[R-sig-Geo] reading into R IPCC data files

[Andy Bunn]

>  The counter-argument of course is that these guys are hardcore
> programmers who don't have time to put a wussy presentation layer on
> top of the data!

Two things:
1. Casual perusal of the AR4 data can be done via the Visualisation Tools. I think it's well done overall in terms of accessing and plotting a ludicrous amount of GCM data. Look here: 
http://www.ipcc-data.org/ddc_visualisation.html 

2. If you want the actual zeros and ones, model output from the AR4 is available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3 - specifically). Unlike the IPCC DDC link given originally in this thread, the CMIP3 data are easier to parse for non F90 folks and available as netCDF. Look here: http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/ipcc/about_ipcc.php 

There is a nice overview of the model simulation archive here:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2008/02/ipcc-archive/ 

HTH, -AB