CMIP7 Data Request: atmosphere priorities and opportunities
Abstract. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 7 (CMIP7) request for data unlocking key research avenues in atmospheric science and provides justification for the resources needed to produce this data. Topics within the CMIP7 Atmosphere Theme centre around processes and feedbacks in atmospheric science such as clouds, aerosols and atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric circulation, temperature variability and extremes, radiative forcings, and Earth system model evaluation. These topics are summarised in this paper as scientific “opportunities” which will be realised through CMIP7 experiments and Earth system model outputs. These opportunities were submitted by a thematic group of atmospheric science community representatives combined with an extended consultation process. The production of these variables will close key gaps and uncertainties identified during previous rounds of CMIP, and will be broadly used by scientific, policy, governmental, industry, and other communities that rely on climate model projections for research and decision making, including supporting the 7th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report (AR7). As an author group, we also reflect on the process used to collate this data request and make recommendations to future CMIP governance on implementing a consultation on this scale in the future.
Authors
- Carsten Abraham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2532-5365)
- Lisa Bock (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7058-5938)
- Tommi Bergman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6133-2231)
- Sonya Fiddes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2752-0845)
- Laura J. Wilcox (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5691-1493)
- Fei Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2450-6159)
- Fiona M. O’Connor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2893-4828)
- Mark D. Zelinka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6570-5445)
- Beth Dingley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9831-9671)
- Marta Ábalos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1267-5115)
- Petr Šácha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9707-1750)
- Ryan J. Kramer
- Isla R. Simpson
- Birgit Hassler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2724-709X)
- James A. Anstey
Institutions
- NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (US)
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES)
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US)
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (FI)
- Met Office (GB)
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (NL)
- Australian Antarctic Division (AU)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA)
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (US)
- University of Victoria (CA)
- Charles University (CZ)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) (DE)
- European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (GB)
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science (GB)
- Meteorological Service Singapore (SG)
- NSF NCAR Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory (US)
- University of Reading (GB)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Geoscientific model development
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-19-2945-2026
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Climate variability and models
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Met Office
- Academy of Finland
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Australian Antarctic Division
- Horizon 2020