Climate models

Climate change scenarios out to 2100 have been created using projections from a number of Global Circulation Models (GCMs). The acronyms used here refer to the following modelling centres and models:

•    GFDL - Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, R30
•    CCCMA - Canadian Center for Climate Modelling and Analysis, CGCM2
•    CSIRO - Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CSIRO-Mk2
•    EH4OPYC - Max Planck Institut für Meteorologie, ECHAM4/OPYC3
•    HadCM3 - Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, HadCM3
•    NCAR/PCM - National Centre for Atmospheric Research, NCAR-PCM

These GCM projections are described in the IPCC Third Assessment Report (2001). New GCM projections have been produced for the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (2007). These are currently being analysed for Finland, and will be added to the FINESSI site in the coming months. The new GCM outputs are expected to show similar ranges of projected climate change over Finland to those shown here.

Present-day climate is based on observations for 1961-1990.