Objective Problems to be solvedThere is a need of climate-sensitive business and governmental bodies for improved understanding and prediction of fluctuations over decades of Atlantic-European climate. Also, better quantification of "natural" climate variability over decades is needed in detection and attribution of anthropogenic climate change.Scientific objectives and approachThe project aims to improve understanding, simulation and prediction of the decadal fluctuations that result from interactions between the ocean and atmosphere. These aims will be achieved through a coordinated programme of numerical experimentation, evaluation against observations, and development of prediction systems. The predictability of decade time scale fluctuations in climate will be quantified and work will be done with targeted user groups in the insurance, utilities and fisheries sectors to assess the potential benefits of decadal forecasts. Output from a series of multi-decadal ensemble integrations from four atmospheric GCM's forced with observed twentieth century Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Ice Extent (SIE) will be used to assess the potential predictability of decadal fluctuations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and other facets of Atlantic-European climate. It will be investigated how the predictability of the atmospheric response to SST anomalies varies with season, atmospheric state and model and how the atmospheric response could feed back to force the ocean. Five ocean GCM's will be used for multidecadal ocean modelling. The models will be forced with observed atmospheric data (NCEP reanalyses), and the skill of the models to simulate major observed dynamic and thermodynamic decadal scale anomalies will be assessed in a common diagnostic framework. Particular emphasis will be given to oceanic regions that have been found in the atmospheric modelling above to significantly influence the atmosphere. The results of the various model runs will be used to assess sensitivity to model formulation and resolution. Based on the above results and by the analysis of multi-century control simulations with four coupled atmosphere-ocean GCM's mechanisms responsible for decadal fluctuations in climate will be clarified. Particular emphasis will be given to the role of tropical/extra-tropical interactions in the atmosphere and ocean, the role of Gulf Stream variability and the role of air-sea fluxes in the amplification or damping of SST anomalies. The coupled models will be used to perform ensembles of decadal predictions and model predictability will be evaluated using the spread of the trajectories of the ensemble members.Expected impactsThe project will improve the European capability in decadal climate prediction and will furthermore link directly to potential users (e.g. from utilities, insurance, tourism and fisheries industries). Future decadal predictions could significantly benefit these economic sectors.The main outcome of D-LAB is a software platform to implement the concept of "Virtual Laboratory" in any pre-existing technical/clinical environment. The main components of the platform are:a - PROCESS EDITOR and WORKFLOW ENGINE, to create definitions of workflows/processes and to execute and process themb - WEB SERVICES, to support the "workflow client" environmentc - ADMINISTRATION MODULE, to monitor processes running on a specific serverd - CENTRAL QUEUE MANAGER, to handle the exchange of messages between the D-LAB Server, the POCT's and the Information Systemse - D-LAB BRIDGE, linking the Virtual Laboratory Information System of D-LAB to the other IS's installed in the HC Organisationf - POCT MANAGER, for the management of the distributed testing equipmentsg - D-LAB DATABASE, containing information on Patients/Contacts, Analysers, Panels and Tests, Maintenance, Quality Controlh - XML TRANSFORMER and SCHEMA EDITORi - SECURITY LAYER Fields of science agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesfisheriesnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabasesnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesnorth atlantic oscillationnatural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftwaresoftware applicationsvirtual reality Programme(s) FP5-EESD - Programme for research, technological development and demonstration on "Energy, environment and sustainable development, 1998-2002" Topic(s) 1.1.4.-2. - Key action Global Change, Climate and Biodiversity Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator UNIVERSITY OF READING EU contribution No data Address Earley gate 2, whiteknights, palmer building RG6 2AU Reading / silchester United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CENTRE EUROPEEN DE RECHERCHE ET DE FORMATION AVANCEE EN CALCUL SCIENTIFIQUE France EU contribution No data Address 42 avenue gaspard coriolis 31057 Toulouse See on map Total cost No data DANISH METEOROLOGICAL INSTITUTE Denmark EU contribution No data Address Lyngbyvej 100 2100 Koepenhagen See on map Total cost No data MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V. Germany EU contribution No data Address Bundesstra¯e 55 20146 Hamburg See on map Total cost No data NANSEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND REMOTE SENSING CENTER Norway EU contribution No data Address 3a,edvard griegsvej 3a 5059 Bergen See on map Total cost No data SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE - MINISTRY OF DEFENCE United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Fitzroy road, metz office EX1 3PB Exeter See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE - PARIS VI France EU contribution No data Address Place jussieu 4 75252 Paris See on map Total cost No data