CMIP6 README
Updated June 1, 2024

This folder contains geotiff files for 13 General Circulation Models (GCMs), plus a composite model of the first 12 GCMs on the list (i.e., not including CanESM5-1):
BCC-CSM2-MR
CMCC-ESM2
EC-Earth3-Veg
FGOALS-g3
INM-CM5-0
IPSL-CM6A-LR
MIROC-ES2L
MPI-ESM1-2-HR
MRI-ESM2-0
NorESM2-LM
TaiESM1
UKESM1-0-LL
CanESM5-1

For each of these models, there are 3 Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP1 2.6, SSP2 4.5, AND SSP5 8.5) and 4 thirty-year averages (2011-2040, 2021-2050, 2041-2070, 2071-2100).
Each model contains a suite of climate variables, including monthly maximum temperature (maxt), monthly minimum temperature (mint), monthly precipitation (pcp), monthly climate moisture index (cmi), and other bioclimatic variables described in the table below.

Climate Variable			Abbreviation		Units		Time Step
Minimum temperature			mint			°C		monthly
Maximum temperature			maxt			°C		monthly
Precipitation	pcp			mm			°C		monthly
Climate Moisture Index			cmi			cm		monthly
annual mean temperature 		bio_01			°C		annual
mean diurnal range 			bio_02			°C		annual
isothermality 				bio_03			°C		annual
temperature seasonality 		bio_04			°C		annual
max temperature of warmest month 	bio_05			°C		annual
min temperature of coldest month	bio_06			°C		annual
temperature annual range		bio_07			°C		annual
mean temperature of wettest quarter	bio_08			°C		annual
mean temperature of driest quarter	bio_09			°C		annual
mean temperature of warmest quarter 	bio_10			°C		annual
mean temperature of coldest quarter	bio_11			°C		annual
annual precipitation			bio_12			mm		annual
precipitation of wettest month 		bio_13			mm		annual
precipitation of driest month 		bio_14			mm		annual
precipitation seasonality 		bio_15			mm		annual
precipitation of wettest quarter	bio_16			mm		annual
precipitation of driest quarter s	bio_17			mm		annual
precipitation of warmest quarter 	bio_18			mm		annual
precipitation of coldest quarter 	bio_19			mm		annual
Growing season start 			sg_01			day		annual
Growing season end			sg_02			day		annual
Growing season length 			sg_03			days		annual
total precipitation period 1		sg_04			mm		annual
total precipitation period 2 		sg_05			mm		annual
total precipitation period 3 		sg_06			mm		annual
total precipitation period 4 		sg_07			mm		annual
Growing degree days period 1 		sg_08			°C		annual
Growing degree days period 2 		sg_09			°C		annual
Growing degree days period 3		sg_10			°C		annual
Growing degree days period 4 		sg_11			°C		annual
annual minimum temperature		sg_12			°C		annual
annual maximum temperature 		sg_13			°C		annual
mean temperature period 3 		sg_14			°C		annual
temperature range period 3		sg_15			°C		annual
 
The naming convention for the files is explained below using the file EC-Earth3-Veg126cmi_2021-2050_01.tif as an example,
where:
- EC-Earth3-Veg identifies the GCM
- 126 identifies the SSP
- cmi identifies the climate variable (climate moisture index in this case)
- 2021-2050 identifies the 30-year climate normal period 
- 01 identifies the month of the year (January in this case)

The SSPs are associated with greenhouse gas emissions pathways. These include SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, where SSP1 simulates a world focused on sustainability, mitigation, and adaptation, resulting in low greenhouse gas emissions. SSP2 simulates a middle ground situation where social policies don't change much from the past, but SSP5 simulates a future with ongoing fossil fuel development.