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Applied Climate-Change Analysis: The Climate Wizard Tool

Author

Listed:
  • Evan H Girvetz
  • Chris Zganjar
  • George T Raber
  • Edwin P Maurer
  • Peter Kareiva
  • Joshua J Lawler

Abstract

Background: Although the message of “global climate change” is catalyzing international action, it is local and regional changes that directly affect people and ecosystems and are of immediate concern to scientists, managers, and policy makers. A major barrier preventing informed climate-change adaptation planning is the difficulty accessing, analyzing, and interpreting climate-change information. To address this problem, we developed a powerful, yet easy to use, web-based tool called Climate Wizard (http://ClimateWizard.org) that provides non-climate specialists with simple analyses and innovative graphical depictions for conveying how climate has and is projected to change within specific geographic areas throughout the world. Methodology/Principal Findings: To demonstrate the Climate Wizard, we explored historic trends and future departures (anomalies) in temperature and precipitation globally, and within specific latitudinal zones and countries. We found the greatest temperature increases during 1951–2002 occurred in northern hemisphere countries (especially during January–April), but the latitude of greatest temperature change varied throughout the year, sinusoidally ranging from approximately 50°N during February-March to 10°N during August-September. Precipitation decreases occurred most commonly in countries between 0–20°N, and increases mostly occurred outside of this latitudinal region. Similarly, a quantile ensemble analysis based on projections from 16 General Circulation Models (GCMs) for 2070–2099 identified the median projected change within countries, which showed both latitudinal and regional patterns in projected temperature and precipitation change. Conclusions/Significance: The results of these analyses are consistent with those reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but at the same time, they provide examples of how Climate Wizard can be used to explore regionally- and temporally-specific analyses of climate change. Moreover, Climate Wizard is not a static product, but rather a data analysis framework designed to be used for climate change impact and adaption planning, which can be expanded to include other information, such as downscaled future projections of hydrology, soil moisture, wildfire, vegetation, marine conditions, disease, and agricultural productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Evan H Girvetz & Chris Zganjar & George T Raber & Edwin P Maurer & Peter Kareiva & Joshua J Lawler, 2009. "Applied Climate-Change Analysis: The Climate Wizard Tool," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(12), pages 1-19, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0008320
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008320
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Oluwabunmi Oluwaseun Popoola & Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan Yusuf & Nomakhaya Monde, 2020. "Information Sources and Constraints to Climate Change Adaptation amongst Smallholder Farmers in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-23, July.
    2. József Popp & Judit Oláh & Anna Kiss & Zoltán Lakner, 2019. "Food Security Perspectives in Sub-Saharan Africa," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 21(51), pages 361-361.
    3. Diana Reckien & Johannes Flacke & Marta Olazabal & Oliver Heidrich, 2015. "The Influence of Drivers and Barriers on Urban Adaptation and Mitigation Plans—An Empirical Analysis of European Cities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-21, August.
    4. Riccardo Colacito & Bridget Hoffmann & Toan Phan, 2019. "Temperature and Growth: A Panel Analysis of the United States," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 51(2-3), pages 313-368, March.
    5. Eduardo Fernandez & Lars Caspersen & Ilja Illert & Eike Luedeling, 2021. "Warm winters challenge the cultivation of temperate species in South America—a spatial analysis of chill accumulation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Evan Girvetz & Chris Zganjar, 2014. "Dissecting indices of aridity for assessing the impacts of global climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 126(3), pages 469-483, October.
    7. Adam J Terando & Jennifer Costanza & Curtis Belyea & Robert R Dunn & Alexa McKerrow & Jaime A Collazo, 2014. "The Southern Megalopolis: Using the Past to Predict the Future of Urban Sprawl in the Southeast U.S," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-8, July.
    8. Benjamin F. Zaitchik & Belay Simane & Shahid Habib & Martha C. Anderson & Mutlu Ozdogan & Jeremy D. Foltz, 2012. "Building Climate Resilience in the Blue Nile/Abay Highlands: A Role for Earth System Sciences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-27, January.
    9. Haghnazari, Farzad & Karandish, Fatemeh & Darzi-Naftchali, Abdullah & Šimůnek, Jiří, 2020. "Dynamic assessment of the impacts of global warming on nitrate losses from a subsurface-drained rainfed-canola field," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    10. repec:aud:audfin:v:21:y:2019:i:51:p:361 is not listed on IDEAS

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