New algorithm supercharges climate models and could lead to better predictions of future climate change

Study author Professor Samar Khatiwala, Department of Earth Sciences, University of OxfordEarth System Models – complex computer models which describe Earth processes and how they interact – are critical for predicting future climate change. By simulating the response of our land, oceans, and atmosphere to manmade greenhouse gas emissions, these models form the foundation for predictions of future extreme weather and climate event scenarios, including those issued by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Because Earth System Models integrate many complicated processes, they cannot immediately run a simulation; they must first ensure that it has reached a stable equilibrium representative of real-world conditions before the industrial revolution. Policymakers rely on climate projections to inform negotiations as the world tries to meet the Paris Agreement. The study ‘Efficient spin-up of Earth System Models using sequence acceleration’ has been published in the journal Science Advances.