SAFRAN meteorological analysis for mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands

What is SAFRAN?

The main objective of SAFRAN is to produce an estimation of the meteorological screen-level variables necessary to force a Land-Surface Model (LSM). To this end, SAFRAN uses all available observations and a first guess (i.e. the outputs of a numerical weather prediction model). It produces gridded datasets of temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and other necessary variables. The time step of the outputs is hourly, however, SAFRAN only assimilates observed data every six hours (every day for precipitation).

SAFRAN in Spain

The current implementation of SAFRAN in Spain, is the only dataset that provides all necessary variables to force a LSM. Its current implementation has an spatial resolution of 5 km. The time period is from 1/9/1979 to 31/8/2014.

This dataset was created using the same code as SAFRAN in France (Quintana-Seguí et al., 2008; Vidal et al. 2010) and the same code used in the first pilot study in Spain (Quintana-Seguí et al. 2016), with minor differences.

The observational dataset used are the meteorological stations provided to us by AEMET (Spanish State Meteorological Agency). The first guess is ECMWF's ERA-Interim.

The dataset was created by P. Quintana Seguí (Observatori de l'Ebre, URL-CSIC), with financial support from the FP7 EU eartH2Observe project and the Spanish MARCO project.

SAFRAN's code was kindly provided by CNRM/Météo-France.

Download

The dataset is available at the HyMeX Database. The dataset is published under DOI: 10.14768/MISTRALS-HYMEX.1388.

Using the data

The data can be used for research purposes under the terms of the HyMeX Data Policy. Furthermore,

• the dataset DOI must be cited, together with the following papers:

  • Meteorological analysis systems in north-east Spain. Validation of SAFRAN and SPAN, P. Quintana-Seguí, C. Peral, M. Turco, M.C. Llasat, E. Martin, Journal of Environmental Informatics, 27 (2) 116-130, 2016.DOI: 10.3808/jei.201600335.

  • Quintana-Seguí, P., Turco, M., Herrera, S., & Miguez-Macho, G. (2017). Validation of a new SAFRAN-based gridded precipitation product for Spain and comparisons to Spain02 and ERA-Interim. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 21(4), 2187–2201. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-2187-2017

• it is also necessary to acknowledge the following projects:

  • EU FP7 eartH2Observe (grant agreement No 603608).

  • Spanish MARCO (Modelización avanzada para el análisis de riesgos hidrolimáticos en escenarios regionalizados de cambio climático, CGL2013-47261-R, 2014/2017)

Please: contact the dataset author (Pere Quintana Seguí, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for updated information.

For more information

For more information on SAFRAN you are invited to read Quintana-Seguí et al. (2008) and Vidal et al. (2010), which explain the French application of SAFRAN, and Quintana-Seguí et al. (2016, 2017), which discuss the Spanish application of SAFRAN.

References

• Durand, Y., Brun, E., Merindol, L., Guyomarc’h, G., Lesaffre, B., & Martin, E. (1993). A meteorological estimation of relevant parameters for snow models. Annals of Glaciology, 18, 65–71.

• Durand, Y., Giraud, G., Brun, E., Merindol, L., & Martin, E. (1999). A computer-based system simulating snowpack structures as a tool for regional avalanche forecasting. J. Glaciol., 45(151), 469–484.

• Habets, F., Boone, A., Champeaux, J. L., Etchevers, P., Franchistéguy, L., Leblois, E., … Viennot, P. (2008). The SAFRAN-ISBA-MODCOU hydrometeorological model applied over France. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 113, D06113. http://doi.org/10.1029/2007JD008548

• Quintana-Seguí, P., Le Moigne, P., Durand, Y., Martin, E., Habets, F., Baillon, M., … Morel, S. (2008). Analysis of near-surface atmospheric variables: Validation of the SAFRAN analysis over France. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 47, 92–107. http://doi.org/10.1175/2007JAMC1636.1

• Vidal, J. P., Martin, E., Franchistéguy, L., Baillon, M., & Soubeyroux, J. M. (2010). A 50-year high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis over France with the Safran system. International Journal of Climatology, 30(11), 1627–1644. http://doi.org/10.1002/joc.2003

• Quintana-Seguí, P. (2016). Meteorological Analysis Systems in North-East Spain: Validation of SAFRAN and SPAN. Journal of Environmental Informatics, 27(2), 116–130. http://doi.org/10.3808/jei.201600335

• Quintana-Seguí, P., Turco, M., Herrera, S., & Miguez-Macho, G. (2017). Validation of a new SAFRAN-based gridded precipitation product for Spain and comparisons to Spain02 and ERA-Interim. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 21(4), 2187–2201. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-2187-2017