A Partnership in Modeling Earth System History

Pennsylvania State Univ University Park, University Park PA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this award is to develop the capabilities, through strong linkages within the Earth System History community, dedicated computational facilities, and dedicated support staff, to enable an understanding of the full range and character of natural variability of the Earth's environmental system preserved in the geologic record, with the objective of contributing to a comprehensive theory of climate change. The project proposes case studies using numerical models of the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, and biosphere, along with increased observations and model-data comparisons. The scientific questions associated with the past climate evolution of the earth will address three major topics: (1) the processes that are responsible for the first-order changes in climate that have occurred over the last 600 million years, (2) the processes that are responsible for fast or abrupt changes in past climate, and (3) improved assessment and evaluation of model predictions of climate change. The proposal hopes to establish a nation-wide integrative partnership in Earth system history modeling. This nation-wide integrative partnership in Earth system history modeling is designed to substantially increase the capabilities and opportunities in Earth system modeling by addressing the problems of limited computational resources, the lack of shared facilities designed to promote the needs of the entire community, and inadequate opportunities to extend the results of model studies and enhance their value across the full spectrum of Earth science disciplines.