Local green model enhanced
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Australia’s climate research capabilities have taken a leap forward.
Scientists have upgraded Australia’s ACCESS-ESM1.5 Earth system model.
An enhanced tool, developed by CSIRO and ACCESS-NRI, now offers streamlined usability and tailored features, helping researchers study the Earth’s systems and tackle pressing climate questions.
“The model now uses the ACCESS-NRI software pipeline and best practices, including continuous integration, deployment, and testing to ensure reliable results and make it easy for researchers to use,” says Dr Aidan Heerdegen, leader of the ACCESS-NRI Model Release team.
Earth system models simulate the interplay of the atmosphere, oceans, land, and ice, revealing how these components shape the planet’s climate.
The revamped model simplifies experiments, enabling researchers to delve deeper into how climate systems have changed over millennia and might evolve in the future.
The model’s unique features, such as its ability to simulate phosphorus limitation in nutrient-poor areas like Australia, make it especially valuable.
Researchers use it to examine everything from carbon sinks to future emission scenarios and the implications of meeting - or missing - Paris Agreement targets.
“The training and technical support provided by ACCESS-NRI have been a big game changer for the climate research community,” says Dr Tilo Ziehn, lead developer of ESM1.5.
“We now have a common approach to setting up the model with different configurations, which has made our work significantly easier.”
The model has proven effective for paleoclimate studies, offering preset configurations to accelerate lengthy experiments.
“We designed a ‘time dial’ into the model to allow researchers to match the Earth’s orbital tilt with past climates - a long-standing wish of the paleoclimate community,” said Spencer Wong, a research software engineer at ACCESS-NRI.
“The tilt of the Earth affects the distribution of solar radiation and has been a key driver of ice ages. This feature makes modifying the model much simpler,” said Dr David Hutchinson from UNSW.
The model plays a key role in international collaborations like the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP), benchmarking Australia’s capabilities against other global models.
“Having an Australian model is extremely important for addressing questions specific to our region,” said Dr Nicola Maher from the ARC Centre of Excellence.
Powered by high-performance computing at the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) in Canberra, the model benefits from government funding under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
The advancements should allow Australia to strengthen its ability to navigate critical climate challenges, offering deeper insights into the planet’s past and future.
