HOMER: a homogenization software – methods and applications

Abstract

Between 2007–2011, the European COST Action ES0601 called HOME project was devoted to evaluate the performance of homogenization methods used in climatology and produce a software that would be a synthesis of the best aspects of some of the most efficient methods. HOMER (HOMogenizaton softwarE in R) is a software for homogenizing essential climate variables at monthly and annual time scales. HOMER has been constructed exploiting the best characteristics of some other state-of-the-art homogenization methods, i.e., PRODIGE, ACMANT, CLIMATOL, and the recently developed joint-segmentation method (cghseg). HOMER is based on the methodology of optimal segmentation with dynamic programing, the application of a network-wide two-factor model both for detection and correction, and some new techniques in the coordination of detection processes from multiannual to monthly scales. HOMER also includes a tool to assess trend biases in urban temperature series (UBRIS). HOMER’s approach to the final homogenization results is iterative. HOMER is an interactive method, that takes advantage of metadata. A practical application of HOMER is presented on temperature series of Wien, Austria and its surroundings.