Model and Data Hierarchies for Simulating and Understanding Climate

Organizing Committee | Activities | Scientific Overview

Participation | Application | Contact Us

Amy Braverman (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Rupert Klein (Freie Universität Berlin, Mathematics)
Andrew Majda (New York University, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences)
Olivier Pauluis (New York University, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences)
Bjorn Stevens (Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie)

Back to Top

• Orientation Day at May's Landing (by invitation only). March 8, 2010.
• Model and Data Hierarchies for Simulating and Understanding Climate: Tutorials. March 9 - 12, 2010.
• Workshop I: Equation Hierarchies for Climate Modeling. March 22 - 26, 2010.
• Workshop II: Numerical Hierarchies for Climate Modeling. April 12 - 16, 2010.
• Workshop III: Simulation Hierarchies for Climate Modeling. May 3 - 7, 2010.
• Workshop IV: Data Hierarchies for Climate Modeling. May 24 - 28, 2010.
• Culminating Workshop at Lake Arrowhead (by invitation only). June 6 - 11, 2010.

There will be an active program of research activities, seminars and workshops throughout the March 8 - June 11, 2010 period and core participants will be in residence at IPAM continuously for these fourteen weeks. The program will open with tutorials, and will be punctuated by four major workshops and a culminating workshop at UCLA’s Lake Arrowhead Conference Center. Several distinguished senior researchers will be in residence for the entire period. Between the workshops there will be a program of activities involving the long-term and short-term participants, as well as visitors.

The following people are involved in the organization of the workshops, and we expect most of them to spend a substantial amount of time in residence at IPAM: Simona Bordoni (NCAR/CalTech), Amy Braverman (JPL), Dargan Frierson (U Washington), Francis Giraldo (NPS, Monterey), Illia Horenko (FU Berlin), Christiana Jablonowski (U Michigan), Markos Katsoulakis (U Mass), Alan Kerstein (DOE CDC), Rupert Klein (FU-Berlin), Luis Kornblueh (MPI Hamburg), Andrew Majda (NYU), Jonathan Mitchell (IAS), Ole Peters (Imperial College), Olivier Pauluis (NYU), Robert Pincus (NOAA CDC), Sebastian Reich (Potsdam), Pier Siebesma (KNMI, Netherlands), Bjorn Stevens (MPI Hamburg).

Back to Top

Simulation has greatly advanced climate science, but not sufficiently to the profit of theory and understanding. How can simulation better advance climate /science/ and what mathematical issues does this raise?

Our hypothesis is that the development of climate science (i.e., theory and understanding) will be best served by focusing computational and intellectual resources on model and data hierarchies. Where “model and data hierarchies” refer to successively more complex models, or data structures, and the relations among them. Classic examples are the equations that emerge at different order in an asymptotic expansion; or microscopic, mesoscopic, macroscopic representations of systems that emerge in statistical physics and material science. In the atmosphere/ocean system such approaches lead to familiar families of equation sets used to explore specific phenomena, and the statistical theories (parameterizations) used to close the systems which emerge at different orders; but such ideas are also relevant to the data used to test such systems.

By bringing together physicists, mathematicians, statisticians, engineers and climate-scientists, and focusing on several themes that reach across scales and scientific methodologies, our program will provide a framework for advancing our use of hierarchical methods in our attempt to understand the climate system. In addition to tutorials and a summary workshop; the program will tie together four week-long workshops addressing specific currents in the broader stream of ideas: Equation Hierarchies; Numerical Hierarchies; Simulation Hierarchies; and Data Hierarchies.

This long-term program will involve a community of senior and junior researchers. The intent is for participants to learn about new mathematical developments in the area of simulating and understanding climate, to meet a diverse group of people, and have ample opportunities to form new collaborations. In addition to these activities, there will be opening tutorials, four workshops, and a culminating workshop at Lake Arrowhead.

Full and partial support for long-term participants is available, and those interested are encouraged to fill out an online application at the bottom of this page. Support for individual workshops will also be available, and may be applied for through the online application for each workshop. We are especially interested in applicants who are interested in becoming core participants and participating in the entire program (March 8 - June 11, 2010), but give consideration to applications for shorter periods. Funding for participants is available at all academic levels, though recent PhD's, graduate students, and researchers in the early stages of their career are especially encouraged to apply.

Encouraging the careers of women and minority mathematicians and scientists is an important component of IPAM's mission and we welcome their applications.

Back to Top

Back to Top

Application

An application form is available at:

This application is for people requesting financial support to attend and participate for extended periods up to the entire length of the program (March 8 - June 11, 2010). Applications for individual workshops are separate and will be posted on individual workshop home pages when available. We urge you to apply as early as possible. Applications will be accepted through December 8, 2009 but decisions will be made starting in July. Successful applicants will be notified as soon as funding decisions are made. Letters of reference may be sent to the address or email address below.

We have funding especially to support the attendance of recent PhD's, graduate students, and researchers in the early stages of their career; however, mathematicians and scientists at all levels who are interested in this area are encouraged to apply for funding. Encouraging the careers of women and minority mathematicians and scientists is an important component of IPAM's mission and we welcome their applications.

Contact Us:

Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM)
Attn: CL2010
460 Portola Plaza
Los Angeles CA 90095-7121
Phone: 310 825-4755
Fax: 310 825-4756
Email:
Website: http://www.ipam.ucla.edu/programs/cl2010/

Back to Top