. 4 ( 2020-07-24), p. 1309-1323
    Abstract: Abstract. Data assimilation approaches such as the ensemble Kalman filter method have become an important technique for paleoclimatological reconstructions and reanalysis. Different sources of information, from proxy records and documentary data to instrumental measurements, were assimilated in previous studies to reconstruct past climate fields. However, precipitation reconstructions are often based on indirect sources (e.g., proxy records). Assimilating precipitation measurements is a challenging task because they have high uncertainties, often represent only a small region, and generally do not follow a Gaussian distribution. In this paper, experiments are conducted to test the possibility of using information about precipitation in climate reconstruction with monthly resolution by assimilating monthly instrumental precipitation amounts or the number of wet days per month, solely or in addition to other climate variables such as temperature and sea-level pressure, into an ensemble of climate model simulations. The skill of all variables (temperature, precipitation, sea-level pressure) improved over the pure model simulations when only monthly precipitation amounts were assimilated. Assimilating the number of wet days resulted in similar or better skill compared to assimilating the precipitation amount. The experiments with different types of instrumental observations being assimilated indicate that precipitation data can be useful, particularly if no other variable is available from a given region. Overall the experiments show promising results because with the assimilation of precipitation information a new data source can be exploited for climate reconstructions. The wet day records can become an especially important data source in future climate reconstructions because many existing records date several centuries back in time and are not limited by the availability of meteorological instruments.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-16-1309-2020
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-16-1309-2020-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2020
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  • 6
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    The weather diaries of the Kirch family: Leipzig, Guben, and Berlin (1677–1774)
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2023
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 19, No. 7 ( 2023-07-18), p. 1435-1445
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 19, No. 7 ( 2023-07-18), p. 1435-1445
    Abstract: Abstract. Astronomer and calendar maker Gottfried Kirch was a keen weather observer and made weather notes in his diary starting in 1677 in Leipzig. In parallel, his second wife Maria Margaretha Winkelmann started a weather diary in 1700 in Berlin. The diaries also contain instrumental measurements of temperature and later pressure. After the death of Gottfried in 1710 and Maria Margaretha in 1720, observations were continued by their son Christfried and then for another 44 years by their daughter Christine. The last measurements date to 1774. Together, the diaries span almost a century of weather observations. The instrumental measurements constitute the oldest part of Germany's longest temperature series, which was however only available as monthly means up to now. Here we publish the imaged diaries, together amounting to 10 445 images. Further, we present the digitized instrumental series, which will serve as the starting point for a new, daily Berlin series. By comparing the series to neighbouring records, we show that the pressure data are reliable in a quantitative sense, whereas this is true for the temperature data only in a qualitative sense as the temperature scale was not converted.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-19-1435-2023
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-19-1435-2023-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2023
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  • 7
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Early instrumental meteorological observations in Switzerland: 1708–1873
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2020
    In:  Earth System Science Data Vol. 12, No. 2 ( 2020-05-20), p. 1179-1190
    Details
    In: Earth System Science Data, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 12, No. 2 ( 2020-05-20), p. 1179-1190
    Abstract: Abstract. We describe a dataset of recently digitised meteorological observations from 40 locations in today's Switzerland, covering the 18th and 19th centuries. Three fundamental variables – temperature, pressure, and precipitation – are provided in a standard format after they have been converted into modern units and quality-controlled. The raw data produced by the digitisation, often including additional variables and annotations, are also provided. Digitisation was performed by manually typing the data from photographs of the original sources, which were in most cases handwritten weather diaries. These observations will be important for studying past climate variability in Central Europe and in the Alps, although the general scarcity of metadata (e.g. detailed information on the instruments and their exposure) implies that some caution is required when using them. The data described in this paper can be found at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.909141 (Brugnara, 2020).
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1866-3516
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/essd-12-1179-2020
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2020
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  • 8
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Early instrumental meteorological measurements in Switzerland
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2019
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 15, No. 4 ( 2019-07-22), p. 1345-1361
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 15, No. 4 ( 2019-07-22), p. 1345-1361
    Abstract: Abstract. The decadal variability of weather and its extremes are still poorly understood. This is partly due to the scarcity of records, which, for many parts of the world, only allow for studies of 20th century weather. However, the 18th and early 19th centuries saw some pronounced climatic variations, with equally pronounced impacts on the environment and society. Considerable amounts of weather data are available even for that time but have not yet been digitised. Given recent progress in the quantitative reconstruction of subdaily weather, such data could form the basis of weather reconstructions. In Switzerland, measurements before 1864 (the start of the national network) have never been systematically compiled except for three prominent series (Geneva, Basel, Great St. Bernard Pass). Here we provide an overview of early instrumental meteorological measurements in Switzerland resulting from an archive survey. Our inventory encompasses 334 entries from 206 locations, providing an estimated 3640 station years and reaching back to the early 18th century. Most of the data sheets have been photographed and a considerable fraction is undergoing digitisation. This paper accompanies the online publication of the imaged data series and metadata. We provide a detailed inventory of the series, discuss their historical context, and provide the photographed data sheets. We demonstrate their usefulness on behalf of two historical cases and show how they complement the existing series in Europe. If similar searches in other countries yield similarly rich results, an extension of daily weather reconstructions for Europe back to the 1760s is possible.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-15-1345-2019
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-15-1345-2019-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2019
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  • 9
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Pre-industrial temperature variability on the Swiss Plateau derived from the instrumental daily series of Bern and Zurich
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2022
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 18, No. 10 ( 2022-10-25), p. 2357-2379
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 18, No. 10 ( 2022-10-25), p. 2357-2379
    Abstract: Abstract. We describe the compilation of two early instrumental daily temperature series from Bern and Zurich, Switzerland, starting from 1760 and 1756, respectively. The series are a combination of numerous small segments from different observers at different locations within and outside the two cities that are converted to modern units and homogenized. In addition, we introduce a methodology to estimate the errors affecting daily and monthly mean values derived from early instrumental observations. Given the frequent small data gaps, we merge the two daily series into a more complete series representing the central Swiss Plateau. We finally compare the homogenized monthly series with other temperature reconstructions for Switzerland. We find significant differences before 1860, pointing to biases that might affect some of the most widely used instrumental data sets. In general, the homogenization of temperature measurements at the transition between the early instrumental and national weather service eras remains a problematic issue in historical climatology and has significant implications for other fields of climate research.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-18-2357-2022
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-18-2357-2022-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2217985-9
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  • 10
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Statistical reconstruction of daily temperature and sea level pressure in Europe for the severe winter 1788/89
    Copernicus GmbH ; 2022
    In:  Climate of the Past Vol. 18, No. 12 ( 2022-12-02), p. 2545-2565
    Details
    In: Climate of the Past, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 18, No. 12 ( 2022-12-02), p. 2545-2565
    Abstract: Abstract. The winter 1788/89 was one of the coldest winters Europe had witnessed in the past 300 years. Fortunately, for historical climatologists, this extreme event occurred at a time when many stations across Europe, both private and as part of coordinated networks, were making quantitative observations of the weather. This means that several dozen early instrumental series are available to carry out an in-depth study of this severe cold spell. While there have been attempts to present daily spatial information for this winter, there is more to be done to understand the weather variability and day-to-day processes that characterised this weather extreme. In this study, we seek to reconstruct daily spatial high-resolution temperature and sea level pressure fields of the winter 1788/89 in Europe from November through February. The reconstruction is performed with an analogue resampling method (ARM) that uses both historical instrumental data and a weather type classification. Analogue reconstructions are then post-processed through an ensemble Kalman fitting (EnKF) technique. Validation experiments show good skill for both reconstructed variables, which manage to capture the dynamics of the extreme in relation to the large-scale circulation. These results are promising for more such studies to be undertaken, focusing on different extreme events and other regions in Europe and perhaps even further back in time. The dataset presented in this study may be of sufficient quality to allow historians to better assess the environmental and social impacts of the harsh weather.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1814-9332
    URL: Article
    URL: Article
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-18-2545-2022
    DOI: 10.5194/cp-18-2545-2022-supplement
    Language: English
    Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
    Publication Date: 2022
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