More knowledge on regional climate predictions is crucial to explain the coming effects the changes will have on people, where people are. The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is launching an office to coordinate all their regional activity – with a new position at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research (BCCR).
"At the Bjerknes Centre there is an increasing focus on climate prediction, also on regional climate. With this position, and look forward to promoting regional climate science to address the key challenges and objectives identified by WCRP," says Professor Tore Furevik, Director of BCCR, excited about the possibilities that greater coordination of regional climate science activities brings.
Spanning from Arctic to Antarctica, Atlantic to Pacific
The Coordination Office for Regional Activites (CORA) is established in Bergen and Hamburgs Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS).
"We are thrilled to co-host the CORA together with GERICS. As a centre with global modelling and prediction capabilities and research activities spanning from the Arctic to Antarctica and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, we should be well positioned to both contribute to – and benefit from – closer collaboration with WCRP," says Furevik.
The Bjerknes Centre is seeking a senior adviser for CORA in Bergen, with a corresponding position to be announced in Hamburg. The coordinators will promote and coordinate WCRP's regional activities, contribute to synergies and activities, organise science meetings and disseminate results, as well as further promote integration between WCRP and their host institutions.
Focus on WCRP core projects
Based on the strengths and interests of the Bjerknes Centre and GERICS, the coordinator in Bergen will have a particular focus on the WCRP core projects on Climate and Cryosphere (CliC), Climate and ocean variability, predictability and change (CLIVAR) and Stratosphere-troposphere processes and their role in climate (SPARC).
The coordinator will further focus on the WCRP unifying themes on coupled modelling activities, including seasonal to interdecadal prediction and coupled model intercomparison project, and the WCRP Grand challenges of melting ice, clouds and climate, carbon feedbacks, and near-time climate prediction – with activities in the Polar Regions, North America, Asia and Oceania.