Global Climate Models and downscaling through regional climate models have massively enhanced our capacity to assess sensitivity to climate change. However, they represent one end of a scientific riddle, with understanding of local processes being at the other end. Identifying the balance of knowledge required between global and local scales is critical to our effective use of GCM.
This post was inspired by several recent conversations, built around the validity of using climate allowances, or what parameters GCM-derived forecasts were likely to be more (or less) meaningful. Apologies for the more academic language - but hopefully I have conveyed in a single page some of the considerations for climate downscaling and interpretation.