Project description
Studying aerosol-cloud processes to improve climate models
Clouds and aerosols play pivotal roles in regulating our climate, yet uncertainties persist in understanding their impact on global and regional climate patterns. In this context, the EU-funded CERTAINTY project will deepen our understanding of aerosol-cloud processes and their influence on the Earth System. Leveraging advanced algorithms, machine learning, and high-resolution models, CERTAINTY integrates a decade of research networks and satellite data to elevate our understanding of climate dynamics. Led by consortium partners at the forefront of aerosol and cloud data, the project’s ultimate goal is to enhance predictive models, providing valuable insights for climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. This innovative endeavour promises a brighter future for European citizens and global society.
Objective
Cloud, aerosols and their interactions are key regulators of climate. However, uncertainties in the magnitude of the net cooling impact of aerosols on climate and in the cloud response to evolving anthropogenic emissions and climate change induced feedbacks on natural emissions are major challenges that limit our understanding of how global and regional climate, including extremes, respond to changes in greenhouse gases. It is of paramount importance to better understand aerosol-cloud processes and their role in the Earth System, from regional to global scales, and over different time scales, from days to decades. Over the last decade, extensive research networks, infrastructures, satellite instruments, and atmospheric models have been developed, making it possible to obtain a holistic view of the effects of clouds and aerosols on climate and weather. CERTAINTY will capitalise on this available data together with advanced algorithms, machine learning and data assimilation methods, high resolution models, and Earth system models to bring the fundamental knowledge of interactions between clouds, aerosols, and radiation to a new level. The consortium partners are in key roles as operators, data originators, developers, providers, and users of European aerosol and cloud data and ESMs/high resolution models. The consortium leads the activities of next generation satellite missions (such as EarthCARE), and the development of new satellite products, to facilitate their scientific use in CERTAINTY by preparing tools for early adoption of data. CERTAINTY will bring the observation-based knowledge to be used in modeling frameworks to improve predictive models and knowledge of processes controlling aerosols, clouds, and their interactions from hours to decades. The ultimate outcome will be better understanding and predictions of extreme events that facilitates planning of climate mitigation/adaptation strategies for the good of European citizens and global society.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationssimulation software
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
75794 Paris
France
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Participants (14)
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
75006 Paris
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00560 Helsinki
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RG2 9AX Reading
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08034 Barcelona
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3731 GA De Bilt
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10691 Stockholm
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51147 Koln
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11810 Athina
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22100 Lund
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70211 KUOPIO
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00014 Helsingin Yliopisto
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731 00 Chania
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80539 Munchen
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03028 Kyiv
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Partners (4)
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
8092 Zuerich
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
7270 Davos Platz
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
SW7 2AZ LONDON
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Partner organisations contribute to the implementation of the action, but do not sign the Grant Agreement.
M13 9PL Manchester
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