A CliMathNet and Network+ on Emergence and Physics far from Equilibrium Meeting:

Non-equilibrium Dynamics of Climate: linking models to data

A 3-day collaborative workshop of the research networks

Network+ on Emergence and Physics far from Equilibrium and CliMathNet

5th-7th January 2015 at Dartington Hall, Devon, UK.

Background: Understanding the earth’s climate system poses many of the challenges that exist more widely in systems far from equilibrium. There are non-linear processes acting across a broad range of spatio-temporal scales, the system is driven and is far from equilibrium. In addition, we have only one realization of our (changing) climate and observational data is very limited. This workshop seeks to bring some of the ideas and methodology of non-equilibrium dynamics to bear on understanding the dynamics and variability of climate events, extremes and the emergence of spatio-temporal correlations.

Keynote speakers:

  • Daan Crommelin (CWI Amsterdam)
  • Brad Marston (Brown University,RI): 'Multiscale Approach to the Direct Statistical Simulation of Geophysical Flows'
  • Lenny Smith (University of Oxford)
  • Jacques Vanneste (University of Edinburgh): 'Dispersion and reaction of passive scalars: the large-deviation regime'

The workshop reviewed current work and identified future areas where non-equilibrium statistical mechanics methodologies can contribute to areas such as:

  • maximum entropy principle approaches to environmental and ecological systems
  • fluctuation-dissipation methods in climate and weather
  • spatio-temporal correlations and large deviation models for extreme events
  • non-equilibrium thermodynamics applied to atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere and biosphere interactions
  • non-equilibrium and complex systems approaches to interactions between humans and climate

The workshop brought together a wide range of researchers from Mathematics, Physics and Climate Science and was a joint venture between two EPSRC-funded networks:

Location: Dartington Hall is a historic location near Totnes in the South-West of the UK with excellent facilities for meetings. It is a large stately home dating back to Medieval times, set in 800 acres of outstanding gardens. Accommodation (when available), food and meeting rooms are all on-site. The Hall is a short trip by taxi from the ancient market town of Totnes whose railway station which is on the main line from London (about 2 hours 50 mins by fast train).

 

Schedule:

Monday 5th January 2015

Time

 

 

12.00

Lunch

 

13.45

Introduction, Sandra Chapman, Peter Ashwin

 

14.00

Lenny Smith, Oxford

 

15.00

Ted Shepherd, Reading

 

15.30

Tea break

 

16.00

Axel Kleidon, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

 

16.30

David Stainforth, LSE

 

17.00

End of session

 

19.00

Evening meal, Dartington

Tuesday 6th January 2015

 

 

 

09.30

Brad Marston (Brown University,RI)

 

10.30

Coffee break

 

11.00

Rainer Klages, QMUL

 

11.30

Ian Ford, UCL

 

12.00

Lunch

 

14.30

Daan Crommelin, CWI Amsterdam

 

15.30

Klaus Fraedrich, Hamburg

 

16.00

Tea break

 

16.30

Peter Cox, Exeter

 

17.00

Tim Lenton, Exeter

 

19.00

Conference dinner, Dartington

Wednesday 7th January 2015

 

 

 

09.30

Jacques Vanneste, Edinburgh

 

10.30

Coffee break

 

11.00

Discussion

 

12.00

Lunch and end of meeting