Data Access and Software Tools

All RegiKlim project members have access to the RCM data produced in NUKLEUS via the data search and analysis platform Freva (Free Evaluation System Framework). In addition to NUKLEUS data, Freva also offers other climate model data, observational data, and reanalyses, as well as user-defined data analysis tools (plugins). To enable access to data and tools for those outside the project and to support climate adaptation action in Germany, a publicly accessible data portal, the Klimakataster, is currently under construction.

Data and Tool Access via Freva

Freva is an open source data search and analysis platform developed at the FUB and DKRZ and provided by the Climate Informatics and Technologies research group (CLINT) at the Data Analysis department. With the help of Freva researchers can, among other things:

  • quickly and intuitively search for data stored at typical data centers that host many datasets (databrowser for data already in Freva, esgf for data at ESGF nodes),

  • create a common interface for user defined data analysis tools (plugins),

  • apply data analysis tools in a reproducible manner (history).

Freva can be accessed either via command line interface (CLI), via web browser, or with a python module, with similar functionalities in all the cases. Covering all aspects of the Freva software is out of scope of this documentation. For a detailed description please refer to the official Freva documentation page.

Data access is provided via the Freva evaluation system. To get a better overview you can also use the Freva Data-Browser.

In brief:

To activate Freva on one of the Levante login nodes hosted by the DKRZ simply type the following command:

module load clint regiklim-ces

This command will make the Freva software available to you.

The web based user interface (web UI) can be accessed via www-regiklim.dkrz.de.

If you have any trouble with either the web UI, the command line interface or the python library please do not hesitate to contact us via freva@dkrz.de.

Available and planned Plugins in Freva (so far)

As mentioned above, Freva cannot only search for datasets but also help you applying data analysis tools, the so-called plugins. The following bullet points offer an overview of general available and specifically in NUKLEUS developed and planned plugins:

  • General available Plugins

    • Animator: Animate data on lon/lat grids.

    • Blocking_2D: Calculate various 2D-Blocking Indices of the Northern Hemisphere.

    • ClimDexCalc: Calculate the ETCCDI climate extreme indices.

    • CWT: Calculate Circulation Weather Type by mean sea level pressure.

    • DiffPlotter: Plots difference between two NetCDF files.

    • HWMID: Heat wave evaluation using Heat Wave Magnitude Index daily.

    • IDF: Estimate and plot Intensity-Duration-Frequency relationships.

    • PERCENTILE: Calculate multiple percentiles using CDO.

    • PreProc: Spatio-temporal Pre-Processing of Data, including database linking.

    • PSI: Calculate Precipitation Severity Index.

    • WTRACK: Wind tracking algorithm.

    • ZYKPAK: Cyclone tracking and identification package - applied to sea-level pressure (psl).

  • In NUKLEUS developed Plugins

    • Climpact: Process climate model data for input of impact model.

    • idf_ccf (BETA version): IDF curves with climate change factor.

    • PET (BETA version): Calculation of daily potential evapotranspiration.

    • regionmatchPlugin (BETA version): Plugin to find similar regions based on different aspects.

    • Visualizeclimdexcalc2 (BETA version): Visualizes any climate index of interest for any region of interest.

    • waydown (BETA version): Temporal disaggregation of daily precipitation to sub-hourly scale with stochastic copula markov chain model.

    • Heat2UrbanIpact (BETA version): Identifies a heatwave of a defined duration from the NUKLEUS ensemble and prepares it for urban climate applications.

  • Further plugins planned within NUKLEUS

    • *Stats4Climate: Tailored access to vulnerability relevant data for risk analyses or decision support .

    • Clim4Palm: preprocessing RCM data for urban impact model PALM.

    • future_storms: storm development for user-relevant ensemble means for various triangular regions (storm is derived from geostrophic wind).

    • regioncut_geo: Tailored access to adaptation relevant data sets.

    • Urban structural analysis (degree of shading, degree of sealing, green volume, etc.) to determine climatic favorable and unfavorable areas.

NUKLEUS plugins are either developed in collaboration with a RegIKlim model region or are motivated by a synthesized need in a specific area of climate adaptation application. The long-term goal is for all NUKLEUS plugins to be usable as tools in the Klimakataster in one form or another.

The overview on available and planned plugins mentioned above might not always be up to date since everyone involved in the project is invited to contribute at any time. Please also check the Overview Table of the plugin working group.

A detailed help can be found on the www-regkilim.dkrz help page. If you want to get on board and develop your own plugins, we are more than happy to support you. Get in touch.

Still, a good starting point is the consultation of the Freva documentation and the plugin template repository.

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