Tipping points in the climate system are thresholds where a tiny change could push the system into a completely new state. They are of particular interest in reference to concerns about global warming. The EU-funded Multiscales and Critical Transitions in the Earth System ‘CriticalEarth’ project will train 15 early-stage researchers (ESR) on new methods for assessing the mechanisms and associated risks of critical transitions in the climate. The focus will be on investigating how complex mathematics can be used to predict and avoid irreversible climate change. The network will offer researchers an excellent background for working with cross-disciplinary teams in academia, industry, and governmental and non-governmental institutions.
CriticalEarth project management based at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and the Project Coordinator is Prof. Peter Ditlevsen. The general structure of our project, is presented below. You can find full details of our 11 beneficiaries, ESRs and partner organisations under the About Us section. CriticalEarth is organised into 9 Work Packages (WP), based around 6 scientific themes and 3 technical:
WP1: Mathematical basis for critical transitions and tipping points
WP2: Transitions and rare events in climate models
WP3: Tipping Elements in the climate
WP4: Tipping points in observations and paleo-records
WP5: Bifurcations and the model hierarchy
WP6: Response theory
WP7: Training for ESRs
WP8: Outreach
WP9: Management
TUM = Technische Universität München, UU = Universiteit Utrecht, CUM = Complutense University of Madrid, FUB = Freie Universität Berlin, UExe = University of Exeter, UoR = University of Reading