EES Departmental Seminar: Model intercomparisons for understanding climate change impacts

Dr. Sian Kou-Giesbrecht
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Title: Model intercomparisons for understanding climate change impacts

Abstract: Earth System Models (ESMs) are a comprehensive tool for understanding climate dynamics by simulating interactions between the atmosphere, oceans, land, and biosphere. When combined in a Model Intercomparison Project (MIP), an ensemble of ESMs is a robust framework for projecting climate change, strengthening our predictive capabilities by accounting for model uncertainties and biases, and are used to inform the IPCC reports and global climate change policy. Beyond projecting climate change, new advances in ESMs offer valuable information on other facets of the Earth system - nutrient limitation of CO2 fertilisation of the terrestrial biosphere, wildfire impacts, and the climate effects of reactive nitrogen from fertilizers and fossil fuel combustion. By leveraging the collective power of ESMs, we can uncover a fuller picture of future environmental change.

Time

Location

Milligan Room, 8th Floor Biology/EES wing of the LSC