CMIP5

The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, commonly known as CMIP5, was a major international collaborative effort to analyze the output of climate models. Its primary goal was to organize and facilitate the comparison of climate projections from a wide range of global climate models. This comparison allowed scientists to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different models, understand the range of plausible future climate scenarios, and improve our understanding of the climate system.

CMIP5 involved numerous research institutions worldwide, each contributing simulations from their state-of-the-art climate models. These models were run under a standardized set of experimental protocols, including historical simulations driven by observed forcings and future projections driven by various greenhouse gas emission scenarios, known as Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). The RCPs provided a consistent framework for evaluating future climate change under different socioeconomic development pathways.

The data generated by CMIP5 models were made publicly available, fostering extensive research and contributing significantly to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports, particularly the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). CMIP5 provided crucial information for understanding the sensitivity of the climate system to increased greenhouse gas concentrations, assessing future changes in temperature, precipitation, sea level, and extreme weather events, and informing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. It laid the groundwork for subsequent CMIP phases, such as CMIP6, which continue to advance climate modeling and projection capabilities.