Research
EMC3 Research activities
EMC3 is one of the research groups of Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD). The activities of the EMC3 team are motivated by the desire to improve our understanding of the physical processes that govern the mean state and variability of the climate and to anticipate its future evolution. To this end, the team relies on a variety of observations and models, both in terms of resolution and complexity. Thus, our team is structured in 3 axes:
1- Study of the physical mechanisms that control climate variability and sensitivity, based on various observations and models. To understand the mechanisms at play, the team relies on the analysis of observations; it has long played a leading role in the analysis of space observations, and is playing an increasing role in the analysis of in-situ observations collected at instrumented sites or during field campaigns in the tropics or in Antarctica. On the other hand, the team operates a hierarchy of models ranging from conceptual models to high-resolution models resolving cloud dynamics, in idealized or realistic configurations.
2- Development of the LMDZ General Circulation Model, the atmospheric component of the IPSL Earth System Model. A particular emphasis is placed on the development of "physical parameterizations": mathematically and physically consistent formulations of processes that are too fine-scale to be explicitly represented at model resolution. This concerns in particular cloudy processes and exchanges with continental surfaces. The development of parameterizations feeds on the process studies of the previous axis and translates it into a coherent and unified framework. In return, the analysis of simulations produced with LMDZ in a variety of configurations (global, regional, coupled or not with surfaces, etc.) contributes to shedding light on the role and climatic importance of the various processes involved.
3- Anticipation of climate change at global and regional scales, in order to help shed light on the societal issues that arise in the face of climate change. In particular, the team plays a leading role in the analysis of climate sensitivity and the feedbacks that contribute to it, in the preparation of IPCC reports and in a number of expert studies on climate change at different scales. It proposes original solutions for impact studies at regional and local scales.
The team has strong links with the small-scale modelling, uncertainty quantification, global atmosphere and continental surface modelling and observation communities.
These activities are carried out in collaboration with many individuals or centers and many projects across IPSL (Pôle de modélisation, Labex), France, Europe and throughout the world. The group plays a leading role in several international projects, and provides a major contribution to national and international assessments on climate change, including the IPCC.