CLIMsystems of Hamilton, New Zealand have just recently released a new version of SimCLIM for Australia.
SimCLIM is a model system for examining the effects of climate variability and change over time and space. The recent release includes additional preloaded study areas for each State and Territory, preloaded historical time series site data for over 7000 stations across Australia, new functionality in terms of a General Circulation Model (GCM) ensemble development tool, climate and sea level rise scenario generation, image management functions, links with all the popular GIS platforms, extreme event analysis and data browsing capacity, and the DHI perturbation functionality.
The DHI functionality includes the capacity for perturbing files with one of 21 preloaded GCM patterns and six emissions scenarios and with either low, medium or high climate sensitivity. Multiple files can be perturbed at the same time and can then be opened and explored in MIKE Zero. File names can be easily appended with unique file names for time, date of generation or GCM pattern applied.
The functionality for perturbing and hence running DHI models such as Mike 11, Mike 21 and Mouse with consideration of climate change is critical to many water agencies, planners and engineers. The SimCLIM system means that multiple MIKE dfs0 files can be perturbed at one time, labelled and stored in an easily accessed directory for inclusion in separate so-called ‘climate change’ runs of DHI software. Currently, SimCLIM can perturb precipitation, temperature and sea level data and in some locations, wind data. The later is of growing interest as the wind influences wave patterns and slight changes could have a profound impact on coastal processes.