NCAS Climate Modelling Summer School

Climate models are fundamental tools for learning about our planet, assisting scientists and governments, and in assessing current and future risks and vulnerabilities. The reality of today’s climate modelling landscape, with ever more complex numerical models, running on the world’s largest supercomputers, requires a high degree of competence and efficiency, which must be instilled in scientists at the early stages of their careers. This intensive 12-day course is aimed at advanced PhD students and post-doctoral researchers, working in the natural sciences wishing to become experts in climate modelling.

Date: 8th - 20th September 2013
Loation: Oxford, UK
Registration Deadline: 12th April 2013
Weblink: ncas.ac.uk/index.php/en/cmss

Run by international climate modelling experts, the course will include:

  • A background to the theory of climate models, the workings of the climate system, and current challenges in climate modelling
  • Practical training on how to design, run and evaluate climate models

A typical day will consist of lectures in the morning, practical sessions in the afternoons and evening activities e.g. seminars from leading climate scientists.

At the end of this course, participants should be able to understand:

  • The fundamental principles of the science contained in the models
  • How the different areas of science in modern climate models are interconnected
  • How models are implemented and operated on modern supercomputers
  • How to assess the quality of the model results and how to perform high-level analysis
  • How climate science is used for policy making.

The course is split into a number of sections:

  • Climate Components led by Pier Luigi Vidale (NCAS-Climate, University of Reading)
  • Elements of computational fluid dynamics led by Hilary Weller (NCAS-Climate, University of Reading)
  • Idealised GCM laboratory led by Hilary Weller (NCAS-Climate, University of Reading)
  • Climate Interactions led by Rowan Sutton (NCAS-Climate, University of Reading)
  • Model design and analysis led by Len Shaffrey (NCAS-Climate, University of Reading)
  • The Climate Laboratory led by Pier Luigi Vidale (NCAS-Climate, University of Reading)

In addition to these sessions, evening seminars and events will be held. On the second Thursday there will be a Formal Dinner and a guest speaker will be invited to talk after dinner.

Participants at the summer school will be asked to give presentations of group work in the second week of the course.