Computing Climate Complexities

September 7, 2003 – Vol.8 No.24

COMPUTING CLIMATE COMPLEXITIES.

Given the almost endless number of factors, and endless variations of those factors that affect the world’s climate systems, even the most powerful super computers can’t determine with pinpoint accuracy what will happen in the future. Compare the amount of processed data needed to predict climate change to the search for evidence of intelligent life in the universe.

Taking an idea from the initiative that allows home computer users to scan data on their PC for signals of advanced societies beyond our solar system, the SETI@home program, the UK has launched a effort to enlist the help of PC users world-wide to predict the world’s future climate changes.

Through Climateprediction.net PC users can now download a copy of the UK Met Office’s climate prediction model. The model runs in the background of a PC when its processor isn’t needed for other tasks. Each download is different - different starting times, different levels of greenhouse gas emissions, different sea surface temperatures and so on - so that each participant computes a different outcome. The results of outcome are uploaded back to Climateprediction.net.

The model apparently works on most recent PC’s, a Linux version is in the works, but sorry no word of a version for Macs. Help predict our planet’s future at http://www.climateprediction.net .