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CDF data

Cumulative distribution function (CDF) data is one of the outputs associated with the UKCP09 climate change projections, provided in files that contain the future climate change projections associated with a given probability level.

In detail

Many of the image outputs provided by the UKCP09 climate change projections are produced using cumulative distribution function (CDF) data, including Cumulative Distribution Function plots. CDF data provide the projected amount of climate change (relative to the baseline climate), for a particular climate variable, spatial location, time period, emissions scenario and probability level.

  • CDF data is explained in more detail in the Reports & guidance section. It is important to recognise the difference between CDF data and .

  • More information about Cumulative Distribution Functions is given in Appendix 4.1 of the UKCP09 Climate change projections report.

  • An overview of how probabilistic projections are created and presented in UKCP09 is described in Box 3 of the UKCP09 Briefing report. More details are provided in Chapter 3 of the UKCP09 Climate change projections report, including an overview of the methodology in Section 3.2.12  and discussion about the interpretation of UKCP09 probabilistic projections in Section 3.3.

  • A discussion of sources of uncertainty in the UKCP09 probabilistic projections is available in Annex 2.4.