16-year WRF simulation for the Southern Alps of New Zealand (monthly output)

The climatological dataset was produced using the Weather and Research Forecasting (WRF) model configured with two nested domains at 10 km (D1) and 2 km (D2) horizontal grid spacing. It covers the bulk of the South Island of New Zealand and is centered over Brewster Glacier in the Southern Alps. The model was forced every three hours by ERA5 reanalysis data at its outer lateral boundaries. The dataset covers the period of 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2020, providing daily output in the outer domain (D1) and 3-hourly output in the innermost domain (D2). 

The dataset was generated as part of a DFG-funded project aimed at investigating the atmospheric processes causing impacts of sea surface temperature changes around New Zealand on variations of glacier surface climate and mass balance in the Southern Alps (using Brewster Glacier as a benchmark glacier).

The data provided here are a selection of monthly averages from the finest WRF domain (D2; 2-km grid spacing). They are distributed among three different file types containing 4-dimensional, 3-dimensional and invariant output variables, respectively. For the 4-dimensional variables, the data were cropped to below ~200 hPa. In addition, perturbation and base-state atmospheric pressure (WRF variables P and PB) and geopotential (PH and PHB) were combined to produce full model fields, and perturbation potential temperature (T) was converted to total potential temperature.