HiGEM is a national UK programme in 'Grand Challenge' high resolution modelling of the global environment between NERC and the Hadley Centre of the Met Office. The new Met Office climate model (HadGEM1a) will be taken to unprecedented resolutions. This will achieve a major advance in the fidelity of simulations of the global environment, and improve our understanding of mechanisms of climate variability and change on timescales of days to centuries.

Access to HiGEM data at the BADC is restricted to academic researchers only, on a per person per project basis (i.e. all members on a same project who will be using the data must individually apply for access to the data). The online application for access to the HiGEM data includes the Met Office Agreement to be electronically accepted. To use the HadCM3 control data you will also need to apply for access to COAPEC data.

Access to the HiGEM data sets is available via the HiGEM data browser directory. Alternatively you can ftp the data from ftp.ceda.ac.uk.

Software is available to manipulate and view the HadCM3 data. swapbytes can be used to byte swap pp files from the COAPEC dataset if necessary. xconv provides an easy to use point and click interface to the data. convsh provides a subset of the functionality of xconv, but in a scriptable form, so it can be used to automate some common data processing tasks. Jeff Cole at CGAM Reading, who developed both xconv and convsh, provides some example uses of convsh

A summary of HiGEM data held at the BADC with links to webpages showing and the evolution of certain key parameters is available to HiGEM participants. Details of previous HiGEM simulations can be found here. The HiGEM simulations archived at the BADC are at N144 Atmosphere resolution (1.25 lat x 0.83 lon) and 1/3 degree ocean resolution. The HiGEM simulations have 38 vertical levels in the atmosphere and 40 vertical levels in the ocean.

A suite of example datasets are also available to HiGEM partners, these include:

• HadCM3(L30) - a 100 year integration of a version of the HadCM3 AOGCM, but with 30, instead of 19, atmospheric levels
• HadCM3 control integration - 100 year and 1000 year datasets from the Hadley Centre supplied to the NERC COAPEC thematic programme.
• HadCEML integration - 100 year datasets of the HadCEML model from the Hadley Centre .

The current status of the HiGEM dataset at the BADC can be found here

The HIGEM data file format is as follows:

• HiGEM simulations are held as 32 bit UM pp files.
• HadCM3(L30) data are held as 64 bit UM fields files
• HadCM3 control data are held as 32 bit pp files
• HadCM3 control data from the Beowulf cluster are held as NetCDF files
• HadCEML data held as both NetCDF and pp files.

• Data Service: HiGEM Ancillary File Ingestion.

• The UJCC UK-Japan Climate Collaboration project.
• UK HiGEM High Resolution Global Environmental Modelling.
• The COAPEC dataset at the BADC includes output from the HadCM3 control integration.
• The ECMWF reanalyisis (ERA-40) dataset at the BADC.
• The ECMWF reanalysis (ERA15) dataset at the BADC.

General queries about these pages and access to the data should be directed to the BADC support line. Your query should be answered within one working day. When follow-up work is required, the BADC support will carry out the work as quickly and efficiently as possible, and in any case, the user will be kept informed of progress.