CLIMATE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Objective

To compare, improve and apply well established coupled Ocean-Atmospheric General Circulation Models (O-A-GCM) for modelling of anthropogenic climate change and natural climate variability.

In sub-project 1, numerical integrations will be carried out with coupled O-AGCMs over periods of several decades to more than a century to compute the time dependent evolution of climate for a number of prescribed scenarios describing the possible evolution of future concentrations of the principal greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, CFCs, ozone, N2O).
A major goal of sub-project 2 is the investigation of the predictability of climate in the time scale range of a month to a few years. This will be studied primarily by means of coupled O-A-GCMs experiments. The prediction experiments will be accompanied by extensive sensitivity experiments to clarify the nature of predictability and to attempt to extend the predictability limit. The investigations will concentrate on the ENSO phenomenon in the tropical belt, but will include also ocean-atmosphere interactions on a global scale.
In sub-project 3 sensitivity experiments are planned with A-GCMs to test the dependence of the model on different parameterizations of critical processes (radiation, clouds, land surfaces, etc.).
Sub-project 4 concerns model intercomparison and validation. A specific set of experiments will be designed with the sole purpose of identifying discrepancies and similarities between the many different atmospheric and ocean GCMs used in the project.
In sub-project 5 the nested high resolution limited area model HIRLAM developed by the Scandinavian and Dutch weather services for Europe will be made available and operated in conjunction with the global models used in other sub-projects. The HIRLAM model will be applied in all climate experiments requiring an enhanced higher resolution representation of the climate change in Europe.

Programme(s)

• FP2-EPOCH - Two specific research and technological development programmes (EEC) in the field of the environment STEP/EPOCH - EPOCH -, 1989-1992

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.

Address

Bundesstra¯e 55
20146 Hamburg
Germany

Participants (16)

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

France

Address

Ecole Polytechnique
91128 Palaiseau

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)

Italy

Address

Via Emilia Est 770
41100 Modena

DANISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE

Denmark

Address

100,Lyngbyvej 100
2100 Koepenhagen

Direction de la Météorologie Nationale

France

Address

22302 Lannion

ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE

France

Address

Rue Louis Murat 2
75008 Paris

European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts - ECMWF

United Kingdom

Address

Shinfield Park
RG2 9AX Reading

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH

Germany

Address

Geschwister-scholl-platz 1
80539 Muenchen

NANSEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND REMOTE SENSING CENTER

Norway

Address

3A,edvard Griegsvej 3A
5059 Bergen

ROYAL NETHERLANDS METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE

Netherlands

Address

10,Wilhelminalaan 10
3730 AE De Bilt

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE - MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

United Kingdom

Address

London Road, Sutton House Room Sg/12
RG12 2SZ Bracknell

UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN

Belgium

Address

Place De L'universite 1
Louvain-la-neuve

UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE - PARIS VI

France

Address

Place Jussieu 4
75252 Paris

UNIVERSITY OF ALCALA

Spain

Address

S/n,plaza De San Diego S/n (Colegio De San Idelfonso)
28801 Alcala De Henares

UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA

Italy

Address

6/2,Viale Berti Pichat 6/2
40127 Bologna

UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG

Germany

Address

Bundesstrasse 55
20146 Hamburg

UNIVERSITY OF READING

United Kingdom

Address

Whiteknights, Whiteknights House, Palmer Building
RG6 6AH Reading / Silchester