Multi-model ensembles are a central approach in climate model analysis, but their use involves many complex considerations. In this work, we review relevant literature and synthesize existing studies to contribute to the development of guidelines for designing and conducting ensemble analyses. This is complemented by a collection of useful resources and a discussion of emerging trends, supported by statistics tracing the number of publications.

Our global analysis assess temperature annual cycle and its changes using an innovative statistical approach. We reveal, e.g., slight temperature decreases during the historical period in some parts of the year. Future projections show different rates of warming between seasons, resulting in changes in the amplitude. The diagnostics introduced here can be tailored for different purposes and applied to other climatic variables, without making any prior assumptions about the annual cycle shape.