PS2: Climate Downscaling Methods Practice Problems (Due Nov 19)
Module 2 Exam Preparation
This is an OUTLINE ONLY. The final assignment with specific problems, datasets, and detailed instructions will be provided later in the semester. This outline is provided to give you a sense of the scope and structure of the assignment.
1 Overview
This problem set provides practice with the five climate downscaling and analysis methods covered in Module 2. Problems mix conceptual understanding, computational implementation, and results interpretation to prepare you for the Module 2 exam.
The assignment is graded for completion and effort, not correctness. This allows you to learn from mistakes and use this as genuine test preparation.
2 Problem Structure (Tentative)
The final assignment will contain approximately 10-12 problems organized as follows:
2.1 Part 1: Bias Correction (2-3 problems)
Problems will cover:
- Applying quantile mapping to temperature or precipitation data
- Comparing delta method versus quantile mapping approaches
- Interpreting bias correction results and identifying potential issues
- Understanding when different bias correction methods are appropriate
2.2 Part 2: Weather Typing (2-3 problems)
Problems will cover:
- Assigning weather states given sea level pressure patterns
- Interpreting clustering results and weather regime characteristics
- Connecting weather types to precipitation or temperature extremes
- Discussing appropriate use cases and limitations
2.4 Part 4: Weather Generators (2-3 problems)
Problems will cover:
- Validating synthetic weather sequences against observations
- Diagnosing problems in generated precipitation or temperature series
- Comparing different weather generator types and approaches
- Understanding preservation of statistical properties
2.5 Part 5: Global Sensitivity Analysis (1-2 problems)
Problems will cover:
- Interpreting Sobol indices and variance decomposition
- Designing sensitivity analysis experiments for climate problems
- Understanding interactions between uncertain inputs
2.6 Part 6: Synthesis and Comparison (1-2 problems)
Problems will cover:
- Selecting appropriate downscaling method(s) for given scenarios
- Comparing strengths and limitations across methods
- Justifying methodological choices for specific applications
3 Deliverables
The final assignment will be submitted as a Jupyter notebook with:
- Code implementations where requested
- Written explanations and interpretations
- Figures and visualizations as appropriate
- Clear documentation of your reasoning
4 Grading
This assignment is worth 10% of your course grade and will be graded for completion and effort:
- Full credit for completing all required problems with clear evidence of engagement
- Partial credit for incomplete submissions proportional to work completed
- Focus is on learning and test preparation, not on getting “correct” answers
5 Timeline
- Assigned: October 15 (Module 2 begins)
- Due: November 19 at start of class
- Solutions: Will be discussed during review session on November 19