Table of Contents

Subcommittee on Global Change Research, Participating Agencies and Executive Offices

Ad hoc Working Group on Climate Modeling

Foreword

Executive Summary

1. Background

2. Summary of Findings

3. Summary of recommen- dations

4. Final Comments

Charge to the Working Group 

Main Report

1. Purpose

2. Current Situation

3. Scope of Document / Underlying Definitions and Assumptions

4. Elements of Climate Science

5. Issues of Computational Systems

6. Human resources

7. Management / Business Practices / Institutional models

8. Recommen- dations

9. Reference Documents

10. Endnotes

Full Report (PDF)

In January 2000, the Environment Division of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) asked Dr. Richard Rood of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to form an ad hoc Working Group on Climate Modeling Implementation. The impetus for this request was the need to define and implement a strategy for climate modeling in the U.S. that responds to unmet National needs in climate prediction, climate-science research and climate-change assessment. The composition of the Working Group is given on the title page. There is a representative from each of the Agencies with a significant investment in global weather and climate modeling. The scientists in the Working Group have broad experience in climate and weather science, including atmospheric chemical modeling. In addition, the authors have experience in research and operational activities, high-end computing, and scientific and programmatic management. The Working Group also includes a sociologist who is expert in human systems and organizational change management. OSTP charged the Working Group to prepare a plan for climate modeling activities to serve as advice to OSTP and the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The Working Group's report High-End Climate Science: Development of Modeling and Related Computing Capabilities is summarized below.