CLIVAR Scientific Frontiers and Imperatives

Scientific Frontiers: Major scientific themes

Frontier 1: Anthropogenic climate change 
Undertake the predictive science that aims to develop the adaptation decisions that must be made in response to human activity

Frontier 2: Decadal variability, predictability and prediction
Identify and understand phenomena that offer some degree of decadal predictability and to skilfully predict these climate fluctuations and trends

Frontier 3: Intra-seasonal and seasonal predictability and prediction 
Identify and understand phenomena that offer some degree of intra-seasonal to inter-annual predictability, to skilfully predict these climate fluctuations and trends and to increase interactions between scientists, operational forecasters and decision makers

Imperatives: Enabling science to achieve the goals of the Scientific Frontiers

Imperative 1: Improved atmosphere and ocean component models of Earth System Models 
Reduce the negative impact of biases in model representations of atmospheric and oceanic processes 

Imperative 2: Data synthesis, analysis, reanalysis and uncertainty
Provide credibility to climate projections by understanding the past and present state of the ocean

Imperative 3: Ocean observing system
Maintain over many decades a sustained ocean observing system capable of detecting and documenting global climate change

Imperative 4: Capacity building

The CLIVAR Scientific Frontiers and Imperatives document can be downloaded in our Publications section.