Can a digital replica of Earth save the world from climate disaster?
[ad_1]
A digital replica of Earth could help scientists better model the future of our planet and find solutions to problems wrought by climate change.
The advanced model, dubbed Digital Twin Earth, is being developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its partners based on data and images from Earth-observation satellites and sensors on the ground. To run reliably, the project will require new advanced artificial intelligence algorithms and powerful supercomputers, which are currently being developed.
ESA and its partners discussed their progress in the runup to the UN Climate Change Conference COP26, a two-week event that’s currently taking place in Glasgow, Scotland.
Related: 10 devastating signs of climate change satellites can see from space
ESA launched the Digital Twin Earth project in 2020 and invited researchers and tech companies from across Europe to present their progress during an event called PhiWeek, which took place Oct. 11 to Oct. 15.
The goal of this planetary megamodel is to simulate the effects of various natural processes and human activities on the planet and model scenarios of future evolution. For example, scientists might be able to model how replacing fossil fuel energy generation in a certain region with renewable power plants changes concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and how that shift, in turn, affects the rate of sea level rise.
At the PhiWeek conference, ESA’s partners introduced several partial models, smaller-scale ‘twins’ focusing on various regions of Earth or the planet’s subsystems.
For example, a digital model of Antarctica is being developed by a team led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Antarctica holds 60% of all Earth’s freshwater, the scientists said in a statement. If all that ice melted, global sea levels would rise by a whopping 190 feet (58 meters). The digital twin will help researchers better understand the state of the ice sheet and study the thawing process.
“By harnessing satellite observations, numerical simulations and artificial intelligence, we have built a twin of the Antarctic ice sheet system, its hydrology, surrounding ocean, atmosphere and biosphere,” said Noel Gourmelen, a cryosphere scientist at the University of Edinburgh in the ESA statement. “We have used the Antarctic twin to track the whereabouts of melt water on and under the ice sheet, and to explore how fringing ice shelves melt under various hydrology scenarios.”
Other partial twins focused on the hydrology of the Por River Basin in northern Italy and modelling droughts in Africa.
The Digital Twin Ocean, developed by the National Institute for Ocean Science in France, looks at the interplay between the changes in the atmosphere and the behavior of the oceans. The scientists will use this model to study the so-called Arctic amplification, a little-understood phenomenon that sees the northern polar regions warm twice as fast as the rest of the world.
The models are designed to be easily accessible even to users without advanced technical knowledge of Earth observation and climate modelling. Policy makers should be able to use these models to visualize changes in ecosystems and model consequences of various decisions, researchers said.
For example, the Digital Twin Food Systems simulates how agricultural activities interfere with the wider natural system but also models the effects of climate variations on food production.
The Forest Digital Twin aims to create the most detailed and realistic model of global forest cover and study the various functions forests play in the life of the planet including storing the climate-warming carbon dioxide.
Follow Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Original Post
Good info. Lucky me I reach on your website by accident, I bookmarked it.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Thank you a bunch for sharing this with all of us you actually recognize what you are talking about! Bookmarked. Kindly also talk over with my web site =). We may have a link trade contract among us!
Great ?V I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all tabs as well as related information ended up being truly easy to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Reasonably unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Excellent task..
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my web site thus i came to “return the favor”.I am trying to find things to improve my website!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
I’m still learning from you, while I’m making my way to the top as well. I certainly love reading all that is written on your site.Keep the information coming. I enjoyed it!
Yesterday, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a 30 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
I like this web blog so much, bookmarked.
Of course, what a splendid blog and revealing posts, I will bookmark your site.Best Regards!
I like this web site very much, Its a real nice post to read and get info . “Famous remarks are very seldom quoted correctly.” by Simeon Strunsky.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your site in internet explorer, would check this… IE still is the market leader and a huge portion of people will miss your wonderful writing due to this problem.
As a Newbie, I am constantly browsing online for articles that can benefit me. Thank you
We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with valuable info to work on. You’ve done a formidable job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
Good web site! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
Glad to be one of several visitants on this awing site : D.
This is a topic close to my heart cheers, where are your contact details though?
Exactly what I was looking for, thanks for putting up.
I discovered your blog site on google and check a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading more from you later on!…
Hiya! I just would like to give an enormous thumbs up for the great information you might have right here on this post. I will be coming back to your weblog for more soon.
Amazing! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a totally different topic but it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!
obviously like your web site but you have to test the spelling on several of your posts. Several of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to inform the reality however I¦ll definitely come again again.
Regards for helping out, great info .
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to send you an email. I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it grow over time.
Hey There. I found your blog the use of msn. This is a really neatly written article. I will make sure to bookmark it and return to learn extra of your useful info. Thank you for the post. I’ll certainly comeback.
I really enjoy reading through on this web site, it has fantastic content. “One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly.” by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.
Thankyou for all your efforts that you have put in this. very interesting info .
Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same outcome.
Simply wanna comment on few general things, The website design is perfect, the subject matter is real superb. “Crime does not pay … as well as politics.” by Alfred E. Newman.
I always was interested in this subject and still am, regards for posting.
Hi my family member! I want to say that this article is amazing, great written and come with almost all significant infos. I would like to look extra posts like this.