EC-Earth

Changes in our climate are leading to a range of varied and significant impacts affecting ecosystems and human systems such as the agriculture, water resources, natural resources, economic activities and infrastructures. To limit risks and identify opportunities associated with the changes, we need to understand how society is affected, and what can be done to adapt, as well as to reduce climate change.

An Earth System Model (ESM) is a tool that integrates all our knowledge on the Earth system and can be used to address scientific hypothesis on climate and environmental change. As such, these models allow scientists to study the complex interactions within the Earth System and are an essential tool for understanding and predicting climate variability and climate change. EC-Earth is developed as part of a Europe-wide consortium thus promoting international cooperation and access to knowledge and a wide data base. EC-Earth’s main objective is to develop and apply an ESM based on ECMWF's seasonal forecasting system for providing trustworthy climate information to climate services and to advance scientific knowledge on the Earth system, its variability, predictability and long-term changes resulting from external forcing.

EC-Earth has become a prominent state-of-the-art model within the European landscape of Earth System Models, as shown by the involvement in many European projects and its significant contribution to CMIP5 & CMIP6.