GMD – Special issue – CMIP7 scientific objectives, experimental design, and organization

GMD – Special issue – CMIP7 scientific objectives, experimental design, and organization
CMIP7 scientific objectives, experimental design, and organization
Special issues
Special issues
CMIP7 scientific objectives, experimental design, and organization
Editor(s)
: GMD topic editors | Coordinators: John Dunne (NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, United States), Helene Hewitt (Met Office, United Kingdom), and Eleanor O'Rourke (WCRP-CMIP International Project Office, United Kingdom)
From its origins as a punctuated phasing of a few key coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model experiments, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) has evolved into a continuous climate Earth system modelling programme supported by design of experimental protocol, forcing dataset development, infrastructure solutions, and format requirements. These defined phases tackle key and timely climate science questions and facilitate delivery of relevant multi-model simulations through shared infrastructure for the benefit of the climate research community, climate impact and adaptation practitioners, national and international climate assessments, and society at large. In a series of invited contributions, this special issue describes the evolving design and organization of CMIP, the suite of experiments of its seventh phase (CMIP7) including the new
CMIP7 Assessment Fast Track
component and registered model intercomparison projects (MIPs) adhering to CMIP data standards and best-practice experimental protocol and data requests, and enabling infrastructure. The papers provide the required information to produce a consistent set of climate model simulations that can be scientifically exploited to support the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) science priorities, which currently include
Fundamental understanding of the climate system
Prediction of the near-term evolution of the climate system
Long-term response of the climate system
, and
Bridging climate science and society
, and future climate assessments informing policy and decision-making. A separate GMD special issue is providing an overview of the various CMIP7 forcings.
Review process
: all papers of this special issue underwent the regular interactive peer-review process of Geoscientific Model Development handled by members of the GMD editorial board.
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Bibtex
EndNote
22 Apr 2026
CMIP7 data request: land and land ice priorities and opportunities
Yue Li, Gang Tang, Eleanor O'Rourke, Samar Minallah, Martim Mas e Braga, Sophie Nowicki, Robin S. Smith, David M. Lawrence, George C. Hurtt, Daniele Peano, Gesa Meyer, Birgit Hassler, Jiafu Mao, Yongkang Xue, and Martin Juckes
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 3129–3155,
2026
Short summary
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Land and Land Ice Theme Opportunities describe a list that contains 25 variable groups with 716 variables, which are potentially available to the broad scientific audience for performing analysis in land–atmosphere coupling, hydrological processes and freshwater systems, glacier and ice sheet mass balance and their influence on the sea levels, land use, and plant phenology.
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17 Apr 2026
CMIP7 Data Request: atmosphere priorities and opportunities
Beth Dingley, James A. Anstey, Marta Abalos, Carsten Abraham, Tommi Bergman, Lisa Bock, Sonya Fiddes, Birgit Hassler, Ryan J. Kramer, Fei Luo, Fiona M. O'Connor, Petr Šácha, Isla R. Simpson, Laura J. Wilcox, and Mark D. Zelinka
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 2945–2984,
2026
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This manuscript defines as a list of variables and scientific opportunities which are requested from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 7 (CMIP7) Assessment Fast Track to address open atmospheric science questions. The list reflects the output of a large public community engagement effort, coordinated across autumn 2025 through to summer 2025.
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15 Apr 2026
CMIP7 data request: Earth system priorities and opportunities
Mara Y. McPartland, Tomas Lovato, Charles Koven, Jamie D. Wilson, Briony Turner, Colleen M. Petrik, José Licón-Saláiz, Fang Li, Fanny Lhardy, Jaclyn Clement Kinney, Michio Kawamiya, Birgit Hassler, Nathan P. Gillett, Cheikh Modou Noreyni Fall, Christopher Danek, Chris M. Brierley, Ana Bastos, and Oliver Andrews
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 2849–2880,
2026
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The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) is an international consortium of climate modeling groups that produce coordinated experiments in order to evaluate human influence on the climate and test knowledge of Earth systems. This paper describes the data requested for Earth systems research in CMIP7. We detail the request for model output of the carbon cycle, the flows of energy among the atmosphere, land and the oceans, and interactions between these and the global climate.
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14 Apr 2026
CMIP7 Data Request: co-created guidance for the production of CMIP7 data [v1.2.2.3]
Chloe Mackallah, Martin Juckes, James Anstey, Beth Dingley, Charlotte Pascoe, Gaëlle Rigoudy, Marie-Pierre Moine, Tomas Lovato, Alison Pamment, Martin Schupfner, Michio Kawamiya, Tommi Bergman, Charles Koven, Eleanor O'Rourke, Briony Turner, Daniel Ellis, and Matthew Mizielinski
EGUsphere,
2026
Preprint under review for GMD
(discussion: open, 0 comments)
Short summary
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This paper describes the creation of a new set of output data requirements for upcoming global climate model experiments performed for CMIP7, an international climate modelling activity. Experts from the community helped to co-create a database that describes which data should be produced, and the scientific justifications behind these choices. It supports growing climate research and policy needs by linking experiments and variables to scientific objectives and real‑world applications.
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07 Apr 2026
| Highlight paper
The Scenario Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP7 (ScenarioMIP-CMIP7)
Detlef P. Van Vuuren, Brian C. O'Neill, Claudia Tebaldi, Benjamin M. Sanderson, Louise P. Chini, Pierre Friedlingstein, Tomoko Hasegawa, Keywan Riahi, Bala Govindasamy, Nico Bauer, Veronika Eyring, Cheikh M. N. Fall, Katja Frieler, Matthew J. Gidden, Laila K. Gohar, Annika Högner, Andrew D. Jones, Jarmo Kikstra, Andrew King, Reto Knutti, Elmar Kriegler, Peter Lawrence, Chris Lennard, Jason Lowe, Camilla Mathison, Shahbaz Mehmood, Zebedee Nicholls, Luciana F. Prado, Qiang Zhang, Steven K. Rose, Alex C. Ruane, Marit Sandstad, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, Roland Seferian, Jana Sillmann, Chris Smith, Anna A. Sörensson, Swapna Panickal, Kaoru Tachiiri, Naomi Vaughan, Saritha S. Vishwanathan, Tokuta Yokohata, Marco Zecchetto, and Tilo Ziehn
Geosci. Model Dev., 19, 2627–2656,
2026
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We propose a set of seven plausible 21st century emission scenarios, and their multi-century extensions, that will be used by the international community of climate modeling centers to produce the next generation of climate projections. These projections will support climate, impact and mitigation researchers, provide information to practitioners to address future risks from climate change, and contribute to policymakers’ considerations of the trade-offs among various levels of mitigation.
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17 Mar 2026
CMIP6 data usage: Lessons learned from more than 200 million downloads
Juliette Lavoie, Aude Carreric, Alistair Duffey, Giovanni Chellini, and Elisa Ziegler
EGUsphere,
2026
Preprint under review for GMD
(discussion: open, 0 comments)
Short summary
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The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) is a large collaborative project to better understand the Earth’s climate system. The data produced through this project is downloaded by users around the world. In this paper, we analyze the patterns of downloads and the usage of this massive dataset. From this analysis, we make some recommendations for future data production and usage tracking.
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29 Jan 2026
The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) contribution to CMIP7
Paulo Ceppi, Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo, Mark D. Zelinka, Timothy Andrews, Florent Brient, Robin Chadwick, Jonathan M. Gregory, Yen-Ting Hwang, Sarah M. Kang, Jennifer E. Kay, Thorsten Mauritsen, Tomoo Ogura, George Tselioudis, Masahiro Watanabe, Mark J. Webb, and Allison A. Wing
EGUsphere,
2026
Preprint under review for GMD
(discussion: final response, 5 comments)
Short summary
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Clouds constitute a key uncertainty for climate change projections. The Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project (CFMIP) aims to address this challenge by evaluating and understanding clouds and their impacts on atmospheric circulation, precipitation, and climate sensitivity. The present paper describes the CFMIP experiment protocol for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 7 (CMIP7), and discusses the accompanying science questions and opportunities for progress.
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28 Jan 2026
DeepMIP-Eocene-p2: Experimental design for Phase 2 of the early Eocene component of the the CMIP7/PMIP7 Deep-time Model Intercomparison Project (DeepMIP-Eocene)
Daniel J. Lunt, Nicky M. Wright, Bram Vaes, Ulrich Salzmann, James W. B. Rae, Thomas Hickler, David K. Hutchinson, Julia Brugger, Jiang Zhu, Sebastian Steinig, A. Nele Meckler, Gordon N. Inglis, David Evans, Agatha M. de Boer, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, Natalie Burls, Yurui Zhang, Appy Sluijs, Tammo Reichgelt, Igor Niezgodzki, Katrin Meissner, Jean-Baptiste Ladant, Fanni D. Kelemen, Matthew Huber, David Greenwood, Mattias Green, Flavia Boscolo-Galazzo, Mauel Tobias Blau, and Michiel Baatsen
EGUsphere,
2026
Preprint under review for GMD
(discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
Short summary
The early Eocene, about 50 million years ago, was a super-warm period of Earth's history, with high concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Here, we provide a framework and experimental design for climate modellers to carry out a coordinated project, simulating this period. This is the second phase of this project, and here we provide updated maps of the Earth's mountains and ocean floor, and vegetation, to enable more accurate modelling.
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27 Dec 2025
The Fire Modeling Intercomparison Project (FireMIP) for CMIP7
Fang Li, David Lawrence, Brendan Rogers, Chantelle Burton, Huilin Huang, Yiquan Jiang, Johannes Kaiser, Matthew Kasoar, Hanna Lee, Ruby Leung, Lars Nieradzik, Aihui Wang, Daniel Ward, Ligeer Ce, Yangchun Li, Zhongda Lin, Apostolos Voulgarakis, and Yongkang Xue
EGUsphere,
2025
Revised manuscript accepted for GMD
(discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
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Extreme fire events are increasing, and fires are projected to rise across most regions, posing growing risks to ecosystems and society. As a key Earth system process, fire is now modeled in most Earth System Models (ESMs). FireMIP within CMIP7 will evaluate fire simulations in state‑of‑the‑art ESMs, project future fire changes, and provide quantitative, process‑based understanding of fire's role in the Earth system.
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04 Dec 2025
CMIP7 data request: impacts and adaptation priorities and opportunities
Alex C. Ruane, Charlotte L. Pascoe, Claas Teichmann, David J. Brayshaw, Carlo Buontempo, Ibrahima Diouf, Jesus Fernandez, Paula L. M. Gonzalez, Birgit Hassler, Vanessa Hernaman, Ulas Im, Doroteaciro Iovino, Martin Juckes, Iréne L. Lake, Timothy Lam, Xiaomao Lin, Jiafu Mao, Negin Nazarian, Sylvie Parey, Indrani Roy, Wan-Ling Tseng, Briony Turner, Andrew Wiebe, Lei Zhao, and Damaris Zurell
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 9497–9540,
2025
Short summary
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This paper describes how the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project organized its 7th phase (CMIP7) to encourage the production of Earth system model outputs relevant for impacts and adaptation. Community engagement identified 13 opportunities for application across human and natural systems, 60 variable groups and 539 unique variables. We also show how simulations can more efficiently meet applications needs by targeting appropriate resolution, time slices, experiments and variable groups.
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25 Nov 2025
AerChemMIP2 – Unraveling the role of reactive gases, aerosol particles, and land use for air quality and climate change in CMIP7
Stephanie Fiedler, Fiona M. O'Connor, Duncan Watson-Parris, Robert J. Allen, William J. Collins, Paul T. Griffiths, Matthew Kasoar, Jarmo Kikstra, Jasper F. Kok, Lee T. Murray, Fabien Paulot, Maria Sand, Steven Turnock, James Weber, Laura J. Wilcox, and Vaishali Naik
EGUsphere,
2025
Revised manuscript accepted for GMD
(discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
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The Aerosol and Chemistry Model Intercomparison Project phase two (AerChemMIP2) allows the community to compare results from contemporary Earth system models. AerChemMIP2 is asking modelling centres to perform experiments following the same protocol. It includes experiments for enabling new science and for tracking progress. Model output will be used for addressing research and policy questions about anthropogenic and natural drivers of climate change, and the impacts on air quality.
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01 Oct 2025
| Highlight paper
An evolving Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 7 (CMIP7) and Fast Track in support of future climate assessment
John P. Dunne, Helene T. Hewitt, Julie M. Arblaster, Frédéric Bonou, Olivier Boucher, Tereza Cavazos, Beth Dingley, Paul J. Durack, Birgit Hassler, Martin Juckes, Tomoki Miyakawa, Matt Mizielinski, Vaishali Naik, Zebedee Nicholls, Eleanor O'Rourke, Robert Pincus, Benjamin M. Sanderson, Isla R. Simpson, and Karl E. Taylor
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 6671–6700,
2025
Short summary
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The seventh phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP7) coordinates efforts to answer key and timely climate science questions and facilitate delivery of relevant multi-model simulations for prediction and projection; characterization, attribution, and process understanding; and vulnerability, impact, and adaptation analysis. Key to the CMIP7 design are the mandatory Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima and optional Assessment Fast Track experiments.
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24 Sep 2025
A sea ice free Arctic: Assessment Fast Track
abrupt-127k
experimental protocol and motivation
Louise C. Sime, Rachel Diamond, Christian Stepanek, Chris Brierley, David Schroeder, Masa Kageyama, Irene Malmierca-Vallet, Ed Blockley, Alex West, Danny Feltham, Jeff Ridley, Pascale Braconnot, Charles J. R. Williams, Xiaoxu Shi, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, Sophia I. Macarewich, Silvana Ramos Buarque, Qiong Zhang, Allegra LeGrande, Weipeng Zheng, Dabang Jiang, Polina Morozova, Chuncheng Guo, Zhongshi Zhang, Nicholas Yeung, Laurie Menviel, Sandeep Narayanasetti, Olivia Reeves, Matthew Pollock, and Anni Zhao
EGUsphere,
2025
Revised manuscript accepted for GMD
(discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
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The Arctic may have lost its summer sea ice 127,000 years ago during a naturally warm period in Earth’s past. Climate models can be tested by recreating those conditions, with similar sunlight and greenhouse gas levels. Analysing the large sea ice changes in these simulations helps us understand how the Arctic might respond in the near future and improves how we test and trust our climate models.
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23 Sep 2025
The TIPMIP Earth system model experiment protocol: phase 1
Colin Jones, Isaline Bossert, Donovan P. Dennis, Hazel Jeffery, Chris D. Jones, Torben Koenigk, Sina Loriani, Benjamin Sanderson, Roland Séférian, Klaus Wyser, Shuting Yang, Manabu Abe, Sebastian Bathiany, Pascale Braconnot, Victor Brovkin, Friedrich A. Burger, Patrica Cadule, Frederic S. Castruccio, Gokhan Danabasoglu, Andrea Dittus, Jonathan F. Donges, Friederike Fröb, Thomas Frölicher, Goran Georgievski, Chuncheng Guo, Aixue Hu, Peter Lawrence, Paul Lerner, José Licón-Saláiz, Bette Otto-Bliesner, Anastasia Romanou, Elena Shevliakova, Yona Silvy, Didier Swingedouw, Jerry Tjiputra, Jeremy Walton, Andy Wiltshire, Ricarda Winkelmann, Richard Wood, Tokuta Yokohata, and Tilo Ziehn
EGUsphere,
2025
Preprint under review for GMD
(discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
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We introduce a new Earth system model experiment protocol to help researchers understand how Earth might respond to positive, zero, and negative carbon emissions. This protocol enables different models to be compared following similar warming and cooling rates. Researchers use the models to explore how the Earth reacts to different climate futures, including the risk of tipping points being exceeded and whether changes can be reversed. The results will support improved long-term climate policy.
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17 Sep 2025
The Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP2.0) for CMIP7
Ryan Kramer, Chris Smith, and Timothy Andrews
EGUsphere,
2025
Revised manuscript accepted for GMD
(discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Short summary
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Natural or anthropogenic activities can cause a perturbation in Earth’s radiative energy budget known as a radiative forcing, which induces a climate response. Diagnosing radiative forcing and its uncertainty is foundational to understanding past and future climate change. Here we outline the protocol for the second iteration of the Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP2.0), which provides a standardized method for diagnosing radiative forcing across Global Climate Models.
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22 Jul 2025
The Detection and Attribution Model Intercomparison Project (DAMIP v2.0) contribution to CMIP7
Nathan P. Gillett, Isla R. Simpson, Gabi Hegerl, Reto Knutti, Dann Mitchell, Aurélien Ribes, Hideo Shiogama, Dáithí Stone, Claudia Tebaldi, Piotr Wolski, Wenxia Zhang, and Vivek K. Arora
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 4399–4416,
2025
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Climate model simulations of the response to human and natural influences together, natural climate influences alone and greenhouse gases alone are key to quantifying human influence on the climate. The last set of such coordinated simulations underpinned key findings in the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. Here we propose a new set of such simulations to be used in the next generation of attribution studies and to underpin the next IPCC report.
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11 Jul 2025
Rapid Evaluation Framework for the CMIP7 Assessment Fast Track
Forrest M. Hoffman, Birgit Hassler, Ranjini Swaminathan, Jared Lewis, Bouwe Andela, Nathaniel Collier, Dóra Hegedűs, Jiwoo Lee, Charlotte Pascoe, Mika Pflüger, Martina Stockhause, Paul Ullrich, Min Xu, Lisa Bock, Felicity Chun, Bettina K. Gier, Douglas I. Kelley, Axel Lauer, Julien Lenhardt, Manuel Schlund, Mohanan G. Sreeush, Katja Weigel, Ed Blockley, Rebecca Beadling, Romain Beucher, Demiso D. Dugassa, Valerio Lembo, Jianhua Lu, Swen Brands, Jerry Tjiputra, Elizaveta Malinina, Brian Mederios, Enrico Scoccimarro, Jeremy Walton, Philip Kershaw, André L. Marquez, Malcolm J. Roberts, Eleanor O’Rourke, Elisabeth Dingley, Briony Turner, Helene Hewitt, and John P. Dunne
EGUsphere,
2025
Preprint under review for GMD
(discussion: final response, 6 comments)
Short summary
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As Earth system models become more complex, rapid and comprehensive evaluation through comparison with observational data is necessary. The upcoming Assessment Fast Track for the Seventh Phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP7) will require fast analysis. This paper describes a new Rapid Evaluation Framework (REF) that was developed for the Assessment Fast Track that will be run at the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) to inform the community about the performance of models.
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03 Jul 2025
CMIP7 Data Request: Ocean and Sea Ice Priorities and Opportunities
Baylor Fox-Kemper, Patricia DeRepentigny, Anne Marie Treguier, Christian Stepanek, Eleanor O’Rourke, Chloe Mackallah, Alberto Meucci, Yevgeny Aksenov, Paul J. Durack, Nicole Feldl, Vanessa Hernaman, Céline Heuzé, Doroteaciro Iovino, Gaurav Madan, André L. Marquez, François Massonnet, Jenny Mecking, Dhrubajyoti Samanta, Patrick C. Taylor, Wan-Ling Tseng, and Martin Vancoppenolle
EGUsphere,
2025
Revised manuscript accepted for GMD
(discussion: final response, 6 comments)
Short summary
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The earth system model variables needed for studies of the ocean and sea ice are prioritized and requested.
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14 May 2025
Baseline Climate Variables for Earth System Modelling
Martin Juckes, Karl E. Taylor, Fabrizio Antonio, David Brayshaw, Carlo Buontempo, Jian Cao, Paul J. Durack, Michio Kawamiya, Hyungjun Kim, Tomas Lovato, Chloe Mackallah, Matthew Mizielinski, Alessandra Nuzzo, Martina Stockhause, Daniele Visioni, Jeremy Walton, Briony Turner, Eleanor O'Rourke, and Beth Dingley
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 2639–2663,
2025
Short summary
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The Baseline Climate Variables for Earth System Modelling (ESM-BCVs) are defined as a list of 135 variables which have high utility for the evaluation and exploitation of climate simulations. The list reflects the most frequently used variables from Earth system models based on an assessment of data publication and download records from the largest archive of global climate projects.
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03 Mar 2025
High-Resolution Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (HighResMIP2) towards CMIP7
Malcolm J. Roberts, Kevin A. Reed, Qing Bao, Joseph J. Barsugli, Suzana J. Camargo, Louis-Philippe Caron, Ping Chang, Cheng-Ta Chen, Hannah M. Christensen, Gokhan Danabasoglu, Ivy Frenger, Neven S. Fučkar, Shabeh ul Hasson, Helene T. Hewitt, Huanping Huang, Daehyun Kim, Chihiro Kodama, Michael Lai, Lai-Yung Ruby Leung, Ryo Mizuta, Paulo Nobre, Pablo Ortega, Dominique Paquin, Christopher D. Roberts, Enrico Scoccimarro, Jon Seddon, Anne Marie Treguier, Chia-Ying Tu, Paul A. Ullrich, Pier Luigi Vidale, Michael F. Wehner, Colin M. Zarzycki, Bosong Zhang, Wei Zhang, and Ming Zhao
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 1307–1332,
2025
Short summary
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HighResMIP2 is a model intercomparison project focusing on high-resolution global climate models, that is, those with grid spacings of 25 km or less in the atmosphere and ocean, using simulations of decades to a century in length. We are proposing an update of our simulation protocol to make the models more applicable to key questions for climate variability and hazard in present-day and future projections and to build links with other communities to provide more robust climate information.
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