Science of UKESM

Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing humanity today. Reliable estimates of future climate change are a central component of informed decision-making, both for avoiding the worst outcomes of climate change and for developing informed adaptation plans to unavoidable change. At the heart of such estimates are state-of-the-art global climate and Earth system models.

The UKESM develops the UK’s national capability in Earth system modelling, developing tools to deliver robust estimates of future change and for use in cutting edge research. To realize this, the team brings together scientists with a diverse range of expertise, spanning atmospheric physics, marine and terrestrial biogeochemistry, ice sheet modelling and computer science. Scientists from seven NERC research centres and the Met Office Hadley Centre contribute to UKESM.