The Earth’s climate system is extremely complex, involving so many different components and interacting processes that, even with the biggest, fastest computers, it is not possible to represent all of them accurately. To make progress in this situation, CGCS strives to improve the understanding of fundamental physical, chemical, and biological processes that control climate. Only with increased understanding will it be possible to construct models with sufficient accuracy and efficiency to make explicit, quantitative projections.
Focus Areas
CGCS sustains a program of basic scientific research on the natural processes controlling global climate, with a concentration on the cycles, circulations and interactions of water, air, energy, and nutrients in the Earth system. The Center’s research effort is focused primarily on five fundamental components of the global climate system:
Climate Modeling Initiative
MIT’s Climate Modeling Initiative is a collaboration between scientists at MIT, coordinated by the Center for Global Change Science, to develop a modeling infrastructure for the study of the atmosphere, ocean and climate of the Earth. An approach that emphasizes modeling hierarchies is pursued, bridging from simple to complex, but based on a common set of modeling tools. …
Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change
The Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change integrates natural and social sciences to produce analyses relevant to climate and energy policy debates. Climate change is a complex issue: a century-scale threat requiring long term analysis- but with no short-term solution or single targeted policy that can adequately address the risks threatening …
AGAGE
Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE), and its predecessors (the Atmospheric Life Experiment, ALE, and the Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment, GAGE) have been measuring the composition of the global atmosphere continuously since 1978. The AGAGE is distinguished by its capability to measure over the globe at high frequency almost all of the important gases species …