Final Report Summary - LINC (Learning about Interacting Networks in Climate) Goals LINC is a Marie Curie Initial Training Network funded by the European Union FP7 Program, aimed at training 15 young researchers in the complete set of skills required to investigate the Earth climate from a complex systems perspective. Challenges Advancing our understanding of the complex dynamics of our climate requires developing new approaches for climate data analysis; the training of the new generation of experts requires bringing together an interdisciplinary team of partners with complementary expertise in complex systems, geosciences (climatology, oceanography), data analysis, statistics and high-performance computing. Vision Applying the network approach and nonlinear analysis tools can yield new insight into complex climate phenomena (such as El Niño), which have huge socio-economic impacts world-wide. LINC results could lead to improved climate predictions, crucial for developing adequate mitigation and adaptation strategies. Results 12 PhD students and 3 young postdoctoral researchers received top-quality training that included the participation in two schools, four workshops and research stays in the networks partners. A final Conference on Complex Networks and Climate Variability was organized (Vienna, Austria, April 2015), with the participation of world-recognized experts. Several LINC students presented their results in the conference. Three students have finished their PhD theses and several theses are scheduled for the next months. A database and analysis software have been developed, which can be freely downloaded from the project website. The LINC results were published in numerous articles (many of them, open access) which are listed in the project website. Videos and training material can also be freely downloaded from the website. ImpactBy providing top-level interdisciplinary training to 12 early stage researchers and 4 experienced researchers, by developing cutting-edge science (as demonstrated by 28 publications in peer-reviewed journals), and by promoting collaborations among the partners (as demonstrated by 12 joint publications), LINC has strengthened the European position in the fields of climate dynamics and complex systems. By advancing the understanding of relevant climate phenomena (such as El Niño, the Indian Monsoon, the South Atlantic Convergence Zone, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, etc.), by proposing novel early-warning indicators of critical transitions, by identifying hydrodynamic communities that help designing marine reserves, etc., LINC research also brings clear benefits to the European society. Organization and Consortium The LINC project is organized in five scientific work packages (WP1: Network Construction and Analysis, WP2: Interacting Networks, WP3: Natural Climate Variability, WP4: Future Climate Change, and WP5: Tipping Points in the Climate System) and one management work package. The consortium consists of 6 academic partners and 3 companies in five countries: 1. UPC - Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain) 2. PIK - Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacte Research (Germany) 3. BIU - Bar-Ilan University (Israel) 4. UU - Utrecht University (The Netherlands) 5. UY- Universidad de la Republica (Uruguay) 6. UIB - Universitat de les Illes Balears (Spain) 7. CRA - Climate Risk Analysis (Germany) 8. AMB - Ambrosys (Germany) 9. VOR - Vortech (The Netherlands) Project URL: climatelinc.eu
