The research in MERGE is essential since reliable modelling of the Regional and Global Earth system is of utmost importance for society. Even though climate science is sufficiently robust to justify action on climate change mitigation and adaptation, the need to narrow down uncertainties that are central to assessing climate change and its impacts persists. Such uncertainties pertain to climate sensitivity, Earth System feedbacks and interactions and to incomplete understanding of key climate forcings and the interplay of physical and biological climate/Earth System components. This can be tackled with research that in turn supports mitigation and adaptation efforts on global, regional and local arenas.

MERGE has six collaborating partners in Sweden and is hosted by the Faculty of Science at Lund University. It involves more than 250 researchers, including senior scientists, young scientists and other contributing staff.

Explore our research at Lund University Research portal - portal.research.lu.se

Vision

The vision of MERGE is to further develop as a multidisciplinary Swedish node providing world-leading treatments of climate-terrestrial biosphere (including vegetation, land use, biogeochemical cycles and aerosols) interactions for the international Earth system modelling community and its science agenda. This is accompanied by dialogue with society, in the spirit of social learning by both scientists and stakeholders.

Aims

The main aims of MERGE are:

• Strategic research on key global and regional Earth System models, focusing on the terrestrial biosphere as a critical climate-system component, leading to Improved local, regional and global climate models with climate/vegetation interactions.
• Key contributions in national and international arenas, and fostering a new generation of scientists skilled in Earth System science and advanced climate modelling.
• Improve the societal relevance and use of climate model research and results.