Overview
The overall mission of the WCRP Working Group on Coupled Modeling (WGCM) is to foster the development and review of coupled climate models. This includes the organisation of model intercomparison projects aimed at understanding natural climate variability and predictability on decadal to centennial time scales, and predicting the response of the climate system to changes in natural and anthropogenic forcing. These activities are implemented in close cooperation with WCRP core projects, the JSC/CAS Working Group on Numerical Experimentation and partner programmes.
Current activities:
- WGCM is leading the WCRP Grand Challenge on "Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity".
- WGCM, in collaboration with many groups and partners within WCRP and beyond, is overseeing the ongoing Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, now in its sixth phase (CMIP6).
Terms of Reference
- Review and foster the development of coupled climate and Earth System models, including organization of model intercomparisons and utilization of available instrumental records and paleo-climatic data for model validation and diagnosis of shortcomings;
- Promote coordinated experimentation with coupled models aiming to understand natural climate variability on decadal to centennial time scales and its predictability, and to predict and understand the past and future response of the climate system to changes in natural and anthropogenic forcings;
- Promote the development of appropriate data assimilation procedures for coupled models and consider questions related to initialization;
- Undertake other modeling activities in support of the WCRP and its core projects, as requested by the JSC;
- Advise the WCRP core projects and the JSC on progress in the development and use of global coupled models, and review and co-ordinate modeling activities as appropriate within the WCRP as a whole;
- Liaise with the Working Group on Subseasonal to Interdecadal Predictions, CORDEX, the Working Group on Numerical Experimentation, Future Earth and other relevant groups through the WCRP Modeling Advisory Council and other channels as appropriate;
- Liaise with the WCRP Data Advisory Council on the adequacy of the observing systems for model assessment and validation
- Liaise with IPCC as appropriate.