Conclusions and the future of climate research - The Global Climate System: Patterns, Processes, and Teleconnections - page 319

GURME Global Urban Research Meteorology and Environmental

Project

ILEAPS Integrated Land Ecosystem-Atmospheric Processes Study

PAGES Past Global Changes

SOLAS Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study

SPARC Stratospheric Processes and their Role in Climate

TRUCE Tropical Urban Climate Experiment

very wide range of scientific research, encourages the exchange of ideas, and
promotes many scientific conferences (www.icsu.org). Table 10.1 lists, under
ICSU, a number of major programs and projects that represent climate research
at different scales.
Government support for climate and other scientific research is coordinated
internationally through the United Nations (UNEP) and the WMO. At this level,
the IPCC and its work defining the impacts of global warming and human
activities is supported (IPCC 2001 ). Both organizations support the WCRP,
which provides the organizational framework for projects in areas such as energy,
chemistry, the cryosphere, past climates, urban climate, and interactions with
other global systems. The climate research ''umbrella'' goals of the WCRP are
listed in Table 10.2 , along with those of the United States Climate Change Science
Program. These goals define in the broadest sense an international framework
for more specific research, through international projects withmore specific goals,
to improve understanding of the climate system and its components. Patterns,
processes, and teleconnections are crucial aspects of this research.
Overall, major aims include developing a complete understanding of ''... the
dynamical, radiative, and chemical processes in the atmosphere-land-system ...''
(IPCC 2001 )and''... to understand and predict to the extent possible climate
variability and change, including human influences'' (Grassl 2001 ). Steffen
( 2001 ) states that critical aspects of these goals and aims include understand-
ing the stability and foundation of the entire atmospheric system, the triggers
causing change, how change and transition occur, the human influence, how
changes in climate influence other systems, and how the mix in forcing
functions works.

10.2 Understanding the global climate system
10.2.1 Radiative forcing and climate change over time
Radiative forcing is a key factor in the overall climate system. It is important to
the variations associated with oscillations and teleconnections (Chapter 2 ), helps
determine the strength and variations in circulation between the equator and the
poles (Chapters 4 and 5 ), and is a critical determinant of past climate variations