Earth System Science Frontiers: An Early Career Perspective

Abstract

The exigencies of the global community toward Earth system science will increase in the future as the human population, economies, and the human footprint on the planet continue to grow. This growth, combined with intensifying urbanization, will inevitably exert increasing pressure on all ecosystem services. A unified interdisciplinary approach to Earth system science is required that can address this challenge, integrate technical demands and long-term visions, and reconcile user demands with scientific feasibility. Together with the research arms of the World Meteorological Organization, the Young Earth System Scientists community has gathered early-career scientists from around the world to initiate a discussion about frontiers of Earth system science. To provide optimal information for society, Earth system science has to provide a comprehensive understanding of the physical processes that drive the Earth system and anthropogenic influences. This understanding will be reflected in seamless prediction systems for environmental processes that are robust and instructive to local users on all scales. Such prediction systems require improved physical process understanding, more high-resolution global observations, and advanced modeling capability, as well as high-performance computing on unprecedented scales. At the same time, the robustness and usability of such prediction systems also depend on deepening our understanding of the entire Earth system and improved communication between end users and researchers. Earth system science is the fundamental baseline for understanding the Earth’s capacity to accommodate humanity, and it provides a means to have a rational discussion about the consequences and limits of anthropogenic influence on Earth. Without its progress, truly sustainable development will be impossible.

Exploration of a Composite Index to Describe Magnetospheric Activity: Reduction of the Magnetospheric State Vector to a Single Scalar

“…The first theme could be called "system-level thinking": Most of what is called "Earth systems science" falls into this category (e.g. Clifford & Richards, 2005;Finley et al, 2011;Rauser et al, 2017;Reid et al, 2010). Magnetospheric research also strives to take into account the multiple interconnected parts of the system with its physics-based global simulation codes that are incorporating more and more plasma populations and known physical processes (e.g., Haiuducek et al, 2017;Jordanova et al, 2018;Lyon, 2000;Ouellette et al, 2016).…”

Reflections on the CLIVAR Early Career Scientists Symposium 2016

“…These include unequal access to data and journals, most prominent in developing countries (e.g., due to web filtering). Potential solutions include direct facilitation of twoway collaborative exchanges of scientists between countries, developing regional networks and capacity building in developing nations, and promoting networks to link scientists such as the Young Earth System Scientists (YESS) 4 community and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS, www.apecs. is).…”

Five priorities for weather and climate research

“…Their education and training must become more interdisciplinary, service-focused and global in outlook 5 . National meteorological and hydrological services and universities should collaborate to help early-career scientists to work on data and tools.…”