New directions in hydro-climatic histories: observational data recovery, proxy records and the atmospheric circulation reconstructions over the earth (ACRE) initiative in Southeast Asia

Johnny C L Chan,Rob Allan,Fiona Williamson,Adam D Switzer,Robert Wasson,Rosanne D’Arrigo,Richard Gartner

doi:10.1186/s40562-015-0018-z

Abstract

The value of historic observational weather data for reconstructing long-term climate patterns and the detailed analysis of extreme weather events has long been recognized (Le Roy Ladurie, 1972; Lamb, 1977). In some regions however, observational data has not been kept regularly over time, or its preservation and archiving has not been considered a priority by governmental agencies. This has been a particular problem in Southeast Asia where there has been no systematic country-by-country method of keeping or preserving such data, the keeping of data only reaches back a few decades, or where instability has threatened the survival of historic records. As a result, past observational data are fragmentary, scattered, or even absent altogether. The further we go back in time, the more obvious the gaps. Observational data can be complimented however by historical documentary or proxy records of extreme events such as floods, droughts and other climatic anomalies. This review article highlights recent initiatives in sourcing, recovering, and preserving historical weather data and the potential for integrating the same with proxy (and other) records. In so doing, it focuses on regional initiatives for data research and recovery – particularly the work of the international Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth’s (ACRE) Southeast Asian regional arm (ACRE SEA) – and the latter’s role in bringing together disparate, but interrelated, projects working within this region. The overarching goal of the ACRE SEA initiative is to connect regional efforts and to build capacity within Southeast Asian institutions, agencies and National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) to improve and extend historical instrumental, documentary and proxy databases of Southeast Asian hydroclimate, in order to contribute to the generation of high-quality, high-resolution historical hydroclimatic reconstructions (reanalyses) and, to build linkages with humanities researchers working on issues in environmental and climatic history in the region. Thus, this article also highlights the inherent value of multi/cross/inter-disciplinary projects in providing better syntheses and understanding of human and environmental/climatic variability and change.

Highlights

ACRE Southeast Asia (ACRE SEA) is part of the global Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE) initiative [3] run from the Met Office Hadley Centre (MOHC) in the UK.a
Any other historical meteorological, hydrological or oceanographic variables uncovered by ACRE are brought to the attention of the relevant communities working on them, such as the EU FP7 European Reananlysis of the Global Climate System (ERA-CLIM2) project with upper air data [4] and the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS)
ACRE SEA is currently engaged in seeking future funding opportunities with the digitization component as a core element alongside research and capacity building activities, which will be partly achieved by working closely with the INdian Ocean DAta REscue (INDARE) project to secure Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) funding for collaborations with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) in the Asian region

Summary

Introduction

The initiative works very closely with NMHS and various weather and climate data rescue initiatives such as the International Environmental Data Rescue Organisation (IEDRO), the International Surface Temperature Initiative (ISTI), the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC), the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) and others to ensure that all of the variables recovered and digitised are fed back to their points of origin and/or to the appropriate international repositories responsible for that data It encourages, where possible, NMHS and other international initiatives to aid in data quality control and the full rehabilitation of such observations. ACRE SEA has been a part of this drive, participating in the University of Sussex’ Centre for World Environmental History’s UK Arts and Humanities Council (AHRC) funded network project ‘Botanical and Meteorological History of the Indian Ocean, 1600-1900’ and King’s College London’s and Aberystwyth University’s AHRC funded network projects ‘Historic Weather’ and ‘Historic Weather2’

Methods

Conclusion