This document discusses the challenges of climate science and the need for convergence across disciplines. It provides three key points: 1. Climate change has pushed scientists to consider complex, multidisciplinary problems that traditional reductionist models are insufficient for. Emerging technologies allow different fields to empower each other. 2. Convergence involves distinct technologies, disciplines, and devices coming together through collaboration between research groups and integrating originally distinct approaches. It is a broad rethinking of how research is done. 3. Climate science exemplifies a converging science, with numerical modeling providing context for sharing methods and concepts to allow faster innovation, cheaper solutions, and better outcomes. Interaction between natural and social sciences is particularly important.

1. La sfida della scienza del clima
Antonio Navarra
Centro euroMediterraneo per i
Cambiamenti Climatici
INGV

2. Aristotele
De Meteorologica
De Meteorologica
INGV - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Italy
Raffello, la Scuola di Atene
However, all the mouths of the Nile, with the single exception of that at Canopus, are obviously artificial
and not natural. And Egypt was nothing more than what is called Thebes, as Homer, too, shows, modern
though he is in relation to such changes.
However, all the mouths of the Nile, with the single exception of that at Canopus, are
obviously artificial and not natural. And Egypt was nothing more than what is called
Thebes, as Homer, too, shows, modern though he is in relation to such changes.
(...)
(…)
This happened to the land of Argos and Mycenae in Greece. In the time of the Trojan wars
This the Argive happened land to the was land marshy of Argos and and could Mycenae only in Greece. support In a the small time of population, the Trojan wars whereas the Argive the land
land
was of Mycenae marshy and was could in good only support condition. a small But population, now the opposite whereas the is the land case, of Mycenae for the was reason in good
we have
mentioned: condition. But the now land the of opposite Mycenae is the has case, become for the completely reason we have dry mentioned: and barren, the land while of the Mycenae Argive
has
become land that completely was formerly dry and barren, barren while owing the to Argive the water land that has was now formerly become barren fruitful. owing Now to the the water same
has
now process become that fruitful. has taken Now the place same in process this small that has district taken place must in this be supposed small district to must be going be supposed on over
to
be whole going countries on over whole and countries on a large and scale.
on a large scale.
(...)
So (…)
it is clear, since there will be no end to time and the world is eternal, that neither the
So Tanais it is clear, nor since the Nile there has will always be no end been to time flowing, and the but world that is eternal, the region that neither whence the they Tanais flow nor was
the Nile
has once always dry: for been their flowing, effect but that may the be region fulfilled, whence but they time flow cannot. was once And dry: this for will their effect be equally may be
true
of fulfilled, all other but time rivers. cannot. But And if this rivers will be come equally into true existence of all other and rivers. perish But and if rivers the same come parts into existence
of the
and earth perish were and not the always same parts moist, of the the earth sea were must not needs always change moist, correspondingly. the sea must needs change
And if the sea is
correspondingly. always advancing And if in the one sea place is always and advancing receding in in another one place it and is receding clear that in another the same it is clear parts that of
the
the same whole parts of earth the whole are not earth always are not always either either sea or sea land, or land, but but that that all all this this changes changes in course in course of time.
of

3. Atmosfera
Oceani
Il Sistema Clima
BIOSFERA
Umidita’ del Suolo
Fiumi
Precipitazioni
Evaporazione
Ghiaccio
Marino

4. The Climate Machine
Solar
Radiation
Earth Radiation

5. A scientific consideration of climate (I)
Crucial experiments like the famous experiment of Michelson e Morley are not possible in climate
science
How is it possible a scientific investigation of
climate ?

6. A scientific consideration of climate (II)
We can make experiments if we represent the climate system via a set of mathematical relations: the
equation of climate.
The equation of climate are very difficult, but they can be solved by numerical methods.
We can then treat very complex mathematical equations, paying the price of a enormous number of elementary
operations.

7. Every generation of numerical models is like a new, more powerful, telescope or particle accelerator and they will allow
us to look further into the working of the Earth climate more accurately, extensively and reliably.

8. L’anidride carbonica
Valori massimi di anidride carbonica

9. Preliminary Results

10. il rapporto ar5 ipcc
wg 1
 Il riscaldamento del sistema
climatico è inequivocabile, e dal 1950
molti dei cambiamenti osservati
sono senza precedenti nei precedenti
decenni e millenni.
 L'atmosfera e gli oceani si sono
riscaldati, la massa di neve e ghiaccio
è diminuita, e le concentrazioni di
gas ad effetto serra sono aumentate.
 È estremamente probabile che
l'influenza umana sia stata la causa
dominante del riscaldamento
osservato dalla metà del 20° secolo.

14. RACCM Part I: AIR, SEA AND PRECIPITATION - Ch.2: Future Climate Projections
Section 2.2 and Section 2.3: SIMULATIONS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
CLIMATE AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS
10*(°C/decade)
T2m trend 2001-2050 DJF
T2m trend 2001-2050 JJA
(mm/day)/decade
Precip trend 2001-2050 DJF
Precip trend 2001-2050 JJA
T2m and Precipitation projected trends

15. RACCM Part I: AIR, SEA AND PRECIPITATION - Ch.2: Future Climate Projections
Section 2.2 and Section 2.3: SIMULATIONS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
INGV
CLIMATE AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS
SEA LEVEL CHANGE due to the STERIC EFFECT
computed from the CIRCE models

16. Floods Return Period

18. The climate in 2014:the Arctic

19. e u r o p e
T e m p e r a t u r e
Trends in annual temperature in Europe (1960-
2012)
F R O M : E E A 2 0 1 2 : “ C L I M A T E
CHANGE, IMPACTS AND
VULNERABILITY IN
EUROPE, AN INDICATOR-B
A S E D R E P O R T ”

20. e u r o p e
p r e c i p i t a t i o n s
Trends in annual precipitation in Europe (1960-
2012)
F R O M : E E A 2 0 1 2 : “ C L I M A T E
CHANGE, IMPACTS AND
VULNERABILITY IN
EUROPE, AN INDICATOR-B
A S E D R E P O R T ”

21. How the
Climate
Changes

22. tmin, tmax
changes

23. The Mediterranean Region
Mid-latitude Regimes
Sahel Region
Indian Monsoon
Planetary waves and
Westerlies
Summer
Indian
Monsoon
InterTropical Convergence Zone

24. Observed Emissions and Emission Scenarios
Main periods of use: SA90 (1990-
1992, not shown), IS92 (1992-
2000), SRES (2000-2012), RCPs
(2012+)
Source: Peters et al. 2012a; Global
Carbon Project 2012

25. how climate will impact
Increasing risks? Migrations, Health
risks, conflicts around water scarcity
Increasing solidarity? food and
energy, innovative thinking and
technology, green growth scenarios
Policies will not be climate driven, but
it will be difficult to formulate policy
that does not take into account
climate change issues.
Outcome will depend on progressive
actors

26. universities have departments, society has problems
• Tr a d i t i o n a l r e d u c t i o n i s t
mo d e l i n s u f f i c i e n t
St r e s s e s f r om t h e wo r l d h a v e
p u s h e d s c i e n t i s t t o c o n s i d e r
me s s y , mu l t i d ime n s i o n a l
p r o b l ems .
Eme r g e n c e o f n ew t e c h n o l o g i e s
wi t h t h e p o t e n t i a l t o emp owe r
ma n y d i f f e r e n t f i e l d s
Pr e s s u r e a g a i n s t t r a d i t i o n a l
d i s c i p l i n a r y b a r r i e r s i s
i n c r e a s i n g

27. CONVERGENCE IS THE MERGING OF DISTINCT TECHNOLOGIES,
PROCESSING DISCIPL INES, OR DEVICES INTO A UNIFIED WHOLE THAT
CREATES A HOST OF NEW PATHWAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES. IT
INVOLVES THE COMING TOGETHER OF DIFFERENT FIELDS THROUGH
COL LABORATION AMONG RESEARCH GROUPS AND THE INTEGRATION
OF APPROACHES THAT WERE ORIGINAL LY SEEN AS DISTINCT OR EVEN
CONTRADICTORY
IT I S A BROAD RETHINKING OF HOW SCIENTI F IC RESEARCH I S DONE.
convergence
MIT White Paper

28. challenges
• Develop a common dictionary
• Revise evaluation criteria in academia and researc,
generally geared toward the individual
• Revise the value of networks
• Generate a new organisation of research

29. climate change is a converging science
The science of Climate is converging.
Numerical and mathematical modelling are providing the
context to share methods and concept, allowing faster
innovations, cheaper implementation and better solutions.
Leading the way is the dialogue between natural and
social sciences.