Development and Integration of Earth System Model Components

A continuing task of the Program is to improve and extend the capabilities of its Earth System Model (the IGSM), which links the climate system (atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial process) to the human drivers of global change and to system responses to climate and other environmental impacts. There are substantial feedbacks among these processes, and they matter for informing the design of mitigation efforts and understanding economic and environmental risks. The research task is necessarily multi-disciplinary and requires close participation of researchers with expertise in atmospheric and oceanic modeling, analysis of soils, terrestrial hydrology and vegetation, atmospheric chemistry and modeling of economic and technological options.

Key accomplishments and publications in this area of inquiry

Ongoing Projects and Funding

1. An Integrated Framework for Climate Change Analysis (DOE)
2. Developing an Improved Framework for Analysis of Global Warming (EPRI)
3. Integrated Assessment Multiple Greenhouse Gases, Climate Impacts, and Pollution (EPA)
4. Dynamic Modeling of Emissions from Land-Use Activities (EPA)
5. Global Effects of Human and Terrestrial Interactions (NSF)
6. Land use-Ecosystem-Climate Interactions in Monsoon Asia (NASA)
7. Development of the MIT Integrated Global System Model (Industrial and Gift Support)