Multi-variable analysis of 200 years of climate variability and change in the Greater Alpine Region

HISTALP, a large multi-variable dataset consisting of monthly quality-checked and homogenised secular records for the “Greater Alpine Region” (GAR, 4-19 °E, 43-49 °N, 0-3500m asl), has been set up in the last 10 years within the frame of a number of projects coordinated by the Austrian Meteorological Central Office. It encompasses 242 sites and concerns temperature, pressure, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, vapour pressure and relative humidity. The climate information in HISTALP is not only stored in station-mode, but also by means of gridded data and Coarse Resolution Subregional Mean series (CRSMs), that are available at monthly, seasonal and yearly resolution. In this context, we are analysing the HISTALP database with the aim at giving a comprehensive picture of secular climate variability and change in the GAR, by means of the analysis of a wide range of relevant meteorological variables (temperature, precipitation, pressure, cloudiness, sunshine duration, vapour pressure and relative humidity). This extended abstract shows some preliminary results of our research; full details will be given in a comprehensive paper that is currently in preparation.