Klimatforskning

Klimatforskning, or climate research, is the interdisciplinary study of the Earth's climate system, its past behavior, current states, and likely future trajectories. It covers the atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, land surface and biosphere, and seeks to understand drivers such as greenhouse gas concentrations, clouds, aerosols, solar forcing, volcanic activity, natural variability, and anthropogenic influences. The field aims to describe observed changes, attribute causes, and project future climate under different emissions scenarios, including regional impacts and extreme events.

Methods include gathering and analyzing observations from weather stations, ships, floats, satellites, and ice cores; reconstructing past climates from proxies; and using numerical models, from simple energy balance models to comprehensive global climate models and Earth system models. Ensemble runs, downscaling, and uncertainty assessment are standard practice to evaluate confidence in projections and to explore different futures. Climate research combines physics, chemistry, statistics, geography, and computer science to understand how different components of the system interact and respond to forcing.

Applications and significance include informing policy, adaptation, and mitigation planning. It underpins international assessments and frameworks; periodic reports synthesize the current state of knowledge for decision-makers. Data and results are widely shared by space agencies, meteorological organizations, and research networks. Challenges remain in reducing uncertainties at regional scales, filling observational gaps in oceans and polar regions, and communicating complex findings to policymakers and the public in clear, actionable terms.