G-P02 · EVIDENCE · methodsGCRI dossier · service level R0
GCRIClimate and HazardsIn development
Methods and uncertainty

Methods and uncertainty

The methods Climate and Hazards relies on, the assumptions they carry and the limits of what they can show.

Publisher
The Global Centre for Risk and Innovation
Field
Climate and hazards, Disaster and crisis
Status
In development
Service level
R0: information and enquiries

Evidence grading

Methods and uncertainty · Review wave 2

Two sources downgradedGCRI · Climate and Hazards

Certainty by criterion

0 low to 100 high

Higher is more certain. Values are placeholders.

Review queue

  1. R-1Heat index days above thresholdsecond reviewer1 d
  2. R-2Extreme rainfall, 1-in-100 depthsecond reviewer1 d
  3. R-3Fire weather indexsecond reviewer1 d

Climate and Hazards · Evidence gradingEvidence grading, in outline: domain structure with placeholder names and illustrative values, not a record.

01In brief

The short answer.

The Climate and Hazards methods page sets out the methods the platform relies on, among them climate and atmospheric science, Earth and geophysical science, and forecasting and time-series analysis, with their assumptions, validation and limits. Each analysis lists its assumptions and data, reports ranges and confidence beside central estimates, is checked against observations or other models, and states what it cannot show.

02Canvas

Draft to published version.

Canvas · draft to published versionDesign, not a record
Methods and uncertainty: from a source to a labelled evidence recordA source is registered with its licence and steward, checked for quality and coverage, labelled by evidence class, versioned and published with a passport; corrections create a new version. Design of the process, not a record of a run.

Fig.How a finding is reviewed before it is published. Design, not a record.

03Geography

Climate signals in World.

For methods and uncertainty, in GCRI's spatial-intelligence reading, the map opens on true-colour imagery and land cover, framed on World; 4 further NASA layers wait in the list.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 2

Climate signals, for this page

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

For methods and uncertainty, in GCRI's spatial-intelligence reading, the map opens on true-colour imagery and land cover, framed on World; 4 further NASA layers wait in the list.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date; indicators, not assessments of any place; claim ceiling INTEGRATED.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · GDACS · Copernicus Sentinel-2 L2ASources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • GPM IMERG precipitation, NASA Precipitation Processing System; distributed by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • GHRSST Level 4 MUR analyses, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; distributed by the NASA Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). ODbL
  • Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
  • Globe: MapLibre GL JS 6.9.1, BSD-3-Clause, © MapLibre contributors.
  • Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not official warnings.
  • Live: GDACS (EC JRC / UN OCHA) Events are indicative, not official warnings.
  • Observed (EO): Copernicus Sentinel-2 L2A (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026), Microsoft Planetary Computer
  • Optional layers (24 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.

Layers and dates

  • True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
  • Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
  • Land surface temperature, day, 8-day composite: VIIRS NOAA-20 Level 3, 8-day, NASA LANCE · 14 Sep 2026
  • Precipitation rate, daily mean: GPM IMERG, NASA GES DISC · 12 Oct 2026
  • Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
  • Sea surface temperature anomaly: GHRSST MUR25, NASA JPL PO.DAAC · 12 Oct 2026

04Methods

The methods in use.

  1. Climate and atmospheric scienceDetection and attribution of change · Extreme event attribution · Process-based model evaluationApplied here
  2. Earth and geophysical scienceSeismic source characterisation · Ground deformation monitoring · Site condition mappingApplied here
  3. Forecasting and time-series analysisEnsemble forecast interpretation · Seasonal outlook use · Forecast verificationApplied here
  4. Extreme value theory and tail riskReturn level estimation · Non-stationary extremes · Regional frequency analysisApplied here
  5. Earth observation and remote sensingFlood extent mapping · Vegetation and drought monitoring · Active fire and burned areaApplied here
  6. Spatial statistics and geostatisticsInterpolating station data · Merging satellite and gauge data · Spatial clustering of eventsApplied here
  7. High-performance, cloud and edge computingRunning and storing ensembles · Analysis near the data · Edge processing for observationsApplied here
  8. Hydrology and water scienceCatchment flood modelling · Drought propagation · Flood frequency with changing climateApplied here
  9. Ocean and coastal scienceExtreme sea-level analysis · Marine heatwave detection · Climate mode monitoringApplied here
  10. Space systems and satellite servicesObservation continuity planning · Satellite communications for warningsApplied here
05Method register

Each method, its role in this field and how it is checked.

06Uncertainty

Where uncertainty in hazard analysis comes from, and how it is shown.

SourceWhy it matters hereHow it is reported
Emission pathwayDominates late-century changeResults by scenario, never averaged across scenarios
Model structureDominant for regional precipitation and extremesMulti-model ensembles with spread
Internal variabilityDominant for the next decades locallyLarge ensembles
Observational baselineStation density and reanalysis biasComparison of products
Rare-event statisticsShort records for extremesConfidence intervals on return levels

Projections carry IPCC calibrated language where they draw on assessed findings.

07Uncertainty

How uncertainty is reported.

  1. 01

    State assumptions

    Each analysis lists its assumptions and the data it depends on.

  2. 02

    Quantify where possible

    Ranges and confidence are reported alongside central estimates.

  3. 03

    Validate and compare

    Models are checked against observations and, where possible, against other models.

  4. 04

    Publish limits

    What an analysis cannot show is stated beside what it can.

08Key terms

Terms used on this page.

Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.

TermDefinition
Uncertainty quantificationCharacterising and propagating the uncertainties in a model to state confidence in its outputs.
Sensitivity analysisRepeating an analysis under different assumptions to show how much the result depends on them.
Model validationComparing model predictions with independent observations to judge fitness for a stated use.
Climate and atmospheric scienceClimate science studies the physical processes that govern the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and land surface over seasons to centuries.
09Sources

Where this page's references lead.

The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.

10Questions

Questions and answers.

Are the methods open?
Method descriptions are public on the STEM Commons. Code and data follow their own licences and access terms, listed in the source register.
Climate and Hazards

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