A SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH AMERICAN DAILY GRIDDED DATASET OF OBSERVED SURFACE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR 1961-2000

This study presents a southeastern South American gridded dataset of daily minimum and maximum surface temperatures for 1961-2000. The data used for the gridding are observed daily data from meteorological stations in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay from the database of the European Community's Sixth Framework Programme A Europe-South America Network for Climate Change Assessment and Impact Studies in La Plata Basin (EU FP6 CLARIS LPB), with some additional data series. This gridded dataset is new for the region, not only for its spatial and temporal extension, but also for its temporal resolution. The region for which the gridded dataset has been developed is 20 degrees-40 degrees S, 45 degrees-70 degrees W, with a resolution of 0.5 degrees latitude x 0.5 degrees longitude. Since the methodology used produces an estimation of gridbox averages, the developed dataset is very useful for the validation of regional climate models. The comparison of gridded and, observed data provides an evaluation of the usefulness of the interpolated data. According to monthly-mean values and daily variability, the methodology of interpolation developed during the EU FP6 ENSEMBLE-based predictions of climate changes and their impacts (ENSEMBLES) project for its application in Europe is also suitable for southeastern South America. Root-mean-square errors for the whole region are 1.77 degrees C for minimum temperature and 1.13 degrees C for maximum temperature. These errors are comparable to values obtained for Europe with the same methodology.