About
Climate and Earth System Modeling is a research area for the Climate and Environmental Sciences Division in the Office of Biological and Environmental Research within the Department of Energy's Office of Science. CESM consists of three research programs: Earth System Modeling, Regional & Global Climate Modeling, and Integrated Assessment Research. These programs focus on the development, evaluation, and use of regional and global models, development of Earth system models, and development of integrated assessment models to determine the impacts and possible mitigation of climate change.
About Earth System Modeling
Optimizing emerging high-performance computing and information technologies, the Earth System Modeling (ESM) Program concentrates on advancing coupled climate and Earth system models for climate change projections at global-to-regional spatial scales and temporal scales spanning decadal to centennial. The ESM program focuses on research that improves representations in specific model components to achieve credible high-resolution climate simulations that address the variability and predictability of climate system changes and directly impact societal issues pertaining to future energy use and technology. ESM research and modeling tools directly support the Regional and Global Climate Modeling (RGCM) program. In addition, ESM contributes to the Climate Variability and Change element of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and coordinates with climate modeling programs sourced at other federal agencies.
Projects
Research Highlights
Publications
About Regional and Global Climate Modeling
The Regional and Global Climate Modeling (RGCM) program couples climate and Earth system models, focusing on regional and global climate change projections and temporal scales spanning decadal to centennial, to provide critical details about uncertainty and future variability of Earth's climate system. RGCM sponsors scientific projects that analyze multi-model climate change projections with the goal of quantifying uncertainties and feedbacks in Earth system processes, assessing climate sensitivity and variability, detecting and characterizing climate change (including examining regional contributions and model biases), and producing reliable projections. RGCM contributes to the Climate Variability and Change element of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and coordinates with climate modeling programs sourced at other federal agencies.
Projects
Research Highlights
Publications
About Integrated Assessment Research
Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) guide understanding of global climate change by addressing its drivers, pace, consequences, and implications. Future IAMs and related tools must inform regional and local integrated planning at shorter temporal scales as well as have broader applicability, including: vulnerability analyses spanning multiple, interactive stressors; analysis of how science and technology affect mitigation and adaptation; measurement of the effects of human behavior; and assessment of combined economic effects of varied response strategies and policies. IAMs also will explore crucial intersecting systems (energy, water, and land nexus) and their interdependencies. Through their analyses of climate change impacts, IAMs inform some of the most significant energy, economic, and infrastructure decisions affecting the world today.
